Portland State Magazine Spring 2013

8 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE SPRING 2013 Fanfare WE WANT TO HEAR about your books and recordings and your future exhibits, performances, and directing ventures. Contact the magazine by emailing psumag@pdx.edu , or mailing Portland State Magazine, Office of University Communications, PO Box 751, Portland OR 97207-0751. Saving Havana HOW DOES a first-time author reach a larger audience? Late Night Library has some ideas. The Portland nonprofit, which celebrated its two-year anni- versary this spring, works to introduce the reading public to debut authors through podcasts, readings, and reviews. And it’s meant to be fun. “One of our goals is to get outside of a hyper literary audience,” says managing editor Candace Opper MFA ’12, pictured here. To do this, Late Night Library may feature music or performance art sandwiched between readings by new authors. Opper, who has a graphic design background, says she didn’t feel particularly connected to the literary community before studying for her master’s in nonfiction writing. She now uses that perspective to her advan- tage, making readings into appealing multi-genre events. The greenest building is the one that’s already built, or so the saying goes. This is especially true in Havana, Cuba, where the city’s repurposing of historic buildings has earned it a reputation as a leader in sustainability. In December, a group of six film, sociology, and urban planning students traveled there to study building reuse in action. What they found formed the basis for their interactive website, TheGreenestPlaces.com, and a soon- to-be released documentary. Their conclusions? Havana’s historic preservation efforts are a short-term success, but city officials must address the dire housing needs of its most vulnerable residents. Helping new authors