4 RAPS SHEET n SUMMER 2023 Book Group THE BOOK GROUP has met three times this summer. We have had good reading and good discussions. And planning for fall meetings is underway. On May 16 we discussed Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. The teller of this story is a mother with a teenage son and several bee hives. The book is a murder mystery and a tender and moving story of teenage love, maternal devotion, and the complexities of family life. We all enjoyed the book and thought it a good introduction to summer reading. On June 27 we discussed The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow. The book is a scholarly revisiting of what we know about the history of humankind. It’s a long book and difficult to understand. We came to the meeting with little good to say about it, and yet we had one of our best discussions as we shared our understanding of the complex concepts being put forward. On July 18 we discussed Transcription by Kate Atkinson. The book takes place in three time periods, 1940, 1960, and 1981. In 1940 the book’s heroine was hired to transcribe conversations taking place among British citizens with Fascist sympathies. As her competence became evident she was drawn further and further into the web of espionage and counterespionage. By 1960 she assumed that part of the war was over, only to discover that the espionage continued, with a different enemy. The 1981 part of the book is brief, and provides only a hint that these events impact future generations. A wonderfully researched and well-written book, it never provided RAPS Group Reports quite all the answers that the reader wanted—perfect for a book about espionage. The Book Group meets on the third Tuesday of the month. We are still using Zoom for our meetings, and it has worked well for this group. Any RAPS member is welcome to join the group. —Joan Shireman Bridge Group THE BRIDGE GROUP is in need of additional players; do you want to join us? We really could use some more players. We are a friendly group and we promise to welcome new players warmly. I would like to hear from any interested RAPS members or others you know who might want to play in our group. The Bridge Group does not require RAPS membership. Your friends and relatives would be welcome to join us. Please rattle your social and family networks to see if you might be able to shake loose a bridge player or two. Please contact Steve Brennan, 503-889-0146. My email address is: the.steve.brennan@gmail.com. —Steve Brennan Hiking Group THE AUGUST 16 HIKE, which was to be a geology hike, is being replanned and may be along the Wilson River in the Coast Range. In July eight hikers climbed the 1,400-foot elevation gain to reach Elk Meadows on Mt. Hood. We saw many wonderful wildflowers, including paintbrush, penstemon, and Washington lily. The Boulder wildfire was not in evidence. To be notified of upcoming hikes, please contact Tom Dieterich at tgdieterich@earthlink.net. —Tom Dieterich C. KERTH O’BRIEN, who served Portland State for more than 30 years as a professor of psychology, died July 2 in Portland at the age of 66. Professor O’Brien was born in St. Louis in 1957 to Rita Kinsella O’Brien and Thomas G. O’Brien. She earned a bachelor’s degree in 1979 from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a master’s in 1983 and a Ph.D. in 1987 from the University of Michigan. She joined Portland State in 1987, teaching courses and workshops in social psychology, health psychology, ethics, social roles and identities, focus group methods, and survey research methods. Off campus, Professor O’Brien was devoted to Irish music and language, the Oregon Coast, meteor showers, In memoriam: C. Kerth O’Brien, 1957-2023 conservation, word play, social justice, and staying connected with friends and relatives. She is survived by her mother and by her siblings Mary Anne (Marvin) Friedlander, Noreen O’Brien (James McNally), Thomas F. O’Brien, Francis X. O’Brien (Ellen Hinkebein), and Margaret (Theodore) Dolter; beloved nieces and nephews; and many friends and colleagues of all ages. Her family is grateful to the many friends and neighbors who provided assistance during Professor O’Brien’s illness. Remembrances may be sent to Friends of Hopewell House of Portland, Oregon: https://hopewellhousepdx.org A private service will be held at a later date.
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