Pre-Symposium Report

I've been in Portland two days now, prepping for the official, only-five-more-days-to-go D.B. Cooper Symposium, and expected to find this city not prepared to embrace what this Thanksgiving really is: Cooper's 40th anniversary.

Truth is, the Cooper current is here is white hot. Yesterday I attended "D.B. Cooper Night," an event thrown by Doug Kenck-Crispin, a historian who was accused on stage of "rescuing history from history books." Rocking a flamingo pink blazer, Kenck-Crispin drew a hundred or so Cooper fans by my count to Mississippi Studios, a bar-burger-performance space.

Along with two bands, t-shirt sales, raffles of Cooper-themed gear like attaché cases stuffed with paper money, a fine black tie, not to mention a chance to take your photo with Cooper, Kenck-Crispin also featured a handful of lectures.

One was a satirist's exploration of the hijacker's roots in Oregon dating back to the 1600's and the family of "Dominique Bartholomew Cupiere." Another revisionist take was from historian Katy Barber, who assessed the hijacking through the eyes of the three young stewardesses who maintained their calm throughout the flight.

"Here's to you, Tina Mucklow," Barber said, raising a glass.

In honor of the anniversary, Kenck-Crispin also lined up what may be another first for Cooper events: a burlesque dancer, who started her routine slugging a Bourbon like Mr. Cooper did forty years ago and left the stage wearing nothing at all—well, almost nothing.

Squint and take a peak at what I managed to capture on my phone.

Bottom-line: expect more of the unexpected. And if you haven't already, send your Cooper poetry contest submissions and RSVP's to gg@huntfordbcooper.com