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Writer and Publisher - Oregon Review Books
Alan L. Contreras
Books
Far Afield
Stories of the author's birding adventures in the U.S., England and Australia from 1988-2024. Includes travel for birding in California, Texas, Florida, Vermont, Missouri, and Colorado, plus adventures in Queensland, Australia and England. Sequel to Afield (2009, Oregon State University Press).
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​ISBN-13: 979-8218451493
The Gay Imagination
A collection of essays, reviews and interviews related to the creative processes of gay and lesbian writers (mainly poets) and musicians. Includes an interview with Sparkbird (Stephan Nance) and an extended exchange with the late gay poet Reginald Shepherd. Also includes essays on the craft of poetry.
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​ISBN-13: 979-8218426736
TransPacific:
Collected Poems of Ernest G. Moll
This collection includes all poems from Ernest G. Moll's seventeen collections published in Australia and the United States from 1928-1995. Also includes a number of poems not found in these collections. Moll, a winner of the Australian national book award for "Cut from Mulga" in 1940, was a professor at the University of Oregon for most of his career. This collection is the first complete compilation of Moll's poetry published in book form.
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​ISBN-13: 979-8218392895
A History of
Oregon Ornithology
From Territorial Days to the Rise of Birding
The study of birds was, in its early years, often driven by passionate amateurs in a localized context. A History of Oregon Ornithology takes readers from the Lewis and Clark expedition, through the professionalization of the field, and to the mid-twentieth century, focusing on how birding and related amateur field observation grew outside the realms of academia and conservation agencies.
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ISBN-13: 978-0870714009
The Collected Poems of
Ada Hastings Hedges
Although for the most part forgotten today, Ada Hastings Hedges was among Oregon’s foremost mid–twentieth-century poets. Famous in her lifetime, she was best known for her superb poems set in Oregon’s high desert, which offer a fascinating counterpoint to C.E.S. Wood’s seminal The Poet in the Desert.
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ISBN-13: 978-0870719943
Edge of Awe
Experiences of the Malheur-Steens Country
This compelling anthology gathers together personal impressions of the Malheur-Steens country of southeastern Oregon, known for its birding opportunities, its natural beauty and remoteness, and, more recently, for the 2016 armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Contributors of poetry and narrative nonfiction include biologists, students, tourists, birders, and local residents, thus reflecting the perspectives of both visitors and residents.
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ISBN-13: 978-0870719615
The Captured Flame
Notes on Books, Music and the Creative Force
Thirty essays and reviews on the work of Ursula K. Le Guin, John Ashbery, Ernest G. Moll, Ned Rorem, Samuel R. Delany, Alan Hovhaness, Quinton Hallett, Andrew Marvell, Pepper Trail, Reginald Shepherd, John Jay Chapman and others.
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ISBN-13: 978-1984380531
In the Time of the Queen
New Poems
32 new poems by one of the Northwest's most eclectic poets. There are poems here about the AIDS epidemic and related loves and losses, as well as unique visions of Ursula Le Guin (and her cat), Leonard Cohen, the natural world and other subjects.
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ISBN-13: 978-1985647244
Blue Interval
Poems of Crater Lake National Park
Poetry and sketch art based on experiences at Crater Lake National Park. Originally published in 1935, this new edition features an introduction written by Alan L. Contreras.
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ISBN-13: 978-1546879725
The White Zeppelin
The White Zeppelin is a unique short story about how a group of women attempt to persuade troops to stop fighting in WW1. It first appeared as one of several stories in a collection entitled Called to the Colors and Other Stories, Caroline Mason, editor, issued in 1915 by the Christian Women’s Peace Movement in Boston, Massachusetts.
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ISBN-13: 978-1975887629
State Authorization of Colleges and Universities:
A Handbook for Institutions and Agencies
A manual for university and college staff who need to understand the legal basis of degree-granting authority, issues in operating across state lines and the powers of state and federal agencies. Helpful to lawyers who need an introduction to the law of degree validity and authority.
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ISBN-13: 978-1544131498
Notes for a High School Graduate
A retired educator shares his advice and the thoughts of dozens of other writers about issues likely to face a high school graduate, especially one heading to college. Thoughts from Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, C.E.S. Wood, Susan Jacoby, Albert Camus, Paul Valéry and many others are included. Written in over 80 short topical segments, this is an easily digested and often humorous "prep book" for life after high school.
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ISBN-13: 978-1508794097
Antinous
&
David and Jonathan
Four poems about love among men: Antinous (two versions by Fernando Pessoa), David and Jonathan (three related poems by Byron Herbert Reece). Antinous has rarely appeared in print in the U.S.
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ISBN-13: 978-1499140231
Pursuit of Happiness:
An Introduction to the Libertarian Ethos
of Charles Erskine Scott Wood
Charles Erskine Scott Wood was an Oregon military officer, translator of Chief Joseph's surrender speech, lawyer, Portland civic leader and supporter of libertarian and anarchist causes. This book provides an introduction to his libertarian philosophy, including reprints of hard-to-find writings.
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ISBN-13: 978-1502907097
Firewand:
New and selected poems
Poetry by the acclaimed nature writer Alan Contreras of Oregon.
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ISBN-13: 978-1493599677
College and State:
Resources and Philosophies
College and State discusses the ways that governments, particularly states, authorize colleges to operate and oversee colleges. Chapters include college licensure, diploma mills, religious exemptions, financial aid, the role of accreditors and the federal government and questions of quality and access. Includes extensive citations to court cases covering college authorization, religious colleges and diploma mills.
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ISBN-13: 978-0989384810
Song After All:
The Letters of Reginald Shepherd and Alan Contreras
The late poet Reginald Shepherd corresponded for two years before his death with nature writer Alan Contreras. Song After All offers a new window into Shepherd’s thoughts on writing, music, love and, ultimately, dealing with cancer. Wry, funny, painful, illuminating and glorious, this unique compilation of 120 personal messages is a moving and entertaining memorial. Also contains essays by Shepherd's partner Robert Philen and by Evan Eisenberg. All royalties from sales of this book benefit the Creative Writing program at the University of Oregon, where Shepherd was scheduled to speak shortly before he died.
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ISBN-13: 978-0989384834
The Mind On Edge:
An Introduction to John Jay Chapman's Philosophy of Higher Education
John Jay Chapman (1862-1933) was one of America's greatest essayists. He wrote a number of essays about what colleges ought to be and what they should not be. This book includes five of those essays, including two not available in the Collected Works of Chapman. Alan Contreras, a noted expert on U.S. colleges, provides an introduction to Chapman's philosophy of higher education.
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ISBN-13: 978-0989384803
Handbook of Oregon Birds:
A Field Companion to Birds of Oregon
A condensation of the status and distribution material from Birds of Oregon: A General Reference, the definitive source for Oregon ornithology, the book provides a quick but detailed field reference for birders who want to know a bird’s status, seasonal patterns of occurrence, basic habitat information, and movements. Also includes comprehensive new breeding and winter maps, as well as the most up-to-date status of vagrants, displaying their seasonality and geographic occurrence in graphs and maps. A specially commissioned set of paintings and a selection of color photographs provide identification aids that are an improvement on standard field guides.
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ISBN-13: 978-0870715716
Afield:
Forty Years of Birding the American West
From encounters with Oregon’s first Eurasian Dotterel to the inspiring but unsuccessful search for Spruce Grouse, Afield describes the experiences of a birder and the life of an explorer. Contreras records his observations largely from the perspective of a lifelong birder, but the people he encounters—and their perceptions about nature—also inhabit Afield. The reader inspired to visit the locations described in Contreras’ stories will be pleased to find useful information about them. Afield will appeal to birders—and to anyone who loves the outdoors.
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ISBN-13: 978-0870714207
Birds of Lane County, Oregon
Birds of Lane County is the essential guide for anyone--backyard birder or serious observer--interested in the birds of western Oregon. Lane County's bird life is rich with variety; over three hundred birds species may be found in the country during the year. This comprehensive guide describes the one hundred best birding sites in the county and provides basic information about each species known to have occurred in Lane County.
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ISBN-13: 978-0870711800
Birds of Oregon:
A General Reference
The definitive source for Oregon ornithology, Birds of Oregon is a comprehensive reference to the 486 bird species now known to occur in the state. It combines what is known today about the population status and distribution of each species with current knowledge on their habitats and life histories. Birds of Oregon provides interested citizens with a basic understanding of Oregon’s rich bird life and serves as an invaluable reference for birders and wildlife professionals.
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ISBN-13: 978-0870714979
Northwest Birds in Winter
This first guide to birds that winter in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and southern British Columbia offers a summary of winter status and distribution information for nearly 380 regularly occurring species. The book also includes tips on winter birding sites and photographs of unusual winter birds.
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ISBN-13: 978-0870714252
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