Time is a River

The Columbia River near Astoria, Oregon
click to enlarge

It is only in appearance that time is a river. It is rather a vast landscape and it is the eye of the beholder that moves.
~Thornton Wilder

My niece sent me this photo of the Columbia River with the Astoria Bridge in the background. The Columbia has a timeless quality to it, as all great rivers do. The Thornton Wilder comment above seemed to describe her photo perfectly, with the movement of the river frozen in the moment it was snapped, and stretched out as the vast landscape of possibilities between the viewer and the far bank of the river.

And finding the Wilder comment reminded me of all the wonderful experiences I had while performing, producing or directing his work for the stage. He is truly an icon of the American theatre. From my earliest beginning acting classes [where we used scenes from Our Town and The Crucible,] to one of my first directorial efforts with The Skin of Our Teeth, I have enjoyed interpreting his work and entertaining a wide variety of people. It was great fun!

However, it's been many years since I have acted in or directed one of his dramas and I had forgotten an awful lot of details about his life and his body of work. I found some great links to explore and I'm sharing them here with you. He was an interesting man, and knowing more about him will make reading his novels or seeing his plays a deeper and more meaningful experience.

As to the photo of the Columbia River, I've included some excellent links with information about the recreational area of the river, known as the Columbia River Gorge. I've also included links for the biggest city at the mouth of the river, Astoria, Oregon. I hope you'll have the opportunity to explore the entire length of the river. It's one of my favorite areas of the Pacific Northwest -- full of history, activities, and enough scenery to take your breath away.

For more information: Thornton Wilder biography, more biographical notes, The Thornton Wilder Society, Our Town background & synopsis, The Skin of Our Teeth background & synopsis, Columbia River, Columbia River Gorge tourism, maps of the Gorge area, Astoria, OR, Astoria Bridge.

Thanks for visiting!