One Book, One Beaverton

One Book One Beaverton 2023 The Final Revival of Opal and Nev Paperback Book Cover

One Book One Beaverton Graphic

What if all of Beaverton read the same book? 

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton was the selection for our One Book, One Beaverton 2023 community-wide reading program. Thank you to all the community members who participated in the associated discussions and events!

Keep an eye on this page in the next few weeks for postings of event recordings, including the author's presentation at The Reser on February 4th.

PAST EVENTS

Author Event

An Evening with Author Dawnie Walton at The Reser
Saturday, Feb. 4 | 7 PM

Join us at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts for the signature event of One Book, One Beaverton 2023 – an evening with Dawnie Walton, author of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev. We invite you to stay after the talk to get your book signed and enjoy some light refreshments. Complimentary tickets will be available starting Dec. 2 at thereser.org.

One Book One Beaverton 2023 The Final Revival of Opal and Nev Author Portrait Dawnie Walton

Events

All events are free and take place at the main library unless otherwise noted. Some events require registration; to register, visit www.BeavertonLibrary.org/Register or call 503-644-2197, option 2.

Song Circle: Voices of the 1970s
Monday, Jan. 9 | 6-7:30 PM

Celebrate One Book, One Beaverton and The Final Revival of Opal & Nev with a selection of songs from the 1970s at this special edition of Song Circle. We will sing and play 9-10 songs together. Chords and lyrics will be provided.

Music as a Tool for Justice: An Oregon Humanities Conversation Project with Donovan Scribes
Tuesday, Jan. 10 | 6-7:30 PM | 
Registration required
Music is instrumental in shaping a place. It’s one of the most explicitly human things we can experience. In this conversation, we will look at the history of Black musicians in shaping the story of Oregon. Participants will have opportunities to connect with each other through dialogue.

Trivia Night at Nebulous Taproom (11645 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy.)
Thursday, Jan. 12 | 6 PM

Join us for a library-hosted trivia night at Beaverton’s own Nebulous Taproom! This quiz includes multiple categories like geography, sports, current events, pop culture, and more – all themed around music! Teams can be up to six players. Grab your friends and come test your knowledge! Note: Nebulous does not serve food, but you can bring food or order your own food for delivery at the event! 

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO FEB. 2. Learn About Oregon’s CROWN Act with State Representative Janelle Bynum
Wednesday, Jan. 18 | Thursday, Feb. 2 | 6:30-7:30 PM

Inspired by the character Opal Jewel’s expressive hairstyles, we invited Rep. Janelle Bynum to speak about Oregon’s CROWN Act, a bill that she sponsored in 2021. CROWN, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” prohibits discrimination against “race-based hairstyles” in schools and workplaces. Join Rep. Bynum to learn more about the motivation behind the law and how it challenges Euro-centric beauty standards and expands peoples’ right to express themselves.

Annette Lowman Trio
Saturday, Jan. 21 | 7 PM

Internationally recognized jazz vocalist Annette Lowman and her band will perform and share the historical context of a set of curated songs inspired by The Final Revival of Opal & Nev. Doors open at 6:30 PM.

Encounters with Confederate Flags & Monuments (Virtual)
Thursday, Jan. 26 | 6:30-7:30 PM | 
Registration recommended
Modupe Labode, a curator at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., will give context to the African American experience of and response to Confederate flags and monuments. This is a virtual event taking place via Zoom; register at the link cited above to receive the Zoom link prior to the presentation. Join the presentation at this link: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1605533627

It Takes Two to Tango: True Stories of Breakups, Reunions & Going Solo
Saturday, Jan. 28 | 7-8:30 PM

Join us for a night of true stories told live on stage by six veteran storytellers. Doors open at 6:30 PM.

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED: NEW DATE TBD. A History of North Portland Music with Calvin Walker & Bobby Smith
Tuesday, Jan. 31 | 6:30-7:30 PM

Portland musician Calvin Walker and Bobby Smith will discuss the vibrant Black music culture of North Portland from the 1960s through the 1980s and the political and cultural changes that immobilized it.

Book Discussion

Join us for one of four book discussions of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev facilitated by library staff. All book discussions require registration; to register, visit www.BeavertonLibrary.org/Register or call 503-644-2197, option 2.

Thursday, Jan. 5 | 10:15-11:30 AM | Registration required
Murray Scholls Book Group (at the Murray Scholls branch)

Tuesday, Jan. 17 | 6-7 PM | Registration required
Book Discussion

Tuesday, Jan. 24 | 5:45-7 PM | Registration required
Recommended Reads Book Group

Monday, Jan. 30 | 6-7 PM | Registration required
Book Discussion (Virtual)

Music Playlist

Listen to the music that inspired the book with a Spotify playlist created by author Dawnie Walton!

  1. Open the Spotify app on your phone or device.
  2. Tap the “Search” icon on the bottom of the homepage.
  3. Tap the camera icon in the top right corner.
  4. Hover your camera over the graphic below.
  5. Press play and enjoy!

Spotify Opens in new window

Reading Recommendations

Discussion Questions

Hosting your own book group discussion? Check out these discussion questions to help get you started!

The goals of this program are:

  • Bring a diverse community of readers together to discover our commonality and celebrate our differences.
  • Encourage reflection on our place in the wider world and what unites us.

The library would like to thank the New Friends of the Beaverton City Library for their support of One Book, One Beaverton.

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