Page 6 - jr090121withlinks

Arts News

Beth Hamon's new album gets delayed debut

Local musician Beth Hamon released her “ish Festival,” a biennial Jewish and Israeli
CD “The Watchman’s Chair” in February arts and culture festival in Cincinnati; and
2020 intending to embark on a local and Oct 1-4 in El Paso, Texas.
national tour. Beth says the album grew out of the title
“My tours were all canceled and there was song, which she wrote after serving as a
no way to know when things might open up shomer (a watcher who sits with the body
again,” says Beth. “Normally in the music before burial) through the chevra kadisha
business, that usually means the momen- (burial society).
tum is gone because you can’t sustain the “The experience of serving in this way
excitement for a new album if no one can moved me profoundly and raised a lot of
come hear you perform.” questions about life, death, eternity and
“But friends in the contemporary Jewish everything else,” says Beth. “So, I ended
music scene urged me to consider a sort of up writing a song to help me process all of
‘re-release’ of the collection this summer as that.”
things opened up, and I was able to start Many of the songs on the album reflect
playing for live audiences again,” says some piece of a journey through life.
Beth. “I’d say it reflects my best work as a song-
That was going well until she had a case writer and is possibly the most personal of
of breakthrough COVID and had to cancel my four albums,” says Beth.
some gigs. As with many cases of COVID “The Watchman’s Chair” is available for
in vaccinated individuals, her symptoms digital download online through Band-
were mild, and her doctor said her antibod- camp: https://bethhamon.bandcamp.com/
ies were in high gear. album/the-watchmans-chair. Those who
So, she is back on the road for some end- purchase the whole album on Bandcamp
of-season concerts. will receive a PDF of a commemorative
Beth Hamon plays songs from her “The Upcoming performances include High booklet available only online. In the inter-
Watchman’s Chair” album in a late summer Holy Days at Congregation Beth HaTik- est of sustainability, Beth is reserving sales
concert at Leikam Brewing. vah, Bremerton, Wash.; Sept 25-26 at the of physical CDs for live shows only.

Kept home by COVID pandemic, a writer writes

BY DEBORAH MOON ic Northwest writers. Jan’s “Prom Night
Portland Jewish writer, artist and traveler 1961” recalls how she and her friends got
Jan Baross has spent much of the pandemic bored at the hot, dull prom and “drove to
writing. LA to look for beatniks.” While the teens
Already this year, she has released her have an incredible time, they return to fran-
first poetry collection, In Living Color: tic, and not amused, parents the next day.
Poems; reprinted a photography book, In When In Living Color: Poems was pub-
Bed on Sunday Morning; and is working lished in February,
on updating another photography book, the back cover fea-
China 1966, to include the story of the pho- tured this quote from
tos. Hong Kong, 1966, will tell the story of former Oregon poet
an adventure she had when her father was laureate Kim Staf-
teaching orthopedics in Hong Kong – a sto- ford: “This book of
ry previously told only in photos. Jan Baross holds a copy of The Timberline poems is dedicated
Travel has been a recurring theme in Jan’s Review: Tiime Capsule, which includes a to family – not a
life. Normally, she would have spent a few chapter from her upcoming fictionalized family expressing
months last year and this one at an artists’ memoir Bye-Bye Bakersfield. love by silent revery,
village in Mexico. Whenever she travels, but by wild truth. …
she sketches and has printed several books a young Jewish girl (me) growing up in Ba- Read these poems to
of sketches and observations including kersfield – Redneck Central in the 1950s.” wake up what you say to those you love –
Ms Baross goes to Mexico: San Miguel de “There is a kernel of truth in each story,” especially yourself.”
Allende, Ms Baross goes to Cuba and Ms says Jan. “But I take the incident and blow Jan’s debut novel, Jose Builds a Woman,
Baross goes to Paris. it up and add dialogue.” from Ooligan Press, won first place for
When her mother, Estelle Meadoff, died One chapter of the book has already been fiction from the Kay Snow Awards. That
recently at age 104, Jan decided it was time published in The Timberline Review: Time book, along with Jan’s other books and
to finish the fictionalized memoir she has Capsule. The 10th issue of this Willamette the Timberline Review, are available on
been working on for years. Bye-Bye Ba- Writers’ literary journal came out early this Amazon. For information on all her books,
kersfield is her “unauthorized biography of year featuring poetry and prose by Pacif- plays, art and films, visit janbaross.com.

6 Jewish Review Sept. 1, 2021