During the cooler months here in the Pacific Northwest, many of us can be found taking refuge indoors from the harsh weather raging outside, bundled in layers of sweaters or (comfortably, safely) smothered under blankets. And, if you’re anything like me, your reading list and Netflix queue are dwindling as you burn through them faster than logs in a fireplace. Fear not, my chilly children, for I have compiled yet another list, this time to help you fill those drizzly, blizzardy, blustery days. Following are my suggestions for how to pair some Ooligan Press titles with documentaries.
- Book: Forgive Me If I’ve Told You This Before
Forgive Me If I’ve Told You This Before revolves a teenage girl coming to terms with her sexuality during a time particularly turbulent for those in the LGBTQ+ community. It’s only fitting that the documentary I picked was made in the 1980s as Forgive Me If I’ve Told You This Before takes place in 1989.Documentary:
The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
The Times of Harvey Milk follows Milk’s career as the first openly gay elected official in the US through till the end, including the trial after Milk’s assassination (which included the infamous “Twinkie defense,” if you remember) and the candlelight march through San Francisco in memoriam of Milk’s life. - Book:
Sleeping in My Jeans
Sleeping in My Jeans tells the story of a teenage girl and her family who find themselves suddenly experiencing homelessness.Documentaries:
Lost in America (2017)
Lost in America documents the journey of Rotimi Rainwater, a former homeless youth himself, as he travels across the United States in order to highlight the often ignored epidemic of youth homelessness. - Book:
A Heart for Any Fate
A Heart for Any Fate follows a family as they face many trials and tribulations while travelling on the Oregon Trail from Missouri to Oregon.Documentaries:
New Perspectives on the West (1996)
New Perspectives on the West is a fairly classic PBS documentary that covers the evolution of the Western part of the US. Episode two, “Empire Upon the Trails,” covers the Oregon Trail. - Book:
The Ninth Day
The Ninth Day tells the story of a girl living in Berkely in the 1960s whose plans to be part of a singing competition could be ruined after she takes part in the Free Speech movement.Documentary:
She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry
She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry is a documentary that explores the history of the women who were part of second wave feminist protests in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It’s not about the free speech movement, I know, but with all of the strong women characters in this novel, I felt that focusing on a women’s movement in the same time period was fitting for my documentary choice. If you’d prefer one more relevant to the reading selection, PBS has a documentary title Berkley in the Sixties that you can watch instead (or in addition). - Book:
50 Hikes in the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests
50 Hikes in the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests is a guide providing information about hikes you can do in the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests brought to you by the Sierra Club.Documentary:
The National Parks: America’s Best Idea
Learn the history of national parks in this six-episode docu-series produced by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan. I suggest putting this one at the end of your list, right before you’re ready to thaw out—you’ll want to take that copy of 50 Hikes in the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests and start hiking as soon as you finish.
Go forth, frosty friends! Like a cozy bear in a cave living off of its stored up fat, consume this media and let it give you life during your hibernating months. I’ll see you when the sun starts shining.