What happens when Oregon Book Awards finalists' writing meets Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble's music? We'll find out

A unique partnership has developed between six Oregon Book Award finalists and Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, producing new jazz compositions in "Playing With Words."

Literary Arts, which runs the Oregon Book Awards, and PJCE will present six commissioned works of music inspired by six 2024 Oregon Book Award finalists’ works at Portland State University’s Lincoln Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1.

PJCE’s 12-member ensemble jazz performance draws on literature by Oregonians spanning from a children’s book reimagining a Japanese folktale to a guide to keeping chickens in the city in "Playing With Words" and the sounds presented on stage are equally expansive.

PJCE Artistic Director Ryan Meagher said: “Oregon is a land that has always been rife with stories to tell and has had a long tradition of skilled writers to tell those stories. This year, we wanted to partner with some of the best storytellers in Oregon and bring their words to life through music. 'Playing with Words' is a little bit of word play as we are quite literally going to be playing (music) with words.”

The composer/literature pairings are:

Hans Barkliss inspired by Josephine Woolington’s "Where We Call Home: Lands, Seas, and Skies of the Pacific Northwest," winner of the Frances Fuller Victor Award for General Nonfiction.

Nicole Buetti inspired by Tove Danovich's "Under the Henfluence: Inside the World of Backyard Chickens and the People Who Love Them," finalist of the Frances Fuller Victor Award for General Nonfiction.

Andrew Durkin inspired by Erica Berry’s "Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear," winner of the Sarah Winnemucca Award for Creative Nonfiction.

Gordon Lee inspired by Stephanie Adams-Santos’ "Dream of Xibalba," finalist for the Stafford/Hall Award for Poetry.

Ryan Meagher inspired by Patrick DeWitt’s "The Librarianist," winner of the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction.

Tim Willcox inspired by Waka T. Brown’s "The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura," winner of the Leslie Bradshaw Award for Young Adult & Middle Grade Literature.

A preview event featuring a discussion between writers Stephanie Andams-Santos, Josephine Woodward, and Waka T. Brown and composers Gordon Lee, Hans Barklis, and Tim Willcox will be held at Rose City Book Pub, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct 7. Attendance is free.

Learn more at pjce.org , literary-arts.org .