Ferris Talkin'
History, Art, and Folly on the Willamette River in Portland
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A collection of short pieces documenting the revitalization of the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. Includes short stories, poetry, news clippings, and in-person reports from locals. The narrator is Ferris Pontis, the nom de plume of Portland's Steel Bridge.
"Ferris Talkin' is a good read, highly recommended to accompany days on the shores and in the waters of the Willamette River . . . This short whimsical read uses humor, brevity, human interactions, and music to explore the revived, magnificent river as it flows through history and through Portland." (Tad McCall.)
"What do people find so strange about a bridge talking?" (Nathan Howard, Senior Advisor to Oregon Measure 109, legalization of psilocybin therapy)
"Glad Ferris is finally speaking up. Being just upstream, I know Ferris has a lot to say." (Burnie)
Tom Vandel
Tom Vandel's latest book is a novella & stories titled The Lost Carnival. He's also written a crime noir novel (A Killer Story), a book of short stories (The Broken World), and a collection of poems (Goodbye Yellowstone Road). The latter two were selected as finalists in the High Plains Book Awards (2022, 2023). He has also collaborated on two art books: Strange Days - A Pandemic Journey and Driving Strangers - Diary of an Uber Driver. His writing has appeared in Montana Quarterly, Bel Esprit, The Atlantic (City Lab), Design Observer, Print Magazine, and Explore Big Sky.
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