News The pantheon of noble Oregonians made room for another entrant last week with the passing of John Gray. You can be excused for not recognizing the name: Gray, who died at 93, had faded in recent years from the news, and his death was initially treated in a way that understated his enormous contributions in shaping the modern identity of this state and in guiding and supporting many of its leading ...   More

News Who is the most famous alumni from the University of Portland?  It could be one of the many world class soccer stars that have played on the pitch at the North Portland Roman Catholic University. Others might argue that it's the late film and stage actor Paul Winfield.  Our pick, however, is Edwin Wilson, one of the most fascinating operatives for the CIA, ever. (His idea of a quiet retirement ...   More

Arts & Books Paul Fussell was a great writer and scholar and, in the three years before his death yesterday, an Oregonian.Obituaries are beginning to appear around the world, but the best honor one could pay to the man is to read his writing. Fussell stripped war of heroism and romance. His voice was steady, clear and honest and on basically every subject, worth hearing.In the excerpt below, from a 1982 essay on ...   More

Politics The timing was fitting: One week after the far right wing of the Republican Party held the economy hostage...   More

News Marvin Ricks, the last survivor of the great West Coast Waterfront Strike and probably the only Portlander left who was worth a damn, died peacefully Wednesday surrounded by family. He was 97. Seventy-five years ago Ricks fought scab workers, defended picket lines and did time in jail for his role in the seminal 1934 strike. According to the International Longshore & Warehouse Union, AFL-CIO, ...   More

News A sad day for the world of dance, as we say goodbye to the one and only Merce Cunningham. The lauded choreographer died last night at the age of 90. NYT's Alastair Macaulay captures the giant of chance-dance up nicely with this: Mr. Cunningham ranks with Isadora Duncan, Serge Diaghilev, Martha Graham and George Balanchine in making people rethink the essence of dance and choreography, posing ...   More