Oregon Art Beat; #228; Fishtrap

You You Good I see What my glasses on see if I see no no you're fine Okay I'll start having interviews yourself so you can get your name Okay Okay Where you're going or where you from and what you're doing right now I'm rolling Are you on? I am. This is me here now. Ready? Yeah, he's spelling on the name

first right? Yeah, that'd be great You just first to say your name spell it out for us. I'm Peter Chilsen, C -H -I -L -S -O -M Yeah Hi Peter um Where are we right now? We're in uh a cabin uh Just up next to Willow Lake uh a few miles outside of Joseph Oregon and um I'm the uh writer and residence for fish trap um Which is uh sort of a think tank that focuses on uh Writing in the west and uh issues about the American west and uh I'm here for for nine weeks in this cabin to to write and do a little teaching in local in uh local high schools Tell us a little bit more about what what all the things what it means to be or what is it to be a writer in residence for fish trap Well uh a mong call 24 hours

a day Uh But uh I I'm in this cabin for nine weeks and the main purpose of my being here uh for my own selfish purposes is to write and uh I'm uh finishing up a collection of uh short stories about Africa uh But uh in exchange I'm uh teaching twice a week in local high schools in uh just of high school Uh enterprise high school and uh willow high school And I teach uh creative writing workshops And uh I also talk a lot about Africa which is uh one of my main subjects of writing It's a place where I spent five years of my life And uh I talk uh I tell stories about Africa to global studies classes um And uh history classes in the high schools And then finally I also teach a um uh once a week an evening uh creative writing seminar for local members of the communities who are interested So uh so I'm getting out quite a bit

um and then I spend quite a bit of time snowshoeing so So I'll be able to go get a bat um you were saying that fish why did um Did fish trap find you or did you find fish trap tell me how this came together Well I've known about fish trap just to the writers grapevine for a number of years uh But um when my book came out in March of 1999 I was doing a uh reading at the uh center for arts and history and Lewis and And the member of the fish uh fish trap uh board of directors was there And uh he uh bought my book and And sent it out into to rich one schmider the um the director and founder of fish trap And uh and he uh this board member um approached me after the after the reading And and just told me to keep in touch with rich um so I I followed that up with a letter uh sometime later and just started

up uh some correspondents And uh and rich eventually asked me if I wanted to do the writer and residents To be the writer and residents Um is being a writer and residents a uh is it a four fish trap is it a um Is it a prestigious thing? Is it a kind of secret thing? Is it a uh is it making you a better writer or teacher Or to make what it's what you're getting at? Well uh there is certain amount of prestige involved uh I've only been teaching writing at Washington State University for Two and a half years and just after I took the job My uh chair Said uh you know you ought to apply to fish trap it would make us look good Um was one of the first things she told me uh So there's a certain amount of prestige involved it's uh well known Um the writers to help found that uh Help

help found it with with rich um Ursula Le Guin, Kim Stafford, they're all names unto themselves So um but uh I'm getting a lot out of this and I'm getting uh A lot of my own work done so um is um what is the community Getting out of fish trap in general um we talked a little bit about what the stuff you've done is writer and residents What is uh how is is just you have serving A certain need in the community what uh what wanted it Why do things exist here? Well I think that uh fish trap um I think one of its main Goals is to promote not just writing and knowledge about the American west But to promote good writing which is the the role that I serve uh to uh To promote the ideal of writing and reading uh in secondary schools in the area

And uh so I um you know it it sounds like I do a lot of my own work up here but uh my my schedule here I found is actually almost exactly what I have at the university I I teach a couple of days a week and uh there's certain amount of preparation involved And so I'm hoping that this that I'm making students young people excited about writing and I think that's what fish trap is all about It's just making people excited about books about writing and about reading And especially where the where the west is concerned Um just a couple more things uh Do you cland up any of these things? Yeah I took the train way to the top of uh not Howard the other day And then walked down about a thousand feet Which was great for about the first half until uh Half length season raised its only half but we didn't have any problems we were able to get through But now we didn't climb on Howard walk down. Did you follow the

trail? No um no I'm okay I'm okay I'm just gonna I'm just gonna have a white shot Not just a second so sorry didn't mean it around no problem What's around I'm ready when you guys are? Is there a trail like I'm sorry? I think there is normally a trail we picked it up in the last sort of quarter of the of the trip But the rest of the way we're just bushwatch Tell me about uh Tell me about rich watch night Rich watch nighter uh Is uh The the brainchild and vision of fishtrap and extremely uh Verbal man A great storyteller himself Not to mention a bit of a standup comic and uh And uh He's the the energy and life force of the organization And uh Just an

extremely nice guy and uh You know I'm grateful to him he really did a good job of keeping after me Um about this writer and residence program So um and he's uh He's very very good at just uh finding good people and And uh And keeping a great uh program going um I'm very little money Hey um This fishtrap is what is a for profit nonprofit This a nonprofit I thought um How did he Is he from the area rich No I think uh don't quote me on this but um on camera I think he's from Minnesota um he's from the Midwest and And he got us uh we I'm an old peace corps volunteer I got my Africa start as a peace corps volunteer in the in the mid 80s And he was one of the earliest

Volunteers for the peace corps he was in turkey Which is part of how rich and I headed off was uh telling old peace corps stories And rich rich was also a peace corps uh Staffer in turkey And he might have been elsewhere in another country But I'm not sure about that But I think that's where he uh um I'm speaking out of turn here but I'm guessing you got a lot of his organizational experience And experience with people and how to deal with people through the peace corps Because working for the peace corps is a very People oriented job How did he think that a um A literary A literary organization would flourish like it is In enterprise or in eastern Oregon I mean does it seem unusual to you or does it seem like it made perfect sense Or the community needed it or What's your what's your take on what

What has happened with how fish trap started And um I uh again I'm speaking out of turn here but the way I've heard the story is uh He uh He really did want to get a quote unquote north west Civic northwest writers gathering going uh Is a sort of answer to um Some quote unquote civic northwest writers gatherings That were more oriented to the west side of the cascades And I think he referred to them as i5 writers gatherings Um And uh and I think this is that's at least part of the the answer to the question was that you really wanted to get um Something together that was that would bring a name for for writing To the to the Pacific Northwest although the orientation I think is more writing about the west in general And if you know the history is very much in terms of bringing writers in from all

over Not just specific northwest I'm from Colorado originally Last thing tell us about your book The title of it when it came out What it's about you know tell us I don't have it here right We've got a big picture of you with it now It's called writing the demon Um Writing the demon on the road in west africa and it's a book about road culture in west africa Where I spent uh of the five years I spent there I spent about a year Exclusively traveling around with uh truck drivers african truck drivers and Bush taxi drivers to study the the very colorful Uh surreal And somewhat violent nature of road travel in west africa And uh I was just captivated by the story but it's a very high -risk story to research And uh the the average accident rate for uh for roads across the entire continent of africa is ten times what it is in In

the western world where there are a heck of a lot more cars than in africa But but what I loved about the road in africa is the way it really speaks of the way people The africans in particular um are so resilient in the face of uh great economic Political social hardship it really speaks of the way that the the genius of uh of the africans for survival Um and I found that in the way people live along the road and the way drivers were Um so there's a general picture I I just found it I found africans in general to be uh tremendously inspiring people Great Thank you very much and it was more prep time than but we got exactly what we wanted Anywhere answers questions are very articulate like what are you going to take back from uh Back to school from your experience in fish trap I've got two men scripts completed one short story

in one essay And another grant application and I hope to have uh I've made a serious headway on another essay and another short story Both of which are parts of two different book projects so I'm taking back a good amount of completed work And I'm taking back a whole new perspective on how to teach creative writing Which I have learned from high school students in willowah county And that uh is very important to me Because uh I needed a fresh perspective Well done Thank you Okay Okay Did you want to get it last? Oh we have so many pictures I'm sitting on it Okay I need you to hold it Hold it on the book you know towards the bottom and just prop it There are a jazz there Or wherever And one of those I think Is that I actually need for you to come closer the next book up Yeah Rest your

hand again it's easier if you rest your Go ahead and rest your hand on the table or whatever's there That's it Okay nice big deep breath now Oh rest there you go So have you read the uh So So

So So

That called out a piece of this last summer defense What was he doing at the vet while he was plugging in a vibrating panel and sits on top of the inversion table because he wanted to fix his neck. Well, whose glasses are they? Well, I think they're on the race, but I call that Nancy, and she said, no. So what's Nancy? Well, he says, look at the amount of dust on the lenses. They've probably been there since he went away hunting in the upper floor. You're kidding. You've been parrying again? Yes. He's going to have a fingerprinted white out of the shirt. He thinks it's a younger man because there are no white holes. Well, you're going to have to be more

careful. First, it was a pair of panties. They'll let your penis lay in the entryway. Anyhow, this. That's fair. Good job, Annie. Thank God you're finally home. Could you give me a hand here for a second? Bob called. He's got the cargo book in. Just turn off the water for me, OK? Boy, that's supposed to be a good book. Look, I'm glad Bob got it, but I can't let go of this without a screen wall. Water all over that new wallpaper, and I can't reach the belt. So could you? Jenny said she's got the video from Blockbuster. We could watch it tonight. I just thought I'd do you a favor for the toilet. So when it constantly runs, you know, it's been this rod a bit, but it broke, you know, and now if I let go, I'll ruin the wall. So could you maybe just turn the water off? We could do it barbecue before

maybe get a cake? OK, anything you want. Just turn the damn water off. Great. I'll go tell Jenny we'll be there by six. Annie, Annie, Annie, dammit. Don't go. The mac in the situation about that experience that I'm having right now. Yeah, I'm having. Yeah, and they don't have 15 years of child wearing around their middle. Besides, the most intellectually stimulating conversation I've had lately was with my four -year -old about cookie monsters' recent appearance on Mark's store. She smiled briefly, tightly. I know you have a great store of practical knowledge that you're on, and just think you can plan dinner, but on your lipstick, referee two tire kids, and remember which kind of oil the car needs, all on negotiating the after -school rest of traffic. Shakespeare will hold no surprises for you. We moved up in line, cried, stopped literally hard, and she repeated, horsely. Shakespeare will hold no surprises for you. I held on to that mantra because I faced a 20 -year

-old registration clerk and signed up. Oh my gosh. Hold on to that one. I think you know what they were going to do. Why is it actually maybe a little bit too volatile, but it's actually a situation that really does happen, and it's a conversation between me and my brother, and it's recurring school cafeteria. This doesn't look like a very edible meatloaf. You make it sound like this cafeteria food sometimes is edible. It's not that bad as long as you don't think about it. You want to know what that looks like? No, actually, I'd prefer it if you didn't tell me, at least not until I'm done eating it. Well, do you remember, you know what it looks like when the cat gets really sick and then stop it? I told you I don't want to hear about it. Just be quiet. Anyway, that one time when the cat got really sick on the rug and I'm so serious, be quiet right now. That's not

funny. I'm really hungry, and I actually want to eat lunch, believe it or not. It smelled so bad and got and cleaned up with soap. All right, that's it. I'm done. Are you happy? Yeah. How much are these diapers? They're kind of hot, but they're on sale, so. Her eyes slide to my midsection. I can't wait and back. I think I'll have any things now. Does anyone lift you? Can I call someone? No, thanks. But I think I better take off the diapers now. Hang on, I'll ask the boss if I can give you a salary price. Here, stand for a minute. I'll be right back. Sorry, he's not ready. Oh, what can you have to say? Does it feel like everyone is coming out?

Yes. Where's your husband? I work. Good calling. No, he's somewhere up there in the head. I'm only 10 minutes from home. I can make the hospital disclosure. I know, but I want my husband. Let's talk about the start. Hang on, let's talk about getting the rest. What can I say, sir? Very quick, sir. Oh, honey, come on, swallow that. Hurry up and eat. You have to turn into the hospital. Not tonight. I'm too tired. I'm too tired. You're so sorry. Well, mine may have a little bit more of a place that we've worked with. Dialogues, not that much. The same thing to me as I started, if you can remain calm, you just don't have all the cats. I don't silence.

There are no words in two nervouss. I need every ounce of silent concentration I can master. As we start off in a polycose speech, one by one, four of us holding each kayak straight to the waves in preparation to launch. As I secure, I secure my spray spritz shirt and death grip the paddle to, and trying to gas deep breaths by studying the pounding. Waves for a break. Okay, now, I'm ready. Go for it. Yeah, one by one, another, another, you know, the four rangers to the white cat's giant swells. As the director of the group gathers, points north against the wind and paddles to maintain position. I'm really nervous about these waves today. Yeah, reminds me of last summer when I was with a group of the west coast of Vancouver Island, where Lake Watson, you know, that trip I took, waves

just like this. Colder water, though, this is easy. This is warm. Two dumbbells in that group started to head around a rocky point and went over. Of course, they couldn't ask a ball roll. Okay. So they came out of their boats. The swells were so big that we were far enough away to take us wild to see what had happened. When we reached them, one had lost his paddle, the other was about to crash onto the rocks. And at the same time, you know, there was this woman Tina, this totally inadequate paddler, who should have never been with this group. I don't know how she got accepted. I think she let them on to believe that she was a better paddler than she was. She was a waste. Let me tell you. And she goes up for it. This is based on the dead husband scenario. I'm

sure you heard the things you have. Unfortunately, as far as fortunately, I'm here, I guess, had laughing about it. There are less than earlier during the word shock. The characters, and I don't think I'll stop to mention it's a threesome. It's my mother, it's my baby sister and myself. And it starts with my baby sister, who's here from the opposite coast. I'm so glad you decided to have the memorial service outdoors for returning. Mom, well, thank you. I haven't that sober and done with. It was too long as it was. I don't see why you had to go and have two services anyhow. Well, actually, Mom, the gathering of his cousins is next month, so there will be three. That's even worse than you just need to get over it. Lift up your chin and put it behind you. What's done is done. Now, I've been looking over the situation, and I've made some lists for you. The first priority are

all those tools and the things in your shock that you won't need. But I don't know yet what I'll need or not need. That's the problem with you, girls. You're just like your father. If it weren't for the howling or maiden name management system, we'd never have gotten anywhere. Baby sister, well, Mom, you've gotten about three blocks. Hells bells, you need to shut up and pay attention. Lynn would never have gotten sick in the first place if he hadn't collected so damn many tools. And started so many home improvement projects. Now, he's gone and deliberately left all of this behind for me to worry about. Baby sisters, so you're saying men's tool collections are an insidious disease that robs them with the full measure of their a lot of time on her. Because in that case, my husband will live forever. He doesn't know the thing. And I make all the household repairs with my own little tiny tool. Me, Mom, I have other things to think about now.

What medical bills to pay first, which of his clothes I'm going to do what with, if anything very soon. I just need time. You need to get rid of some of your furniture too, young lady. You don't need lens recliner that can go over to Jim and Martha's house and you don't need that big bed for just you. I always thought that was too big anyway. You can sleep on the old gurney with the pad. That one you used to use for a shade lounge under that big tree you cut down. I saved it in the old chicken household. That tree was an awful mess anyway. It should never have been planted in the first place. That messy thing. That's why I've gotten rid of every single tree on my property. My cages are out of order. The point is you should have made up a list of things to dispose of 24 hours after he was gone. He is gone. It's over. Time won't stop. Maybe sister. Mom, give her a break. You can come visit me and help me sort

out my father -in -law's tools. You can hardly get in the garage door for his tools. He's going to die any minute if we don't get those carted off. Mom, we're going on it. You know I can't just get on a plate for North Carolina. It's hard on my feet and I have to look after the neighbors. I don't know how these other people can manage. I don't know how they can take plane trips and vacations and buy snowmobiles and microwaves all the time. You know, each of us has bought you a microwave every few years. Well, for us, then you've given them all back. But we could all chip in on a snowmobile. That's because I don't have time to fuss with the microwave or a new typewriter or any of the risk of these things. And now thanks to his taking off and dying on us like this, there's a whole new project to clean out that darn shot. He could have at least died in better weather. I have enough as it is to do in the winter. Mom, can't you even say to Kathy how much you enjoyed him and what a channel man he thought he was and how much you miss him? You girls don't understand.

All the sacrifices I've made for you. Oh, how sharp for the disturbance time it is to have a thankfulest child. No more shall we shallying about this. Tomorrow we'll just have to hitch up our socks, get our chins up and get rid of anything to do with him. The reason I've outlived my brothers and sisters is I'm the toughest day of them all. You soft, sentimental, sweet. Do you, you, you're just like your father. Very good. Very good. Well, I have not slacking a bit. Frank and Sam Luhal, some Iceus Brady cat in an ant. I saw a bit of weed, new socks. I looked at him with raised eyebrows as the best pulled into the grand. I said thank you man. You are the nicest lady that I've ever met. I sure didn't need to talk, man. And you are the best listener. I smiled and nodded and wished him luck and squared my shoulders and stepped off the bus into the dark night.

This is an operating room prep area. Two men laying side by side in gurneys. Prior to anesthesia. Joe, heck of a place to have to wait, isn't it? Other patient, tell me about it. Kind of reminds me of waiting in a...