Portland State Magazine Spring 2008

Photo by Zachary Kaufman/The Columbian pick up on nonverbal cues such as facial expressions more easily chan autistic people. "Double-checking with each ocher helps co avoid assumptions," remarks Emilia. "If someching comes up, where you are not sure what che ocher person means, then you should ask." The book also deals wich sensory issues, because most autistic people are hypersensitive. 'Tm very sensitive co couch," says Jody "That means chat I like co be couched in specific ways. In che book we talk about how co find a way coward friendly couch co che person who is couch-sensitive." The Rameys hope char cheir book inspires ocher autistics. "Every chapter has a call for action," explains Emilia. "We'd like ocher autistics co start celling their stories. We know of ocher autistic couples who have been married longer chan us and we'd like them to share cheir stories as well." BY JAM ES BASH Jazz as a calling MERCER ELLI NGTO N , che son of Duke Ellington, made a big impression on Ben '01 and Michelle '01 Medler when he came to Portland in che mid- 1990s. Ellington wanted to work with an all-star jazz youch ensemble, but Portland didn't have one. At the rime, the Medlers were artiscs– in-residence teaching jazz at Wilson High School. The opportunity to work with Ellington was coo good to miss. So, chey put cogecher a temporary all-state high school jazz band. le was a success. Years lacer and jobless, che Medlers used chat experience to start che Port– land Jazz Youth Orchestra, where they are adept ac getting students before live audiences, including che Portland Jazz Festival. They offer group and individual classes at four levels ranging from sixth grade co college. Michelle '01 and Ben '01 Medler are founders and directors of the Portland Jazz Youth Orchestra. Michelle specializes in saxophone and plays all of che woodwinds, while Ben specializes in trombone and covers che brass instruments. Boch of chem play piano and drums, which comes in handy for cheir own gigs wich Quadraphonnes, the Medler Big Band, and che Trombone Encounter. "We are so busy chat we rarely have any time off," says Michelle. "Bur we are making a living as musicians, and it's been great." BY JAMES BA s H ■ New Worl<s THE UNDERCOVER Pl-I -OSOPHER: A GUIDE ~o DETECT NG 5t1AMS, By Michael Philips (philosophy emeritus faculty), Oneworld Publications, 2008 By R.J. Archer '75, NWIDI Press, 2008 BtlNlJ AND PLACE" AMONG By Thomas Thornton (anthropology faculty), University ofWashington Press, 2008 - , . ·-· 1 r By Michael Hollister (English emeritus faculty), AuthorHouse, 2007 D CD by Darrell Grant (music faculty) and ocher jazz artists, Origin Records, 2008 IS r-- By Joe Spooner '68, Arnica Publishing, 2008 MARK TWAIN DAY BY DAY: --- --- J By David H. Fears '71, Horizon Micro Publishing, 2008 S NGll\iG AND MAGINATION OF DEVOTIO!\J VOCAL AcSTHETICS IN EARLY ENGLISH PROTESTANT C L-' R- By Susan Brown MAT '90, Paternoster, 2008 By Joshua Fost (university studies faculty), Clearhead Studios, Inc., 2007 THE TOO TALL KANSAS By David J. Marks '78, MST '86, '93, MAT '94, Xlibris Press, 2007 SPRING 2008 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 7