Author Archives: Flux Stories

Crystal Chaffin shuffles through worn microfiches at SCRAP in Portland. She plans to put them on the front of small robots as “motherboards.” She makes these toys as gifts for her children, nieces, and nephews.

From Trash to Treasure



Marc Gaudin likes to leave the bullets in. Keri Piehl doesn’t wash her spoons. Leela Brightenburg thinks trash can change the world. Flux looks at the growing trend of upcycling.

Jackie Smith, Twila Dery, and Don Dery enjoy the sun at the Willamettans Family Nudist Resort. Instead of going to Mexico for their 27th wedding anniversary, they decided to spend the weekend at the Willamettans.

Your Confidence is Showing (Print Redux)



This story appeared in our Spring 2012 print edition. A different version of this story was published to the website in March of this year. To view the original story, click here. he clouds part slowly, reluctant to surrender their … Continue reading

Origami cranes

Dear Mr. Kennedy



A mourning daughter looks back at the life her father gave her. Continue reading

Bizarre Beers



-Elliott Kennedy Before my twenty-first birthday, I didn’t know the difference between “hops” as a noun and “hops” as a verb. Just a few short months ago, I thought beer was a drink saved strictly for football games and pool … Continue reading

Clothing Optional; Open Mind Required

Clothing Optional; Open Mind Required



Oregon nudist resorts fight social stigma while promoting a healthy self-image. Continue reading

Coffee with Karen Karbo



-Elliott Kennedy “If a subject is really good, it has a sticky factor,” says Karen Karbo, smacking her hands together and wrapping her ring-clad fingers together, making her red beaded bracelet clatter. “You think about it and you can’t stop … Continue reading

Nick Paola, a senior at the University of Oregon, decided to study abroad in Seville, Spain, in 2011 to fulfill his mother’s dream of finding her biological family.

Lost and Found



A young man travels to a foreign country to fill the gaps in his family tree. Continue reading