See/Hear

Micah Fletcher

On May 26, 2017, three passengers on Portland's MAX train approached Jeremy Christian, a white nationalist who was verbally assaulting two Muslim women. The knife-wielding Christian brutally assaulted and killed Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche and Rick Best, and critically injuring Micah Fletcher. This attack set off shock waves across the country, perpetrated by an attacker who later claimed to be “agitated by the political polarization in the country.” Mr. Fletcher has received wide acclaim for his poetry, which describes his harrowing journey to recover from this assault.

Texu Kim

Texu Kim’s works have been performed by Minnesota Orchestra, National Orchestra of Korea, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Modern, Alarm Will Sound, among many others. His music has earned honors and awards from the Copland House, American Modern Ensemble, SCI/ASCAP Commission Competition, and Isang Yun International Composition Prize.
Texu teaches music theory and composition at Syracuse University's Setnor School of Music as an assistant teaching professor, after teaching at Portland State University and Lewis & Clark College. He also served as the Composer-in-Residence of the Korean Symphony Orchestra in 2014-18. He received his D.M. from Indiana University and other degrees from Seoul National University.

It is an absolute honor of mine to participate in this wonderful project, “I Spat in the Eye of Hate and Lived”, by writing a new piece for string quartet and fixed media. Micah Fletcher was taking a music theory class from me when the tragic event, The MAX staging, occurred, and his courage left a very strong impression on me.

My piece, Dusty Books, is based on a poem written by Micah with the same title – a poem that addresses his personal transformation after the tragic event by asking several hypothetical questions. In my work, a plain melody that suggests the writer’s pristine psyche is intertwined with sound effects that translate the imagesof dust and water. These various musical components undergo dramatic metamorphoses creating subdued, violent, and hypnotic scenes. The surreal atmosphere of this piece was inspired by the “Portland Psychedelic” exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society Museum, which offered a fascinating perspective on how musichas been interacting with the society and politics in this particular community.