Mar. 3: Robin Coste Lewis, M Ward, Sandra Cisneros, Robert Rauschenberg&More - a podcast by Oregon Public Broadcasting

We’re laughing on the outside and crying on the inside this week.

The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Brings Copyright Law Into the 21st Century - 00:59
The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation announced this week it will no longer charge copyright fees except for commercial uses (did you know artists can sue you for posting a photo of their work online?). Producer Aaron Scott explains why this is a big deal and speaks with Rauschenberg's son, who just so happens to be Portlander Christopher Rauschenberg, a photographer and co-founder of Blue Sky Gallery.

Bullseye Glass Update - 5:05
The air emissions story that began at two Portland art-glass makers has boiled over into state government and soon into the court room. Oregon’s top environmental administrator and an air quality regulator stepped down this week. Earthfix's Tony Schick stopped by to give us an update.

The Electric Poetry of Robin Coste Lewis - 11:05
Robin Coste Lewis won the National Book Award last year for her debut poetry collection, Voyage of the Sable Venus. The structure of the book's titular poem was guided by one simple rule: it is made up entirely of the titles, catalog entries and exhibit descriptions of artistic depictions of black female figures. Coste Lewis spoke with Think Out Loud's Dave Miller and read several poems.

M. Ward Sings to His Baby (and opbmusic) - 22:44
The latest release from M. Ward, More Rain, might sound like a Portland soundtrack, but it belies its name with sunny sounds of doo-wop and golden era AM radio sensibilities. The artist came by the OPB studios to play a few songs with a power backing band (REM's Scott McCoy, Mike Coykendall, and Alialujah Choir's Adam Selzer and Alia Farah), who he insists he did not find on Craigslist.

The Book of Unknown Americans at Milagro Theater - 29:55
The Multnomah County Library's Everybody Reads this year focuses on Cristina Henríquez's lauded novel, The Book of Unknown Americans. Henríquez will be in town on Tuesday (we'll have excerpts for you next week), but in preparation, Milagro Theatre brought in a group of actors to read her work. We share one of our favorites.

Sandra Cisneros at Wordstock - 34:48
One of Henríquez's influences was Sandra Cisneros' 1984 novel, The House on Mango Street. The story revolves around a girl trying to escape her poor Chicago neighborhood and is one of the few novels from a Latina perspective to be embraced by the literary establishment. We interviewed Cisneros at Wordstock last November shortly after the release of her latest work, A House of My Own: Stories From My Life.

Farewell, Sweet Comedy: Amy Miller and Sean Jordan - 41:15
Stand-up veterans Sean Jordan and Amy Miller are leaving for Los Angeles this month but not before one final farewell at Aladdin Theater on Mar. 13. The comedians talk with April Baer about what they love about Portland and why they have to leave.

Visit our website for videos and full interviews: http://www.opb.org/radio/article/m-ward-robin-coste-lewis-robert-rauschenberg-sandra-cisneros-amy-miller-sean-jordan

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