My friend was a popular, promising artist - how did he end up on the streets of Portland, addicted and dangerous?

When I first met Evan B Harris he was fizzing with talent and kindness. So I was shocked to hear he had become homeless and out of control. What happened to him is a story playing out in cities across America

The summer I met Evan B Harris, Portland was in the midst of a heatwave. People sat hot and listless on their porches, and took trips out to Crater Lake. In the backyard of my rental house, the grass grew dry and yellowed.

One evening, a friend invited me to an art opening across town. Inside, Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie was playing an acoustic set, but most of us were out in the yard, drinking beer in the lowering sun. I remember Evan, heavily tattooed and wearing a wide-brimmed hat. He asked how I was enjoying the exchange rate – in those days two dollars to the pound – and I joked I’d bought so much vintage clothing I was thinking I would have to buy a house to keep it all in.

Topics

After a 2,000-Mile Trip, a Penguin Finds Itself on an Australian Beach

“This is the furthest north I’ve heard of an emperor penguin,” an expert said.
World - The New York Times - November 8
Trump Promised to End the War in Ukraine. Now He Must Decide How.

Foreign-policy advisers close to the president-elect put forth different versions of a plan to effectively freeze the front line.
World - The Wall Street Journal - November 6
Assisted dying bill: Find out how your MP voted

Check whether your MP voted for or against taking the assisted dying bill to the next stage.
Top stories - BBC News - Yesterday
My friend has embraced conspiracy theories and I’m fed up with it | Ask Philippa

Think of him like a car in a skid, you want to take the steering wheel and switch direction, but the car has too much momentum and it will carry on the same path. The question I’ve had a good ...
World - The Guardian - November 3
Lyon provisional relegation: How did French giants with American ownership end up in financial chaos?

French soccer's falling giants could be about to start a painful descent
Sports - CBS Sports - November 21
Can livestreamed DJ street sets shake up UK music for new artists?

There is hope street sets streamed on social media can help provide opportunities for aspiring artists.
Top stories - BBC News - November 17
Trump Promises Clean Water. Will He Clean Up PFAS?

Public health advocates worry that Donald Trump could unravel federal clean water efforts, including restrictions on lead pipes and chemicals known as PFAS.
World - The New York Times - November 20
My friend Joshua Wong is among those jailed in Hong Kong – the UK must stand up for these political prisoners | Nathan Law

I too suffered this repression. The harsh sentences handed down to democracy activists cannot go unchallenged. Joshua Wong, one of Hong Kong’s best-known pro-democracy activists, was sentenced to ...
World - The Guardian - November 20