Prelude to Ideas: French Music

Live Music, 2:30-3pm

As we explore the ways food connects us—how it sustains not just our bodies but also our communities and memories—we must also consider what happens when abundance disappears.

In Tallim Disappears, Lucie Bonvalet and Alissa Hattman explore the disappearance of a once-abundant plant, echoing real-world concerns about environmental change and the fragility of what nourishes us. Their story reminds us that food, like nature, is more than something we consume—it shapes our identities and communities. Lucie Bonvalet will present a live reading of the text as part of the event.

PANEL DISCUSSION

Common Ground: Food as Connection

This panel will explore the role of food—the how and the why—in creating and sustaining community. What does it mean to come together around the table, to gather in the kitchen, in this time of political upheaval? What does it mean to eat well, and how do we ensure that others around us do too? Each of our panelists inhabits a different niche within the food world; each has their own set of culinary and cultural influences; and each plays an important role in Portland’s justifiably famous food scene. Join our conversation to learn how they feed people, day in and day out—and how we can all use food to establish common ground.

Marisa Robertson-Textor

Freelance Writer and Editor

MODERATOR AND EVENT CURATOR

The former research chief of Gourmet magazine, Marisa has written about everything from pickle brine to bike riding in Bangkok for publications including Budget Travel, The Los Angeles Times, O, and Archaeology. Her dinner parties were once written up in The New York Times. She loves nothing more than bringing people together for a good meal.