Think Out Loud

Portland comic Ash Allen brings ‘Big Feelings Baby’ to audiences in her first solo show

Portland storyteller and comic Ash Allen [https://www.ashallen.co/] is on something of a roll. She’s won the Moth’s StorySLAM [https://themoth.org/events] multiple times. Willamette Week recently named her [https://www.wweek.com/arts/comedy/2026/01/27/ash-allen-takes-us-home/] one of its Funniest Five [https://www.wweek.com/arts/comedy/2026/01/27/these-are-portlands-funniest-people-2026/] and in 2025 she was a Best of Portland Comedy finalist. Allen has headlined festivals including Pickathon, Fire and Story, and Hell Yes Fest.   She says this debut solo storytelling show “Big Feelings Baby" is “rooted in queer identity, grief, humor, and the act of reclaiming one’s voice.” She explores what it means to “grow up different” in the Mississippi woods, “to be asked to quiet that difference, and to eventually choose to live out loud.” Allen joins us to share more details about her upbringing and her show that premiers this weekend

It took retirement for this Portlander to land his dream job of bookstore owner

Doug Lowell spent nearly 40 years in the world of advertising, from co-owning an ad agency to teaching the subject at Portland State University. But it was only in retirement that he was able to achieve his dream job of opening his own bookstore. As a third-generation Portlander, the business also allows him to play a part in the revitalization of Portland’s downtown, which he recalls once being the envy of other cities.    Lowell began welcoming customers to the store, Kid Hermes the Trickster [https://www.kidhermesthetrickster.com/], about a month ago. Oregon ArtsWatch [https://www.orartswatch.org/kid-hermes-the-trickster-combines-used-books-and-art-in-downtown-portland/]recently profiled Lowell and his new venture. The 830-square-foot space in downtown Portland is packed with roughly 1,700 books that come mostly from Lowell’s personal library. In addition to literary classics from Jane Austen and Franz Kafka, visitors might find rare first editions and signed copies of titles spanning photography, science fiction or even a 16-volume collection of the Oxford English Dictionary. There’s also a gallery inside the store where Lowell hosts art exhibitions featuring local and international artists.    Lowell joins us to share his vision and hopes for Kid Hermes the Trickster.

Southwest Washington nonprofit to end after loss of federal funding under Trump administration

The Mt. Adams Institute [https://mtadamsinstitute.org/]has announced that it will dissolve [https://mtadamsinstitute.org/board-notification-of-mt-adams-institute-dissolution/] and cease operations effective December 31st, 2026. The Southwest Washington nonprofit provides educational and career opportunities in the outdoors through partnerships with agencies such as the U.S. National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service. It pairs young adults and U.S. military veterans with internship opportunities in outdoor resource management roles, ranging from trail maintenance and construction to environmental education.   Around 95% of its budget came from contracts with federal agencies and through AmeriCorps. Though the loss of federal funding wasn't the only factor in the organization’s decision to dissolve, the budget cuts initiated a ripple effect that left the organization facing layoffs and other financial strains. It’s one example of a wider reaching fallout for nonprofits [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/us/politics/grant-funding-freeze-nonprofits.html] in the wake of federal funding cuts across the U.S. Mt. Adams Institute Executive Director Aaron Stanton [https://mtadamsinstitute.org/aaron-stanton/] joins us to discuss how the loss of federal funding has impacted the organization's work.

‘Everyone can and should grow their own food,’ says Vancouver nursery owner, and not just in spring

Spring has sprung! And Hearth and Hollow [https://www.hearthandhollow.org] owner Dusti Arab is passionate about helping people grow their own food. She sells what she cultivates  herself in her edible-plant nursery and is also a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) grower. She says planting and growing food isn’t just for spring — it’s an all season activity. Her entire operation is run out of her home in Vancouver, essentially in her backyard. She doesn’t have a brick and mortar retail outlet, focusing instead on selling at the Vancouver Farmer’s Market [https://vancouverfarmersmarket.org/] on Saturdays and growing the edible-plant CSA. Arab also teaches workshops and maintains a food access resource guide [https://thereinventionco.notion.site/clarkcountyfoodaccess?v=25799944047781108635000c1ae6789d] for Clark County. She joins us to share more about her edible plant work and her hunger relief efforts.

Multnomah County’s Preschool for All program has a new director

Danisa McLean has taken the helm of Multnomah County’s Preschool for All program after her predecessor resigned abruptly last summer amid an external investigation into a conflict of interest. The program is funded by a 1.5% marginal tax rate on high income earners which some, including Governor Tina Kotek, have said is having negative effects on Oregon’s economy. In addition, estimates on how many preschool spots are needed and how much money that will cost have been difficult to match up in forecasts. McLean joins us to explain her vision for the program.