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Margaret Atwood & Ursula K. Le Guin: Together In Conversation

September 17, 2010

by Owen Conly & Lindsey Bosse

Portland Arts & Lectures brings numerous prominent artists and authors to the city every year to discuss their work. On September 23 the series continues with a conversation between Margaret Atwood and Ursula K. Le Guin of their work and its role in contemporary culture.

Ursula K. Le Guin knows how to write. Specifically she knows how to write in a manner that effortlessly explores and critiques conceptions of race, gender and the societal structure we live in. She first started publishing in the 1960s and hasn’t stopped since.

Between her short stories, novels, and works of literary critique Le Guin has covered such a range of genres and amassed so many awards that to list them would be a colossal task in itself. But what is remarkable about Le Guin is not the number of books she has written or the number of awards she has won; it is the accessibility of her writings. From her children’s novels to her works of adult science fiction Le Guin has been able to explore feminist themes and ideas in a manner that is captivating to both adults and children alike.

The hope is that in sitting down with Margaret Atwood she will be able to carry this accessibility with her, conducting a discussion that touches on the role of feminist themed literature in modern society in a manner that reaches out to members of the audience of all ages and perspectives.

Margaret Atwood has established herself in contemporary literary society with novels like The Handmaid’s Tale, Cat’s Eye and The Blind Assassin.  Beyond these, Atwood has written several shelves worth of novels and an incredible array of poetry and children’s books, including Princess Prunella and the Purple Peanut.  As a testament to the success of her career, Atwood has won more than 55 awards globally, although most come from Canada, her homeland.  Born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1939, she is an author, poet, critic, essayist and feminist, broaching a wide variety of genres, from romance to speculative fiction to historical fiction. 

Atwood and LeGuin compliment each other in recurring literary themes, especially feminism.  Referring back to  Princess Prunella and the Purple Peanut, Atwood also varies her themes across her readership from adults to children in the same manner that LeGuin has accomplished.

The discussion between these two female literary giants will hopefully prove both interesting and informative to fans, aspiring writers, and the intellectually curious.
Student tickets for general admission can be purchased from the Portland Center for the Performing Arts box office next to the Arlene Schnitzer concert hall for 36.50, or upper balcony tickets can be purchased over the phone for 16 dollars.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.