- NOPE, CHUCK TESTA: On Saturday, Oct. 1, people who are important on the Internet met in real life in Portland for ROFLCon Summit (a spinoff of the larger ROFLCon event that takes place in Massachusetts every two years) to discuss the current state and future of the interwebs. Serious topics like net neutrality, online anonymity and archiving Internet history were discussed alongside Star Wars kid, My Little Pony and the ongoing debate over Forever Alone versus Courage Wolf. Props to host Wieden + Kennedy for decorating its office in memes for the event, including a mounted Scumbag Steve hat, âNever Gonna Give You Upâ on repeat in the bathrooms, a wall-sized nyan cat, and, of course, a series of tubes. Read more about it here.
- IF I WANT TO BISSELL, I BISSELL: What do you get the writer who has a Guggenheim Fellowship, a video-game writing contract and a WW cover profile? How about a movie at the New York Film Festival? Add it to Tom Bissellâs résumé: The author and Portland State University professorâs short story âExpensive Trips Nowhereâ has been adapted by Julia Loktev (the director of the terrific terrorism study Day Night Day Night) into The Loneliest Planet, starring Gael Garcia Bernal. The movie, about a couple on troubled holiday in post-Soviet Georgia, made its U.S. debut last week to mostly admiring reviews: GreenCine Daily praised âthe commitment to transfixingly queasy sex scenes.â Tom Bissell: Indirectly making you feel better about your sex life since 2005!
- AND THE WINNER IS...: WW has selected its 2011 Skidmore Prize winners. The prize is a $4,000 award given annually to four people 35 or younger who do great work at Portland-area nonprofit organizations. This yearâs winners are Stephen Marc Beaudoin, executive director of PHAME Academy; Jenn Cohen, artistic/executive director and founder of the Circus Project; Ian Mouser, executive director of My Voice Music; and Temmecha Turner, professional mentor at Friends of the Children. You can read more about these folks in our annual Give!Guide in the Nov. 9 edition of Willamette Week.
- HEIGERSONIMAGE: Brian Lee @ White TeethRIP: Scoop was deeply saddened to hear that Teisha Helgerson, frontwoman for Portlandâs Amelia, passed away last Thursday at 42 after a long fight with cancer. See wweek.com for thoughts from friends, family and contemporaries (as well as a 2008 podcast Amelia recorded for WW). A memorial service is scheduled for 2 pm on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Peace Lutheran Church (2201 N Rosa Parks Way), with a potluck afterward. Helgerson, and her lovely voice, will be sorely missed.
WWeek 2015