Tag Archives: Ruth Ozeki

Education

Cortes Island Academy embraces the Laurels from Four Years past and begins a new season

The Cortes Island Academy offers an accredited 20 week experimental, project-based education to local students in grades 10 through 12. They just wrapped up their fourth year and, on February 9, are about to start taking applications for 2026-2027. In this morning’s interview Executive Director Manda Aufochs Gillespie talks about the school and their recent annual showcase in Mansons hall. 

She explained, “It was an incredible display, not just by the students of the Academy, but by the community who came out in droves to be the most supportive, engaged, and encouraging audience I have ever experienced. It was truly heartwarming to see the relational aspects of what was happening there.” 

Continue reading Cortes Island Academy embraces the Laurels from Four Years past and begins a new season →
Arts

Folk U: Ruth Ozeki Talks About ‘A Tale for the Time Being’

Tune in on Dec 12, 2025, for a pre-recorded episode of FolkU with author Ruth Ozeki, who sits down with the Cortes Island Academy for a deep, generous conversation about her book A Tale for the Time Being. Ruth shares how the novel emerged from Zen teachings, natural disasters, and we chat about the mysterious voices that spark creative work.

Continue reading Folk U: Ruth Ozeki Talks About ‘A Tale for the Time Being’ →
Arts

25th Anniversary Celebration of Marnie’s Books

Recording and initial transcript by Bill Weaver, but very much a collaboration in which Darshan Stevens photography and Cortes Currents all participated.

On the evening of Friday August 20, 2023, in the Cortes Co-Op Courtyard, 155 people arrived with their folding chairs to attend a 25th Anniversary Celebration for Marnie’s Books.  First Marnie gave a history of her book selling, and the origins of the Courtyard. Then Shaena Lambert, Rex Weyler, Priya Huffman, Norm Gibbons, Ruth Ozeki, and Erin Robinsong read from their writings. For two hours these wonderful presenters held this large crowd spellbound. This event was co-Sponsored  by the Cortes Island Museum and Archives Society.

The following transcript begins with an introduction by Melanie Boyle, from the Cortes Island Museum.

Continue reading 25th Anniversary Celebration of Marnie’s Books →
Arts, Rivers & Oceans

Upcoming TV series features the sustainable seafood industry off BC’s south coast

By Greg Osoba, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

A series is featuring the south coast of BC’s sustainable seafood industry.

The series is called Your Nation’s Table and launches Nov. 14 on JoyTV, a division of Zoomer Media. Program host Carmen Ruiz y Laza is based in Vancouver. She was inspired to do a TV series on sustainable seafood after reading novels by Cortes Island part-time resident Ruth Ozeki.

Continue reading Upcoming TV series features the sustainable seafood industry off BC’s south coast →
Arts

Ruth Ozeki explores loss, love and our insatiable relationship with things

 National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Benny hears things and Annabelle hoards them. 

In her latest novel, The Book of Form and Emptiness, award-winning novelist Ruth Ozeki bears witness as a teenage boy and his mother, Benny and Annabel Oh, process their grief after Kenji — a kind, jazz-loving, pot-smoking clarinetist father and husband — suffers the ignoble death of being run over by a chicken truck in a grungy back alley.

Continue reading Ruth Ozeki explores loss, love and our insatiable relationship with things →