The Hoffman Center will host the first northern Oregon screening of the independent film “Opal the Movie” Saturday, Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m. The 2010 feature tells the story of Oregon self-taught nature writer Opal Whiteley.
Raised in a Cottage Grove logging camp, Whiteley catapulted to fame with the publication of her childhood diary in the Atlantic Monthly magazine in 1920, then to infamy when readers suspected a hoax.
The film explores the mystery behind a woman whose life sparked both admiration and controversy. It rides the tension between fact and fiction, and presents a character that embodies the possibilities of both.
Whiteley died in 1992 at age 94.
Written and directed by Diane Ciaulo, “Opal” premiered at the 2010 Mill Valley (California) Film Festival.
Following the Hoffman Center presentation, Ciaulo will hold a Q&A session with the audience via Skype.
Monthly Archives: November 2011
Hoffman Center Offers Genealogy Course
- Genealogy expert, Karen Martin, to teach class in January
Thanks for the interest, registration is closed, another class will be offered in the future.
The Hoffman Center will host a four-week “Introduction to Family History” course in January. Class sessions will be held on Tuesdays, Jan. 10, 17, 24 and 31, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the Hoffman House Studios next to the Manzanita Library. The tuition will be $40 for all four classes.
Instructor Karen Merrill Martin has been doing genealogy research for over 20 year. She holds a Certificate in Genealogical Studies from the National Institute of Genealogical Studies affiliated with the University of Toronto.
Martin published her first family history book in 2010 and was recently named first runner-up in a family history writing contest sponsored by Family Tree Magazine and Abbott Press.
“Family history can be many things,” said Martin. “From ‘I just want to put a scrapbook together of these old photos,’ to a scholarly text with footnotes and charts, to a novelized version of an ancestor’s life story.”
This class will offer students ideas on where to start, and help them decide where to go from there. Topics will include organizing files, protecting documents, researching vital records, making courthouse trips, and finding online resources.
“We will also discuss how to keep track of your family and your research either by hand or computer,” said Martin. “Whether you are a beginner or someone with more experience, there will be lots to learn in this class.”
For more information, contact Martin directly at kmmartin@nehalemtel.net. Download the Genealogy_Class_Registration_Form here.
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