A New Book Aimed at Elementary Astronomers

The Baker City writer and illustrator Nancy Coffelt teamed up with publisher Elaine Cuyler to create her new book, “The Big Eclipse,” which uses charming animal characters and goofy jokes to help kids learn about the eclipse. Coffelt and Cuyler blew through all the books in their first printing and are filing orders with a second.

Umbraphile and Author David Baron - 7:37

David Baron is a former NPR science correspondent and the author of a new book, “American Eclipse,” which tells the story of an eclipse that captured the nation’s attention way back in 1878. At that time, the celestial event offered US scientists one of their first chances to demonstrate that America was a science powerhouse to rival Europe. But Baron isn’t just someone who writes about eclipses — he also chases them, traveling around the world to see the rare events.

Tips and Tricks for Photographing the Eclipse - 15:25

Portland-based astro-photographer Jake Breed gives us a demonstration of best practices for getting a perfect shot during the two minutes of daytime darkness. Plus, helpful hints from an art educator who’s spending the whole week of the eclipse leading a workshop for amateur photographers, and a quick conversation with one astronomer from NASA about why this eclipse is such a big deal, anyway.

Portugal. The Man on Their New Album, “Woodstock” - 21:32

This week, an exclusive interview with Portland-based band Portugal. The Man.

Creating “Woodstock,” the band’s newest album, took a long time. They couldn’t stop writing, and pumped out about 40 songs, collaborating with the likes of producer Mike D from the Beastie Boys at Rick Rubin’s illustrious studio, Shangri-La. But then they decided to throw them all out and start again. The band explains how it all came together after they settled on the album’s name: “Woodstock.” Stay tuned for videos of the full live session, which will be published on opbmusic later this month.

Futurist Daniel Wilson Goes Steampunk in His New Novel, “The Clockwork Dynasty” - 20:15

Our favorite futurist has gone all anachronistic. Daniel Wilson, a New York Times best-selling novelist, robotics engineer, and Cherokee citizen, gave us forward-thinking science fiction page-turners like “Robopocalypse” and “How To Survive A Robot Uprising.” Wilson’s new novel tears across the centuries, from prehistoric China to Tsarist Russia to Victorian England and — briefly — the present day Willamette Valley, chasing after exquisite sentient machines. “The Clockwork Dynasty” is the story of a race of mechanical beings who’ve lived side-by-side with humans since the dawn of history.
Bag&Baggage Premieres a Persian Take on "Romeo & Juliet" Based Off an Ancient Poem that Inspired Shakespeare - 41:34

Bag&Baggage Productions in Hillsboro is about to premier an adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet" that opens new doors on a story that is even older than Shakespeare. A thousand years before Romeo and Juliet, Arab-language poets were telling the story of Layla and Majnun: star-crossed lovers whose spiral of obsession and longing turned fatal. The Hillsboro production does not rewrite Romeo and Juliet so much as present elements of both stories together, complementing and contrasting with each other. Listen to the full conversation with Bag & Baggage artistic director Scott Palmer and the assistant director for the project, Melory Mirashrafihere, here, and catch "Romeo & Juliet/Layla & Majnun" in Hillsboro through Aug. 5.