June 20: Crusty curmudgeon and his old boots I had to make certain there was no age requirement to attain curmudgeondom. What a relief it was to find out all I had to be was obnoxious and devoid of good manners. And, being boorish, uncouth, unpopular and dour didn't eliminate me either.
July 16: A seven-course crawfish dinner After England took Canada from France, the people of Acadia refused to swear allegiance to the British Crown. In 1755, the English herded them onto ships and dumped them in the swamps of Louisiana. These hardy, independent Cajuns still maintain their identity, speaking archaic French mixed with English. They have assimilated. They are Americans, but they did it on their own terms. They traded the lobster and cod of the Atlantic for crawfish (crayfish) and catfish of the bayous. In the process, they created a whole new school of cooking: Hot, spicy Cajun Cooking.
June 13: Anti-drinking campaign strikes out The effort to persuade high school and college students not to drink has become almost as popular as strapping American flags to car antennas.
May 23: Comics are not just for kids How is it, I ask myself, that I am reading simultaneously "Understanding Comics," which uses comics to discuss comics, and "Promethea," a collection of comics about a woman who becomes the mythic heroine she's been researching?
April 18: Spring remembrances of a special artist These last five springs, when the hills turn green, the trees unfurl their new leaves and the air is rich with the sweetness of blossoming flowers, I remember a wonderful artist.
Cathy Shaw - State Street
Feb. 15: Oregon Legislature as a visual aide I would love to come back to my State Street column and tell you that things are alive and well in Salem and legislators, irrespective of background, geographic location, age, or political party affiliation are working side by side to overcome Oregon's economic crisis. But that would be a lie.
