Professor emeritus to read at Village Books April 16

Oregon entered a new era in 1964 with the election of Tom McCall as secretary of state and Bob Straub as state treasurer. Their political rivalry formed the backdrop for two of Oregon's most transformative decades, as they successively fought for, lost, and won the governorship. Veteran Oregon journalist Floyd McKay had a front-row seat. As a political reporter "for The Oregon Statesman" in Salem, and then as news analyst for KGW-TV in Portland, McKay was known for asking tough questions and pulling no punches. His reporting and commentaries ranged from analysis of the Tom and Bob rivalry, to the Vietnam War’s impact on Senators Wayne Morse and Mark Hatfield and the emergence of a new generation of Portland activists in the 1970s. Covering the period from 1964 to 1986, McKay remembers the action, the players and the consequences, in this compelling and personal account.

Floyd J. McKay, retired chair of journalism at Western Washington University, was a longtime political reporter in Oregon during the era of the “Oregon Story,” when the state became a national leader in environmental progress. He is familiar to Bellinghamsters as an interviewer on the Chuckanut Radio Hour, and a contributor to Crosscut.com. He holds a Ph.D. in media history from the University of Washington and is the author of three books and numerous journal articles.

McKay will be reading and signing books at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at Village Books in Fairhaven.