Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series

At 26, Ian Mackay loved the outdoors, natural sciences, and cycling. While studying as a biology undergrad at UC Santa Cruz, he crashed his bike into a tree on campus and forever changed his relationship with how he – and others like him –  experienced nature. After sustaining a spinal cord injury that would leave him paralyzed from the shoulders down, Mackay was challenged with rehabilitating his body, his mental wellness, and his adventurous lifestyle. In Ian's Ride: A Long-Distance Journey to Joy, author Karen Polinsky traverses both Ian's personal journey to recovery against all the odds and the path his work has cleared for fellow nature lovers. In this intimate memoir brought to life through more than one hundred hours of interviews, journal entries, and more, Polinsky depicts Ian's story with heartfelt honesty. As he adapted to his new life in the Pacific Northwest with the help of his dedicated mother Teena, as well as family and friends, he grew inspired to revisit his bond with the outdoors. After years of personal growth, advocacy, and accessibility research, Ian has become a community leader, an innovator with Apple, and a world-record-breaking athlete. Ian's Ride is an inspirational tale of perseverance and an adventure quest for nature lovers, endurance athletes, and anyone struggling with a life-changing loss or diagnosis. This deftly narrated saga examines the passions and challenges that inform how we exist in our hearts, our bodies, our communities, and our natural world. Karen Polinsky is a novelist and playwright, as well as a former journalist and high school teacher. Her written works include the book Dungeness, the dance drama Heart of Stone, and more than a dozen staged plays. Ian Mackay, a C2/3 quadriplegic, is a nature lover, mobility technology innovator, and endurance athlete. Mackay is the executive director of the nonprofit Ian's Ride, which aims to increase accessibility to the outdoors. He also serves as an ambassador for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and is a proud board member of The Here and Now Project, a chapter of the United Spinal Association. Kenny Salvini is an award-winning writer and community organizer with a passion for promoting wellness, accessibility, and independence in the disability community. In 2013, Kenny cofounded The Here and Now Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to connect and empower the mobility disability community in the Pacific Northwest. In his free time, Kenny does accessibility advocacy and training on the side and is a part-time contributor to New Mobility Magazine. In 2019, he was recognized by the United Spinal Association as their Advocate of the Year. Kenny graduated with honors from Central Washington University, where he majored in Electronics Engineering Technology, and was a two-time NCAA Division II Academic All-American in Men's Wrestling. He currently lives in Sumner, Washington with his wife, Claire, and their four-year-old daughter, Ila. Buy the Book Ian's Ride: A Long-Distance Journey to Joy Elliott Bay Book Company

In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, join Town Hall Seattle to hear Vietnamese author Susan Lieu discuss her memoir, The Manicurist's Daughter. Susan will be in conversation with Executive Director of Friends of Little Saigon (FLS), Quynh Pham. Together, Susan and Quynh will discuss the impact of war with regards to trauma, memory, loss, and healing — as individuals and as a collective. You may have already seen the work of Seattle author and performer Susan Lieu at Bumbershoot, Wing Luke Museum, or the Seattle Library. Her sold-out solo theatre performance in Seattle, 140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother, describes the true story of her mother's death due to medical malpractice. No matter where you've seen her name, you already know she's passionate about asking questions and seeking a better future. In her new memoir, The Manicurist's Daughter, Lieu asks questions about grief and body image through her family's story. Refugees from the Vietnam War, Lieu's family escaped to California in the 1980s. Upon arrival, her mother was their savvy, charismatic North Star, setting up two successful nail salons — until Lieu was eleven. That year, her mother died from a botched tummy tuck. For the next twenty years, Lieu navigated a series of questions surrounding her mother's death alone—until now. Sifting through depositions, tracking down the surgeon's family, and enlisting the help of spirit channelers, Lieu uncovers the painful truth about her mother, herself, and the impossible ideal of beauty. But the answers she finds are also rooted in fierce determination, strength in shared culture, and finding one's place in the world. Susan Lieu is a Vietnamese-American author, playwright, and performer known for her autobiographical solo show, 140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother, which toured nationally to sold-out audiences. Her sequel, OVER 140 LBS, premiered at ACT Theatre's SoloFest. She has performed at major events such as Bumbershoot and The Moth Mainstage, and her work has been featured by NPR and the L.A. Times. Susan co-founded Socola Chocolatier and is an activist who helped pass a law raising medical malpractice caps. Her debut memoir, The Manicurist's Daughter (Celadon), is an Apple Book of the Month, a 2024 Best Book of The Smithsonian, NPR, and Elle Magazine, and has received accolades from The New York Times and The Washington Post. She was recently named one of Seattle Magazine's Most Influential People of 2024. Quynh Pham is the Executive Director of Friends of Little Saigon (FLS), a community development organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing Little Saigon's cultural, economic, and historical vitality. Coming from a small business family, Quynh is passionate about supporting small immigrant- and refugee-owned businesses and fostering community-driven solutions for health, safety, and well-being.

From bestselling author Juliette Aristides comes an inspirational guide to thinking, making, and embodying the mind of a creative person. The third Monacelli Studio title from Juliette Aristides, The Inner Life of the Artist, is an inspirational guide to thinking, making, and embodying the mind of a creative person. The book contains a series of short, insightful essays and significant, meaningful quotes by contemporary and historical artists, each accompanied by a moving and inspiring selection of nearly 100 past and present artworks to help enlarge our capacity for wonder. For those interested in drawing, painting, and other art forms, the book expands upon Atelier principles with fun, approachable, and practical exercises applied throughout, with an emphasis on cultivating the artistic mind, along with the hand and the eye. This is the perfect book to inspire all creative thinkers, presented in a visually arresting compact package and wrapped in a cerulean blue cloth case. Juliette Aristides is a Seattle-based fine artist, author, and educator who seeks to understand and convey the human spirit through art. She has participated nationally in dozens of museum exhibitions including the solo shows Observations at the Reading Museum of Art in Reading, PA and A Life's Work at the Customs House Museum in Clarksville, TN. Aristides is the author of six best-selling books including Lessons in Classical Drawing and Lessons in Classical Painting, which have been translated into several languages. Her seventh book, The Inner Life of The Artist publishes this April from Monacelli. Juliette has been the director of the Aristides Atelier for over 20 years and founded the first Atelier in the Northwest at Gage Academy in Seattle. Her Atelier's achievements have been recognized in four consecutive exhibitions at the Maryhill Museum of Art. Aristides' artwork and writing have garnered national media attention in publications such as Fine Art Connoisseur, American Art Collector, Artist's Magazine, and American Artist. She has also been recognized as an Art Renewal Center “Living Master” and is the recipient of the prestigious Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant. Michael Magrath received his BA in mythology and comparative religions at Reed College and his MFA in Sculpture and Public Art from the University of Washington in Seattle. Mike has studied in Florence and Rome, and taught at The Art Academy of London, The University of Washington, and the Gage Academy of Art where he began teaching in 2004. Since 2014, he has directed the Magrath Sculpture Atelier, where he also serves as Faculty Chair. His awards include the IFRAA best Religious Sculpture, the ART Renewal center First Prize in Sculpture. Magrath brings a craftsman's approach to sculpture, having come into art via the trades, working as a finisher, fabricator and foundryman. He also worked in college art programs for many decades, and so approaches teaching and artmaking from conceptual and maker-based perspectives. As such he seeks a marriage between elegance of concept and excellence in craftsmanship. As a teacher he seeks to demystify and make accessible to all the art making process. Magrath does both private and public commissions and has exhibited internationally. Clients include Microsoft, the University of Washington, the Archdiocese of Portland OR, as well as numerous private clients. Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Gage Academy of Art. Buy the Book The Inner Life of the Artist: Conversations from the Atelier Elliott Bay Book Company

These days, large-scale high-production music festivals take over major cities and regularly attract crowds of every genre — including the current version of Lollapalooza that draws a casual 400,000 people to its resident Chicago stomping grounds. But kick it back a few decades and this kind of maximalist mega-show wasn't quite the norm it is now, especially for musical tastes outside of the mainstream. In their second collaborative book, Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock's Wildest Festival, music journalists Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour flash back to when the Lollapalooza we know now was a new tour concept bringing 1990s alternative artists and ideas center stage. Lollapalooza first transports readers back to the festival's origins – a 20+ city summer sprawl highlighting alternative music, art, and counterculture, conceived by Perry Farrell as a farewell tour for his band Jane's Addiction. From 1991-1997, this breakthrough tour shifted the scope of live music experiences and helped forge a new path for the decade's subcultures to reach the masses and the media. Bienstock and Beaujour have compiled hundreds of new interviews to dig into the dirt of how the historic festival came into being at every level – from headlining artists and record label execs to tour organizers and promoters to freakshow performers, stage crews, and roadies. Lollapalooza is packed with gritty details of an era of shows that defied genres and drew crowds across style lines. Music, art, and politics drawing from alt-rock, goth, industrial, metal, punk, hip-hop, EDM, and avant-garde explorations – all coming together under one big tent. Featuring original interviews with iconic artists like Green Day, Patti Smith, Rage Against the Machine, Ice-T, Pearl Jam, Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction, Tool, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Metallica, and many more, this collection amplifies voices that helped shape generations of contemporary thinkers, creative activists, and live music audiences. Journeying through 90s nostalgia, uncensored first-hand accounts, and the long-term reverberations of a groundbreaking tour, Bienstock and Beaujour document a high-impact chapter of modern American music. A VIP pass to the action onstage and backstage, on the road and behind the scenes – Lollapalooza details the cultural shift of the alternative rock revolution and the echoes still heard through concert crowds today. Richard Bienstock is a journalist, musician, and author whose work has been featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Spin. He is the executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine and former senior editor of Guitar World and has authored and co-authored books including Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck and Slash: An Intimate Portrait.  Tom Beaujour is a journalist, music producer, and engineer who has been featured in television shows like Orange is the New Black, A Handmaid's Tale, and Criminal Minds. He is a co-founder and former editor-in-chief of Revolver and has contributed to Rolling Stone, the New York Times, Blender, and Billboard. He is the co-author of Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion, alongside Richard Bienstock. Mike Squires is a Seattle-based touring musician and the host of Couch Riffs Podcast since 2019. His touring and recording credits include Duff McKagan, Peter Hook, Ugly Kid Joe, Harvey Danger, and The Long Winters.   Buy the Book Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock's Wildest Festival Third Place Books

What if none of this were real, but instead we were in a simulation? What would that mean about life, about the notion of reality, and about our own existence?  From award-winning, Seattle-based author Daryl Gregory comes a story following two friends on a cross-country bus tour through glitches as they grapple with secrets, love, and family — issues that are not uncommon, except these take place in a simulated world. When We Were Real follows longtime best friends JP and Dulin. When JP finds out his cancer has aggressively returned, Dulin decides it's the perfect time for one last adventure: a week-long bus tour of the Impossibles, the glitches and geographic miracles that started cropping right after the Announcement that revealed our world to be merely a digital simulacrum. The outing promises to be the trip of a (not completely real) lifetime. Unlike other sci-fi hits like The Matrix or Vanilla Sky, these characters know they are simulations. Through this self-awareness, they — as well as readers — explore what it means to be human, to be alive or even real. Through a cast of colorful characters (like a pregnant influencer determined to make her child too famous to be deleted) or the stops they make along the way (like a tunnel outside of time or a motivational-speaking avatar's compound) JP and Dulin have no shortage of things to talk about as they venture toward the tour's final stop, where the travelers may find out who is actually running the simulation. When We Were Real aims to uncover the things that really matter in life, even in an artificial world. Daryl Gregory is the award-winning author of numerous novels, including Revelator, Afterparty, and Spoonbenders, a Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy Award finalist. His novella We Are All Completely Fine won the World Fantasy Award and the Shirley Jackson Award. He currently resides in Seattle, Washington. Matt Dinniman is a writer, artist, and musician (well, he's a bass player) from Gig Harbor, WA. He is the author of several books, including the bestselling Dungeon Crawler Carl series.   Buy the Book When We Were Real: A Novel Third Place Books

Trans stories are not confined to political rhetoric and headlines. The world of creative writing is replete with narratives that explore complex worlds of gender and how identity intersects with people's lives and relationships. In a new collection of one novel and three stories, bestselling author Torrey Peters's keen eye for the rough edges of community and desire push the limits of trans writing.  In Stag Dance, the titular novel, a group of lumberjacks working in an illegal winter logging outfit plan a dance that some of them will attend as women. When the most unlikely of the axmen announces his intention to dance as a woman, he finds himself caught in a strange rivalry, inviting a cascade of obsession, jealousy, and betrayal that culminates on the big night in an exploration of gender and transition. A trio of shorter tales surround Stag Dance: “Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones” imagines a gender apocalypse brought about by an unstable ex-girlfriend. “The Chaser” presents a secret romance between roommates at a Quaker boarding school, and “The Masker” details a Vegas party weekend that turns dark when a young crossdresser must choose between two guides: a mystery man who thrills but objectifies her, or a veteran trans woman who offers sisterhood and cynicism. Peters' talk and work is especially timely surrounding ongoing conversations about trans rights in our nation but is an invitation to any fiction reader. Torrey Peters is the bestselling author of the novel Detransition, Baby, which won the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and was named one of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century by The New York Times. It was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Prize, a finalist for the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize, and longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. She has an MFA from the University of Iowa and an MA in comparative literature from Dartmouth. Peters rides a pink motorcycle and splits her time between Brooklyn and an off-grid cabin in Vermont. Aster Olsen is the author of the novella Performance Review. She lived most of her life in the gorgeous swampy parts of Florida people don't visit on vacation, but now lives in Seattle, where she spends her time swimming in alpine lakes alongside aquatic insect larvae. A professional scientist, she rejects the binary oppositional positioning of STEM and Art and seeks to collapse and expand imposed categories and narratives to further understanding. Her writing is found in Lilac Peril, Hey Alma, Autostraddle, Inner Worlds, Itch.io, and elsewhere. She is the creator, editor, and publisher of TRANSplants Zine, a zine series about transness and place, and runs the trans open mic reading and art series please (t)read with me.  Find more at asterolsen.com. Ebo Barton comes from salt— from the moment before worlds converge. You may have seen Ebo's work in the book Black Imagination and heard in the audiobook read by Grammy and Tony award winner Daveed Diggs. You have also seen Ebo's work online on Write About Now, Button Poetry, and All Def Poetry channels. In 2016, they placed 5th in the World at the Individual World Poetry Slam. In 2017, they co-wrote and co-produced the award-winning play Rising Up. In 2018, they played “Invisible One” in Anastacia Renee's Queer. Mama.Crossroads and reprised the role in 2019. Ebo debuted his first published collection of poetry, Insubordinate, in 2020. As the Director of Housing Services at Lavender Rights Project, and a Washington State LGBTQ Commissioner, Barton's impact transcends artistic endeavors. A leader in arts and activism, Ebo Barton is committed to creating opportunities for others to organize, heal, and rejoice. Corinne Manning is the author of the acclaimed story collection We Had No Rules. Once upon a time, they reimagined the publishing industry with the literary project The James Franco Review (it made sense from 2014-2017). Their creative work and literary criticism are published widely, including in The New York Times. Corinne lives in Seattle and works as a teaching artist through Seattle Arts & Lectures and their own mentorship project Deeper, Wider. Amber Flame is an interdisciplinary artist garnering residencies with Hedgebrook, Baldwin for the Arts, Millay Arts, and more. A former church kid from the Southwest, Flame's first collection of poetry, Ordinary Cruelty, was published in 2017 through Write Bloody Press. Flame's second book, apocrifa, a love story told in verse, launched in May 2023 from Red Hen Press. Flame is Deputy Publisher at Generous Press, a new romance venture publishing inclusive love stories, and Program Director for Hedgebrook, a literary organization serving women. Amber Flame is a queer Black dandy mama who falls hard for a jumpsuit and some fresh kicks. Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Seattle Public Library. Buy the Book Stag Dance Charlie's Queer Books

Why do people feel compelled to share stories? Why do we yearn to reach others with our words, beyond necessary communication? Storytelling is a vital facet of human culture and is constantly expanding as we create new ways to communicate through words, art, and tangible experience. The Department of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington hosts an annual literary and storytelling series, Sacred Breath, featuring Indigenous writers and storytellers sharing their craft in the Seattle area. Storytelling offers a spiritual connection, a sharing of sacred breath. Literature, similarly, preserves human experience and ideals. Both forms are durable and transmit power that teaches us how to live. Both storytelling and reading aloud can impact audiences through the power of presence, allowing for the experience of the transfer of sacred breath as audiences are immersed in the experience of being inside stories and works of literature. The series begins with an evening program at Town Hall Seattle featuring Arigon Starr and guest Roger Fernandes. A multitalented, multidisciplinary performer, Arigon Starr promises to deliver a mix of music, reading, art, and storytelling. Arigon Starr is an enrolled member of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma. Her father, Ken Wahpecome (Kickapoo) was a career Navy man and her mother, Ruth (Muscogee (Creek) / Cherokee / Seneca) was a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University. Starr is a storyteller in many mediums including music, comic books, and live theater. Across her many disciplines, she brings bold characters, contemporary perspectives, and the intention of countering negative Indigenous stereotypes. Her work has been highlighted in the publications First American Art and Native Peoples, featured on the national news program PBS News Hour and on the arts blog of the National Endowment for the Arts. Visit Arigon's website to learn more. About Sacred Breath The Department of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington hosts an annual literary and storytelling series. Sacred Breath features Indigenous writers and storytellers sharing their craft in Seattle. Storytelling offers a spiritual connection, a sharing of sacred breath. Literature, similarly, preserves human experience and ideals. Both forms are durable and transmit power that teaches us how to live. Both storytelling and reading aloud can impact audiences through the power of presence, allowing for the experience of the transfer of sacred breath as audiences are immersed in the experience of being inside stories and works of literature.

How do you know if you are a good boss? Whether you're in the C-Suite or middle management, you're probably not reaching your full potential, according to Sabina Nawaz, Fortune 500 coach and author of You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need). Unfortunately, it's often hard to recognize pitfalls as a boss or know how to address them. Luckily, Nawaz has some ideas. Pulling from over one thousand interviews at Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Motorola, Nordstrom, and the United Nations, Nawaz offers managers advice on how to succeed. Her proprietary data includes over two decades of coaching and in-depth research into the psychology of behavior and relationships. One key finding, she says, is that as our job expands, the added pressure to perform corrupts our actions, and our increased power blinds us to the impact of those actions. No one is immune to this. Even the most well-intentioned manager can quickly become the boss nobody wants to work for. Nawaz offers an in-depth framework for managing pressure and power with grace and intelligence. Knowing if you're a good boss doesn't need to be a mystery. To be a good one, Nawaz says, is to manage yourself and others, navigate working relationships, and communicate effectively. You'll know you're a good boss when you're doing these things, while also experiencing less stress and greater impact, becoming the boss everyone wants to work for. Sabina Nawaz is an elite executive coach who advises C-level executives and teams at Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions around the world. Sabina gives dozens of keynotes, seminars, and conferences each year and teaches faculty at Northeastern and Drexel University. During her fourteen-year tenure at Microsoft, she went from managing software development teams to leading the company's executive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and nearly a thousand executives, advising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer directly. She has written for and been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, NBC, Nasdaq, and MarketWatch. Frank X. Shaw is the Chief Communications Officer at Microsoft, leading global communications strategy, storytelling, media relations, executive and employee communications, and more. With over 25 years of experience, he served as president of the Microsoft account at Waggener Edstrom Worldwide and has worked across government, entertainment, food, and retail sectors. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he holds a journalism degree from the University of Oregon and serves on the boards of the Seattle YMCA and The LAGRANT Foundation.   Buy the Book You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need) The Elliott Bay Book Co.

Writer and prison abolitionist Keeonna Harris shares her intimate memoir, Mainline Mama, about the formidable challenge of raising a family separated by prison walls and how we can fight back against a broken Byzantine system. Keeonna and Jason met as young teens. Only fourteen, Keeonna had never had a boyfriend before, dreamed of attending Spelman to become an obstetrician, and thought she was “grown.” Within a year she was pregnant, and Jason was in prison, convicted of a carjacking and sentenced to twenty-two years. Overnight Keeonna had become a “mainline mama,” a parent facing the impossible task of raising a child — while still growing up herself — with an incarcerated partner. Keeonna recalls her harrowing journey in Mainline Mama, from learning to overcome the exhausting difficulties of navigating the carceral system in the United States, to transforming herself into an advocate for other women like her — the predominantly Black and brown women left behind to pick up the pieces of their families and fractured lives. She offers inspiration and solace, showing how to create moments of beauty, humanity, and love in a place designed to break spirits. Mainline Mama is about creating self-love and community — crucial acts of radical resistance against a prison industrial complex that is designed to dehumanize and to separate and shut away incarcerated individuals and their loved ones from the world. Keeonna Harris is a writer, storyteller, mother of five, and prison abolitionist. She is a Ph.D. Candidate at Arizona State University finishing her dissertation Everybody Survived but Nobody Survived: Black Feminism, Motherhood, and Mass Incarceration. Her memoir, Mainline Mama draws from her experiences as a Black woman, teen mother, and twenty years of raising children with an incarcerated partner and building community in the borderlands of the prison. Jodi-Ann Burey (she/her) is a writer and critic who works at the intersections of race, culture, and health equity. Her debut book, Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work disrupts traditional narratives about racism at work and is forthcoming in 2025 with Flatiron Books.   Buy the Book Mainline Mama Elliott Bay Book Company

Celebrate culture and connection with Dinner at Our Place, the latest cookbook from the team behind Our Place, the makers of the beloved Always Pan®. Shiza Shahid, co-founder and CEO of the acclaimed cookware shares the brand's mission to bring people together through the joy of cooking and dining. With contributions from 11 renowned chefs, tastemakers, and restaurateurs, the book presents over 100 recipes alongside curated menus designed to inspire memorable gatherings. Each chapter of Dinner at Our Place is a fully crafted dining experience, complete with playlists, mood-lighting suggestions, and tips to elevate your hosting game. From Shiza Shahid's cozy family dinners to Kia Damon's creative take on Friendsgiving, the book offers a rich tapestry of culinary traditions and innovative approaches. Other highlights include Jen Monroe's playful Valentine's celebration, DeVonn Francis's Caribbean-inspired feast, and Keegan Fong's hot pot night with Mama Fong. At this event, Shahid will share the stories behind the cookbook and the collaborations that shaped its pages. Learn how each menu came to life, explore the joy of hosting through recipes like Saffron Tachin and Whole Salt-Roasted Fish, and discover the deeper purpose of building connections through food. Whether you're an experienced entertainer or new to the kitchen, this event is your invitation to celebrate the art of gathering. Shiza Shahid is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Our Place, a mission-driven brand reimagining kitchenware for the modern, global kitchen. Before Our Place, Shiza co-founded the Malala Fund with Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, serving as its founding CEO to champion every girl's right to education. She also launched NOW Ventures, an angel fund investing in mission-driven startups with a focus on female founders. Shiza has been recognized as one of TIME's “30 Under 30 People Changing the World,” Forbes' “30 Under 30 – Social Entrepreneurs,” and INC Magazine's “Top Female Founders.” Her thought leadership has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Fast Company, and more. She's also a sought-after speaker, frequently appearing at major events like Aspen Ideas Festival, Fortune Most Powerful Women, and the World Economic Forum.  Buy the Book Dinner at Our Place: Recipes for Gathering Elliott Bay Book Company

Environmental advocate and HOANW founder, Gerry Pollet moderates a conversation with debut author Kay Smith-Blum and investigative journalist and author, Joshua Frank. They will explore the real-life inspirations behind Smith-Blum's novel, Tangles, and its themes of environmental justice and human resilience against the stark backdrop of the state of the cleanup today, highlighted in Frank's non-fiction volume, Atomic Days. Don't miss this chance to dive into an emotionally charged story that daylights the fallout—both literal and figurative—of America's nuclear ambitions and the stark realities of the nuclear waste troubles today. Kay Smith-Blum enters the nuclear discussion with her novel Tangles, a gripping historical thriller that weaves together mystery, personal struggles, and a government conspiracy. Set against the backdrop of Hanford's radioactive history, the story follows young scientist Luke Hinson as he uncovers the hidden dangers of nuclear contamination while grappling with his thyroid cancer diagnosis and a haunting connection to Mary Boone, his former neighbor who vanished under mysterious circumstances. The narrative alternates between the 1940s when Mary fought to expose government cover-ups, and the 1960s, as Luke pursues the truth amid bureaucratic resistance and personal turmoil. Investigative journalist and award-winning author, Joshua Frank, has been knee-deep in all things nuclear for almost a decade. His most recent book, Atomic Days daylights the most toxic place in America: Hanford. Once home to the United States's largest plutonium production site, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state is laced with 56 million gallons of radioactive waste. The threat of an explosive accident at Hanford is all too real—an event that could be more catastrophic than Chernobyl. Frank provides a much-needed refutation of the myths of nuclear technology—from weapons to electricity—and shines a spotlight on the ravages of Hanford and its threat to communities, workers, and the global environment. Kay Smith-Blum, a former business owner and Seattle School Board President, is lover of the natural world. An avid gardener, Smith-Blum founded Environmental Endeavors, the first greenhouse program in Seattle Public Elementary Schools. A fan of mid-20th-century history, Smith-Blum has penned two other manuscripts set in Texas, but the recent upheaval over leaking waste tanks at the Hanford site compelled her to write her debut novel, TANGLES. Named the Western WA Woman Business Owner of 2013, Smith-Blum has lived in Seattle for four decades. She works out her writer's block in her sons' gardens and the nearest lap pool. For more info see https://www.kaysmith-blum.com Joshua Frank is co-editor of CounterPunch and co-host of CounterPunch Radio. His latest book is Atomic Days: The Untold Story of the Most Toxic Place in America. He is currently finishing up a book on the downside of the green energy revolution, to be published by Haymarket Books in the summer of 2025. State Representative Gerry Pollet (46th District: North Seattle) is the co-founder (1987) and Executive Director of Heart of America Northwest, the region's largest public group advocating for the cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.  In 1986, Gerry wrote and directed the statewide ballot referendum which stopped Hanford from becoming the nation's High Level Nuclear Waste dump. He continues to direct Heart of America Northwest, working closely with affected Tribal Nations. Gerry led efforts to stop the US Department of Energy from dumping radioactive chemical wastes into unlined ditches at Hanford in 2004 and continues working to protect the Columbia River from leaking High Level Nuclear Waste tanks. Buy the book Tangles: A Cold War Love Story and Mystery Queen Anne Book Company

Cities in postcards and sweeping film shots are all dramatic skylines and big recognizable features, but to really love a city is to know it on the ground level. The spaces that build community, shape culture, and support neighborhoods may not always be the flashiest silhouettes, but they're often the most iconic to the people who live amongst them. This is something Vanishing Seattle knows all too well, as they've built an expansive media movement around shining lights on displaced small businesses and disappearing local institutions across the city. In their most recent collaborative endeavor, Signs of Vanishing Seattle: Places Loved and Lost, Cynthia Brothers and the Vanishing Seattle team have compiled a handheld visual scrapbook of spaces that have influenced Seattle culture over the decades. In 2016, Cynthia Brothers took to social media under the title Vanishing Seattle to document restaurants, businesses, venues, and other local institutions being pushed out and shut down by shifting priorities, urban development, and gentrification. Over the years, Vanishing Seattle has brought countless people together over small businesses still trying to make it in a rapidly changing city and the growing number of old haunts that have closed for good. Via their own online community as well as through media coverage, award-winning documentary shorts, and public presentations, the group has strived to show and tell the ways these establishments shape culture and why people should care about keeping their doors open. Signs of Vanishing Seattle draws from a 12,000-square-foot interactive exhibit dedicated to community-sourced local legacy that Brothers curated in the historic RailSpur building in 2023. This book preserves the ephemeral exhibit into physical form – combining photos of the original signage from shuttered establishments that was on display with the personal notes visitors left under the faded font of their once-favorite cafe or the bar where they saw their first punk show. Signs of Vanishing Seattle presents a first-hand visual history of the way gathering spaces, local commerce, and physical objects connect communities and hold memories long after the neon goes dark. Cynthia Brothers is a born and raised Seattleite, nonprofit consultant, and the founder of the Vanishing Seattle project with a background in advocacy for immigrant rights, arts & culture, and online organizing. She is a founding member of the anti-displacement organizing group Chinatown-International District (CID) Coalition and has twice been named one of “Seattle's Most Influential” by Seattle Magazine. Brothers and Vanishing Seattle have been featured in publications including the Seattle Times, the New York Times, Real Change, and Crosscut as well as outlets like King 5, KEXP, and KUOW. Tom Eykemans is a designer and artist preoccupied with books and the Pacific Northwest from his studio at the historic Woodland Theater in Ballard. Born in Seattle and an alumnus of the University of Washington, he spent a decade designing books at UW Press and is now design director at Marquand Books. Tom is co-founder of the nonprofit Seattle Art Book Fair, owner of the independent Tome Press, advisor to ARCADE Magazine, and instructor at the UW School of Art. He has received many design recognitions, given numerous talks, contributed to various art shows, and has been featured in The Stranger, at SxSW, and by the Washington State Book Awards. He also studies and teaches traditional martial arts at the sixty-year-old Seattle Kung Fu Club in the C-ID. Buy the Book Signs of Vanishing Seattle: Places Loved and Lost Third Place Books

Explore the uncomfortable conversations you've been eager for in a space that encourages open and safe expression. Weaving together storytelling, poetry, music, and panel interviews with powerful voices, Unlearning offers the opportunity to address issues like discrimination, social justice, violence, and many other pressing (and often taboo) topics while healing and learning together. Join Lindsey T.H. Jackson, a visionary social activist, podcaster, author, and CEO at LTHJ Global, for this first edition of Unlearning focusing on Misogynoir. Misogynoir is the intersection of misogyny and anti-blackness. There is a specific kind of bias against and oppression of Black women. Have you examined your biases in an intersectional context? At this event, attendees will explore what misogynoir is and why we are all (regardless of race or gender) susceptible to it while learning strategies to recognize and combat misogynoir internally and in our communities. Lindsey T.H. Jackson is a North American-based leader serving humans around the world. As CEO at LTHJ Global, Lindsey empowers people, leaders, and organizations to pursue and achieve their full potential. For 15+ years Lindsey has been authentically leading empowering entities for personal and organizational wellness. Lindsey specializes in executive coaching using the Enneagram, group facilitation, DEI training and implementation, and team development. Dr. Moya Bailey is a professor at Northwestern University, the founder of the Digital Apothecary, and co-founder of the Black Feminist Health Science Studies Collective. Her work focuses on marginalized groups' use of digital media to promote social justice, and she is interested in how race, gender, and sexuality are represented in media and medicine. She is the digital alchemist for the Octavia E. Butler Legacy Network and the Board President of Allied Media Projects, a Detroit-based movement media organization that supports an ever-growing network of activists and organizers. She is a co-author of #HashtagActivism: Networks of Race and Gender Justice and is the author of Misogynoir Transformed: Black Women's Digital Resistance. She is the director and producer for the forthcoming documentary, Misogynoir in Medicine. Amelia Ransom, SPHR is Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Smartsheet. She is responsible for driving strategy and initiatives that impact, solidify and improve company culture. She also leads Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for the organization. Amelia has over 30 years of experience building and executing strategy within Human Resources and Business Operations in a world-class and customer-centric organization. In addition to DEI, her areas of expertise include leadership development, early in career engagement and executive level mentorship and advisement. Before joining Smartsheet, Amelia was the Sr. Director of Engagement and Diversity at Avalara. She created the company's first DEI strategy and was responsible for improving company engagement scores each year. Prior to that, she held multiple regional and company-wide leadership positions at Nordstrom including store management, Diversity and Inclusion and Learning and Development Amelia serves on the boards of Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington, The YWCA Seattle, King and Snohomish, Leadership Tomorrow Seattle and The Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion. Fleur Larsen, of Fleur Larsen Facilitation, began facilitating 20 years ago on challenge course programs with youth and adults. Her style is based on sharp analysis, flexible thinking, joy, and purposeful results. Her work is relationship-based with connection, collaboration, and community as integral elements to reach goals. Currently, she works with several corporate and nonprofit groups facilitating retreats, trainings and workshops in addition to one-on-one coaching. Fleur's work as a facilitator is focused on equity, social justice, diversity and inclusion, team building, emotional intelligence, experiential education and community development.

Throughout her storied career, Taylor Swift has kept her name in the news with chart-topping hits, aesthetic reinvention, and nonstop global influence. Over the years and across the genres, die-hard fans and scholars alike have chronicled the cultural phenomenon that is Taylor Swift. And long story short, pop music expert and self-described Taylor Swift aficionado Rob Sheffield has been along for the whole ride. In his newest book, Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music, Sheffield dives fearlessly into the labyrinth of Taylor Swift's extensive artistic legacy, personal lore, and professional highlights. From her diaristic songwriting to her command of live audiences to her media presence speckled with both acclaim and criticism, Sheffield presents a case for why Taylor Swift's impact on the pop music landscape just hits different. Heartbreak Is the National Anthem reaches deep into the many award-winning chapters of Taylor Swift's career, from teenaged girl with a guitar to multi-hyphenate record breaker. In this bejeweled biography, Sheffield explores the depths of the golden grip Taylor Swift has on style, storytelling, and her legions of fans across the globe. Rob Sheffield is a music journalist and best-selling author who has extensively covered music, TV, and pop culture over the years. He is a longtime contributor to Rolling Stone and has previously contributed to Blender and Spin. His previous publications include music biographies On Bowie and Dreaming the Beatles: The Love Story of One Band and the Whole World, as well as the autobiographical memoir Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time. Buy the Book Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music Third Place Books

Access to the outdoors is a basic human need—from the granite under our feet during adventures or simply a breath of fresh air. Yet, that access isn't equal. In the U.S., more than one in three people lack access to a park within a 10-minute walk of home, disproportionately affecting Black and Brown communities. The outdoor and climbing industries face similar challenges. Lack of diversity in leadership, limited funding, and gate-kept information make the climb steeper for many. However, climbers of color have risen to become some of the sport's most accomplished athletes, demonstrating the potential that comes with overcoming barriers. By expanding diversity in leadership, increasing funding, and fostering open access to knowledge, we can create a more inclusive and level playing field for all climbers. Join Trust for Public Land for an inspiring conversation with prominent Asian American climbers Cody Kaemmerlen, Kathy Karlo, and Nina Williams. Moderated by Trust for Public Land's Northwest Director, Mitsu Iwasaki, panelists will delve into their personal journeys, discuss obstacles to equitable access to the sport, and explore the benefits of creating a more inclusive environment for everyone. Cody Kaemmerlen is a passionate rock climber and advocate for inclusivity in the climbing community as well as the outdoors. He is the Director of Advancement Operations for NOLS and serves on the Board of Directors for the American Alpine Club. Based in Wyoming, Cody leads efforts to create welcoming and equitable spaces in the outdoors by addressing barriers to diversity and inclusion. With personal experiences as a South Korean adoptee raised in rural Oregon, he brings a unique perspective to his work. Cody's commitment to equity is also highlighted in the film “Dear Mother,” where he delves into his identity and the challenges faced by people of color in the climbing world. Kathy Karlo is a storyteller at heart who has dedicated herself to reshaping the narrative around climbing and the outdoors. As the creator and host of the For the Love of Climbing podcast, she dives into the emotional and vulnerable sides of the sport, while also amplifying the voices of those often left out of the conversation. Kathy also leads as Executive Director of No Man's Land Film Festival, an all-women adventure film festival that challenges traditional narratives by showcasing female-driven stories. Through her work, Kathy strives to create a more inclusive outdoor space where everyone can feel empowered to share their authentic experiences. Nina Williams is a professional rock climber recognized for her groundbreaking achievements in highball bouldering and trad climbing. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Nina has pushed the limits of what is possible, becoming the first woman to climb iconic routes like “Too Big to Flail” and “Ambrosia” in Bishop, California. Her climbing career is marked by a deep mental discipline, and she is passionate about access and mentorship in the climbing world. Beyond her personal accomplishments, Nina is committed to fostering inclusivity in outdoor spaces, working with organizations like Flash Foxy, Color the Crag, and the Women's Climbing Symposium to ensure everyone can connect with nature. As Board President of the American Alpine Club and a Certified Professional Coach, Nina's work reflects her belief in the power of the outdoors to inspire and uplift all communities. Mitsu Iwasaki, our moderator for the evening, is the Associate Vice President and Northwest Director of Trust for Public Land. Born in Japan, Iwasaki's family immigrated to Seattle, WA soon after he turned six years old. Growing up in the relative comfort of the suburbs, his parents felt it would be best to ‘build his character' by sending him to work on a commercial fishing boat throughout his teenage summers in Chignik, Alaska. Those experiences sparked an enduring love for wild places, inspiring a life-long journey of adventure and exploration of both natural landscapes and his capacity as a person. He has been climbing, skiing, and running across our beloved northwest mountains and around the world for over three decades. Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Trust for Public Land.

Celebrate women who rock in a discussion with the hosts of NPR music's series Turning the Tables as they share their new book How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music. Uncovering the role women have played in shaping the music industry, editor Alison Fensterstock brings long-overdue recognition to female artists, challenging traditional best album lists and highlighting overlooked contributions in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. By bringing together material from over fifty years of NPR's coverage, Fensterstock underscores the enduring impact of women in music. Audience members will gain insight into Joan Baez's reflections on nonviolence as a musical principle, discover Dolly Parton's favorite song and the story behind it, and learn about Nina Simone's use of her voice as a tool against racism. The book also captures Odetta's transition from classical music to folk as a way to express her anger over Jim Crow laws and Taylor Swift's early uncertainties about her career. Music enthusiasts, songwriters, feminist historians, and anyone intrigued by the creative process are invited for a compelling evening of composition conversation at Town Hall. Alison Fensterstock is a New Orleans-based writer and editor. A contributor to NPR Music since 2016, she's written and edited for Turning the Tables and appeared on NPR programs including All Things Considered, World Café and Word of Mouth; her writing about popular music and culture has appeared in Rolling Stone, the NewYork Times, the Oxford American and MOJO, among others. Emily Fox hosts and produces KEXP's music interview show, Sound & Vision. Music and storytelling are her passions. Prior to working at KEXP, Emily was a host, producer, and reporter on Michigan Radio, WKAR and Seattle's KUOW. Rachel Flotard is the singer, songwriter and guitarist of the Seattle rock band Visqueen and mother of three.  She manages artists at Red Light Management and previously served as Director of Operations at Fretboard Journal. Flotard is a creative producer and founded her own independent record label, Local 638 Records, inspired by her dad's New York City Steamfitter's Union. She continues to tour, record and collaborate with folks she loves.     Buy the Book How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music The Elliott Bay Book Company

Combining digital technology with everyday salvaged materials, sculptor and composer Trimpin has invented ways of playing everything from giant marimbas to a 60-foot stack of guitars using MIDI commands. Taking inspiration equally from junkyards, museums, and concert halls, Trimpin creates eccentric and interactive instruments from found materials, including saw blades, toy monkeys, duck calls, beer bottles, Bunsen burners, slide projectors, turkey basters, and pottery wheels. Trimpin's computer-driven musical contraptions defy the constraints of traditional instruments. In conversation with Gage's Gary Faigin, Trimpin will discuss specific projects from his career and share short videos that highlight his unique approach and philosophy. Trimpin is a German born kinetic sculptor, sound artist, and musician currently living in Seattle and Tieton, Washington. Trimpin's work integrates sculpture and sound across a variety of media including fixed installation and live music, theater, and dance performance. Beginning in July 2005, several Washington museums engaged in a year-long survey of his work. A feature documentary film about the artist/inventor/composer's life and work, TRIMPIN: The Sound of Invention, was produced and directed by Peter Esmonde. Painter, critic, and author Gary Faigin is cofounder and Artistic Director of Gage Academy of Art in Seattle, as well as the school's Still Life Atelier instructor. He has taught in art schools across the country including the National Academy of Design and the Parsons School of Design. Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Gage Academy of Art.

When we think about consuming art, whether reading a book, visiting a museum, or maybe watching an outdoor performance act, we rarely consider the administrative efforts that go into making art possible. Creative administration is an evolving field that considers the innovation and organizational management necessary to create and present art. Artists find themselves having to balance their own vision, with the practicalities of physical production, collaboration, and so many other factors. Artists on Creative Administration: A Workbook from the National Center for Choreography, is a collection curated by Tonya Lockyer, containing firsthand accounts of creative administration in action. Lockyer is focused on telling stories that can help others progress, making a point to state, “This book is for anyone looking for paths forward; for anyone who believes we are in an exceptional moment of change—change is happening and needs to happen.” Please join us at Town Hall for an expansive conversation on the arts, leadership, and the craft of creative administration. Tonya Lockyer is an award-winning movement artist, choreographer, writer, and cultural curator. Lockyer was the executive and artistic director of Velocity Dance Center in Seattle from 2011 to 2018. Currently, she is also an adjunct professor in Arts Leadership at Seattle University. Her new anthology, Artists on Creative Administration, features the voices of thirty artists and arts workers, sharing their experiences as they navigate issues of equity, design, leadership, collaboration, family, ethics, and care. Jackson Cooper is the Executive Director of the American Genre Film Archive, the world's largest nonprofit archive and distributor dedicated to preserving, collecting, and presenting the greatest genre films of all time. In 2023, he was named one of the Top 30 Arts Professionals by Musical America magazine and was appointed by Governor jay Inslee to the Washington State Arts Commission in 2024. He serves on the faculties of both Seattle University and UNC-Greensboro where he teaches Fundraising and philanthropy. His first book entitled A Kids Book About Kindness was published in 2023 and his forthcoming book on Sustainable Fundraising will be published by Columbia Business School Publishing in 2026. He holds an MFA in Arts Leadership at Seattle University and a BA in Theatre/Business from UNCG which honored him with the university's Young Alumni Award this past October 2024. Buy the Book Artists on Creative Administration: A Workbook from the National Center for Choreography Elliott Bay Book Company

Join Modernist Cuisine founder and author Nathan Myhrvold to explore one of the world's most beloved (and occasionally controversial) foods: bread. In this conversation that's sure to be like naan other, Myhrvold will discuss his new book, Modernist Bread at Home, and why now is the perfect time to rise to the occasion and start making bread in your own kitchen. Myhrvold will draw on the Modernist Cuisine team's extensive research to share some of his favorite insights, tips, and tricks from the book, all the info you knead to make better bread at home. Nathan Myhrvold is founder of Modernist Cuisine and lead author of Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking, Modernist Cuisine at Home, The Photography of Modernist Cuisine, Modernist Bread and the forthcoming Modernist Pizza. He has had a passion for science, cooking, and photography since he was a boy. Nathan enrolled in college at the age of 14 and went on to earn a doctorate in theoretical and mathematical physics as well as a master's degree in economics from Princeton University. He holds an additional master's degree in geophysics and space physics and a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles. He did postdoctoral work with Stephen Hawking at Cambridge University researching cosmology, quantum field theory in curved space-time, and quantum theories of gravitation before starting a software company that would be acquired by Microsoft. Bethany Jean Clement is a food critic for the Seattle Times. Her writing has also appeared in multiple Best Food Writing anthologies, Food & Wine, The Stranger, Edible Seattle, Gourmet, and many other publications, as well as on the windows of the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. She is the former food writer and managing editor of The Stranger, and a former staff writer and managing editor for Seattle Weekly. Buy the Book Modernist Bread at Home Book Larder

The city of Rome is a legacy locale in countless areas of history and culture. For teenage refugee André Aciman, Rome was also a source of life-changing challenges, charms, and connections that would have a place in his heart for years to come. In his upcoming book Roman Year: A Memoir, Aciman recounts the ways his family adapted to the harsh realities of their transition and how he himself fell in love with the poetry and potential of a new home. Roman Year transports readers back to a tumultuous chapter of Aciman's youth as his Jewish family fled an era of growing political tension and waves of expulsions occurring in 1950's Egypt. Leaving their notions of stability, economic status, and community behind in Alexandria, Aciman ushered his younger brother and their deaf mother into the unfamiliar expanses of Rome. Navigating newfound poverty, acting as interpreter through language barriers, and functioning as liaison amidst family conflicts led young Aciman towards escapism as he buried himself in books. It is here, bolstered by so many words and stories, that he regained his footing and began to truly explore his new city and himself. Roman Year takes the form of a vivid multi-sensory snapshot, going beyond simple time and place in immersing readers in the author's vantage point. Aciman revisits memories ranging from richly depicted sights, smells, and tastes to poignant personal reflections to uncompromising critical observations. This passionate retelling captures the formative elements of Roman life that shaped the perspective Aciman would carry with him into future chapters and well past those city limits. Roman Year unwaveringly explores a complicated coming of age story and the concept of home in a lush, layered landscape. André Aciman is a professor, essayist, and author. He is currently a distinguished professor of comparative literature at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. His previous publications include the novels Call Me By Your Name, Harvard Square, and Eight White Nights, the memoir Out Of Egypt, and the essay collection False Papers: Essays on Exile and Memory. Marcie Sillman is an award-winning journalist based in Seattle. A former longtime reporter at KUOW radio, Marcie's cultural features have appeared on NPR programs including Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition, as well as in national and international publications including Dance magazine. She co-hosted the podcast ‘Double Exposure' and continues to write for the Seattle Times. She is the recipient of the 2019 Seattle Mayor's Arts Award. Buy the Book Roman Year: A Memoir The Elliott Bay Book Company

Join us for an exciting event with Tui T. Sutherland, the bestselling author behind the #1 New York Times and USA Today series Wings of Fire. Sutherland discusses the limited edition release of The Dragonet Prophecy, the first book in the series, offering insights into the world of dragons and the captivating characters that have enchanted readers around the globe. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from the author herself and dive into the adventure that has sparked imaginations everywhere. Tui T. Sutherland is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Wings of Fire series, the Menagerie trilogy, and the Pet Trouble series, as well as a contributing author to the bestselling Spirit Animals and Seekers series (as part of the Erin Hunter team). In 2009, she was a two-day champion on Jeopardy! She lives in Massachusetts with her wonderful husband, two awesome sons, and two very patient dogs. Ben Clanton is the New York Times–bestselling author and illustrator of the Narwhal and Jelly series whose picture books include Mo's Mustache; Vote for Me!; Rot, the Cutest in the World!; Ploof (with Andy Chou Musser) and the Tater Tales series. He lives with his wife and kids in Seattle, Washington. Buy the Book The Dragonet Prophecy: Limited Edition (Wings of Fire Book One) Brick & Mortar Books

Can you see the shape of your soul in the everchanging clouds? Your personal salvation in the giant expanse of sky? For the ensemble cast of characters that make up the prairie community at the heart of The Mighty Red, existential questions are constantly close to the surface. In her newest novel, author Louise Erdrich immerses readers in the Red River Valley of the North and the complicated lives of its inhabitants. Argus, North Dakota is a town framed by the 2008 economic crisis, the consequences of climate change, and the dynamics of small-town drama. Thrown into motion by a chaotic teen love triangle and fretting about the future, Erdrich's characters navigate impulsive choices, bitter secrets, and deeply rooted ties to their land and to each other. The Red River Valley is home to dark realities and glimmering hopes, twisting together like winding late-night drives along dimly lit roads. As resources dwindle and viewpoints shift, love and life lurch forward in splendor, catastrophe, and absurdity. Bonds in the community are born and bolstered, disturbed and questioned, broken and mended. Laced with tender humor and humanity in the midst of devastating environmental circumstances, The Mighty Red paints a layered landscape of ordinary people surviving fraught times. Louise Erdrich is an award-winning Native American author and poet whose writing spans novels, short stories, non-fiction, and children's books. Her previously published works include The Plague of Doves, The Round House, and The Night Watchman. She is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the owner of the Native-focused independent teaching bookstore Birchbark Books in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Karen Russell is the author of five books of fiction, including The New York Times bestsellers Swamplandia! and Vampires in the Lemon Grove. She is a MacArthur Fellow and a Guggenheim Fellow, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the recipient of two National Magazine Awards for Fiction, the New York Public Library's Young Lions Award, the National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35 award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the 2023 Bottari Lattes Grinzane prize, and the 2024 Mary McCarthy Prize, among other honors. With composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone and choreographer and director Troy Schumacher, she cocreated The Night Falls, listed as one of The New York Times's Best Dance Performances of 2023. She has taught literature and creative writing as a visiting professor at the Iowa Writers' Workshop, the University of California–Irvine, Williams College, Columbia University, and Bryn Mawr College, and was the Endowed Chair of Texas State University's MFA program. She serves on the board of Street Books. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, she now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, son, and daughter. Buy the Book The Mighty Red: A Novel The Elliott Bay Book Company

What connects Seattle with Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, and Kenny G? How about the Melvins, Sleater-Kinney, and Foo Fighters? And Sir Mix-a-Lot, Macklemore, and Travis Thompson? If you don't know, KEXP DJ and musician Eva Walker and music writer Jake Uitti can tell you. Walker and Uitti have created a timeline of Seattle's music evolution through the lens of 101 songs spanning 80 years, the culmination of which, they say, creates a distinct “Seattle sound.” In their book, The Sound of Seattle, they highlight notable music and musicians who have ties with the Emerald city. It all begins in 1942 when Washington-born Bing Crosby records what will become the world's best selling single of all time, “White Christmas.” From there, Walker and Uitti explore multiple genres including jazz, rock, punk, riot grrrl, pop, rap, grunge, indie, emo, and more. This playlist, they believe, helped create Seattle's culture. With a foreword by Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready, The Sound of Seattle is organized by decade and includes interviews with Seattle legends like Heart's Nancy Wilson, as well as sidebars showcasing musical landmarks throughout the city. Seattle has many connections to music, and Walker and Uitti would argue that the city is shaped by them, and in turn, shape the people living in it. Eva Walker plays in the rock ‘n' roll band The Black Tones and is a DJ at KEXP. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, she comes from a southern family of educators and music lovers. Her Louisiana-bred mother and grandparents have greatly influenced her music, work ethic, and manners. Eva believes in discovering, listening to, and experiencing music as much as possible. She has a deep love for Seattle music — from Jimi Hendrix to Jimmy James — and is an avid fan of classics, rediscoveries, and rare recordings. Jake Uitti's work has appeared in Vanity Fair, The Guardian, Interview, The Nation, The Athletic and many more publications. When not immersed mid-interview, Jake can be found in search of the city's best fried chicken or cheese pizza slice. He is the co-author of memoirs with NBA stars Muggsy Bogues, Earl Cureton and Michael Ray Richardson, and co-author of The Sound of Seattle: 101 Songs that Shaped a City with his radio DJ wife. The son of Ivy League professors, Jake grew up amidst tomes of French literature, but soulful meals, thoughtful music, thrilling sports, and compelling conversations are his true loves. Molly Sides is the dynamic frontwoman for the fiery all-female rock band Thunderpussy. A dancer, teacher, singer, songwriter and much more, she is incandescent. Jimmy James is one of the world's best guitar players. With a distinctive sound all his own, James has topped Billboard charts and is the consummate band leader in groups like The True Loves. Evan Flory-Barnes is a bassist and composer who has been creating and performing music since high school. He has worked with a wide range of artists and bands across various genres, performing across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Africa. Marco Collins has discovered and helped break more bands than some radio stations. His name is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and he's a legend in his own time. Buy the Book The Sound of Seattle: 101 Songs that Shaped a City Third Place Books

Edward Burns is known for his work as an actor and filmmaker, and now he's debuting his novel-writing skills in A Kid from Marlboro Road. Set in the 1970s, his novel follows an Irish-American family living on Long Island––elements inspired by Burns's own childhood. This coming-of-age tale explores the impacts of family history, the growing independence in early adolescence, death and grief, and dynamic family relationships. Burns tells the story through the eyes of a 13-year-old boy, Kneeney, who opens the tale at the wake of his beloved grandfather, Pop. The wake's overflowing crowd of characters include sandhogs in their muddy work boots, elderly Irish women in black dresses, and cops in uniform. Kneeney, an aspiring writer, weaves together stories about these characters and his immediate family: his older brother Tommy has no patience for rules and domesticities, and his father is emotionally elsewhere. His mother struggles with her own sadness, which threatens to envelop both her and Kneeney. Throughout Burns's novel, Kneeney learns more about his family history while also experiencing more losses and a deepening understanding of the world around him. Burns brings to life stories of characters based on his own childhood, portrayals of Irish-Americans who have inspired some of his films, and now, on the page. Born in Woodside, Queens and raised on Long Island, Edward Burns has made fourteen feature films as writer-director-actor and starred in many films, including Saving Private Ryan. Burns' first film, The Brothers McMullen, premiered in competition at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury prize. The film also won “Best First Feature” at the 1996 Independent Spirit Awards. In 2015, he published Independent Ed, an inside look at his two decades as a pioneer in independent filmmaking. A Kid from Marlboro Road is his first novel, based on his childhood memories and the Irish American communities of the Bronx and Long Island. Katy Sewall is the host and creator of “The Bittersweet Life” podcast. She's a writer, podcast consultant, and a Public Radio professional frequently heard on 94.9 KUOW. She's also the former Program Director at Town Hall.   Buy the Book A Kid from Marlboro Road: A Novel The Elliott Bay Book Company

As the daughter of immigrants, Sahaj Kaur Kohli grew up understanding what it means to straddle multiple cultures at once. She wrestled with questions like what it meant to forge one's path, establishing personal values while embracing one's origins; if prioritizing mental health meant a rejection of culture; how to set boundaries and engage in self-care when family and community are so important. Even after becoming a therapist herself, she saw those same gaps in the mental health world, leading her to wonder, like so many children of immigrants: what about us? Kohli's latest book, But What Will People Say? Navigating Mental Health, Identity, Love, and Family Between Cultures, weaves together personal narratives with research. She offers advice and tools for everything from navigating generational trauma, guilt, and boundaries, to breaking down stigmas around therapy and celebrating cultural duality. While mental health is arguably less stigmatized than before, models can often be individualistic and Eurocentric. Kohli aims to both democratize and decolonize the way we think about mental health and self-help, shifting the paradigm, incorporating community building, and speaking to those who are left out of the dominant narratives. Sahaj Kaur Kohli, MaEd, LGPC, is the founder of Brown Girl Therapy (@BrownGirlTherapy), the first and largest mental health and wellness community organization for adult children of immigrants; a licensed therapist; and a columnist for the Washington Post's advice column Ask Sahaj. Sahaj's words and work have been featured in Today, Good Morning America, CNN, TED, The New York Times, HuffPost, and more. Sahaj also serves as a consultant, educator, and international speaker. She has sat on panels and delivered workshops and keynotes for nonprofits, higher education institutions, and the White House. This is her first book.​ Ruchika T. Malhotra is the best-selling author of Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work. Ruchika is also the founder of Candour, an inclusion strategy practice. A former international business journalist, Ruchika is a regular contributor to The New York Times and Harvard Business Review and a recognized media expert on inclusive leadership and workplace culture. She is working on her next book, Uncompete: Dismantling a Competition Mindset to Unlock Liberation, Opportunity, and Peace. Buy the Book But What Will People Say?: Navigating Mental Health, Identity, Love, and Family Between Cultures The Elliott Bay Book Company

Celebrate Native art and culture with Eighth Generation's Inspired Natives Artists. Learn why supporting Native-designed products and art is crucial, and how your support fosters Native prosperity while combating cultural appropriation. Panelists: Founder of OXDX, Jared Yazzie (Navajo/Diné) is a self-taught graphic artist, entrepreneur, and designer known for his bold, graphic style that incorporates vibrant Diné motifs with messages of Native empowerment. Through his bold art and products, both with Eighth Generation and through his own brand OXDX, Jared works to increase awareness of Indigenous issues while simultaneously showcasing the beauty of Native culture. Sarah Agaton Howes is an Anishinaabe-Ojibwe artist, teacher, and community organizer from Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota. Widely known for her handmade regalia and moccasins featuring Ojibwe floral designs, Sarah has grown from selling handmade earrings to becoming one of Eighth Generation's best-selling artists in addition to having her own line of apparel, accessories, and more through her nationally-recognized brand, Heart Berry. Michelle Lowden is the proud founder and owner of Milo Creations, which has grown in her years as an artist with Eighth Generation from hand-painted Pueblo jewelry to diving into the world of graphic art. Additionally, she now creates mental health content for social media, specifically designed to support the Indigenous community on their healing journey. An Inspired Natives® Collaborator since 2014, she is the first arts entrepreneur to participate Eighth Generation's Inspired Natives® Project. Nationally-recognized Plains artist John Isaiah Pepion (Piikani/Blackfeet) is an artist and educator living and working in Montana. His instantly-recognizable blend of traditional ledger art and contemporary motifs explores issues of modernity, symbols of Indigeneity, and cultural stories. John's most recent accolades include several gallery shows as well as being the poster artist for Ken Burns' PBS documentary, “The American Buffalo”. Louie Gong (Nooksack) (M.Ed.), founder of Eighth Generation, is a highly influential Coast Salish artist, activist, and social entrepreneur with a knack for bringing people together. In 2008, he founded the iconic lifestyle brand Eighth Generation — the first Native-owned company to produce wool blankets — triggering a movement that has diverted millions of dollars from non-Native corporations to a new generation of Native-owned businesses and artists. By successfully disrupting a colonial system and then selling Eighth Generation to the Snoqualmie Tribe, the creative force completed the blueprint for how to merge values and business — something he refers to as the “Native American Dream.” The Inspired Natives® Project, launched by Louie Gong in May 2014, is both a business initiative and an educational initiative. By collaborating with select arts entrepreneurs to manufacture products under the Eighth Generation brand, we hope to expand the Eighth Generation brand's regional appeal while simultaneously increasing the arts entrepreneurs' capacity and educating the public about the tangible costs of cultural appropriation. Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Eighth Generation.

Imagine a world in which Gen Xers, millennials, and boomers interact with young people in ways that leave them feeling inspired, enthusiastic, and ready to contribute—rather than disengaged, outraged, or overwhelmed. That world may be closer than you think. In his new book, 10-to-25: The Science of Motivating Young People, psychologist David Yeager explains how to stop fearing young people's brains and how to truly connect with them. Neuroscientists have discovered that around age ten, puberty spurs the brain to crave socially rewarding experiences, such as pride, admiration, and respect, and to become highly averse to social pain, such as humiliation or shame. As a result, young people subtly read between the lines of everything we say, trying to interpret the hidden implications of our words to find out if we are disrespecting or honoring them. 10 to 25 helps adults develop an ear for the difference between the right and wrong way to respect young people and avoid frustrating patterns of miscommunication and conflict. An essential event for anyone who interacts with young people, Yeager seeks to offer long-term strategies to help nurture well-adjusted, independent, accomplished young people who contribute to society in positive ways—all while making our own lives easier. David Yeager, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and the cofounder of the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute. He is best known for his research conducted with Carol Dweck, Angela Duckworth, and Greg Walton on short but powerful interventions that influence adolescent behaviors such as motivation, engagement, healthy eating, bullying, stress, mental health, and more. He has consulted for Google, Microsoft, Disney, and the World Bank, as well as for the White House and the governments in California, Texas, and Norway. His research has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and more. Clarivate Web of Science ranks Yeager as one of the top 0.1% most-influential psychologists in the world over the past decade. Tricia Raikes is a philanthropist, advocate, and executive who works to advance racial justice and equity in our country. Tricia is the co-founder of the Raikes Foundation with her husband, Jeff. Together, they focus on transforming youth-serving systems to support healthy life outcomes and increased agency for young people. A longtime advocate for research universities, Tricia serves on the advisory boards for Stanford's Graduate School of Education and the Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska. Tricia was recognized as a White House Champion of Change by President Obama for her work on youth homelessness.   Buy the Book 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation—And Making Your Own Life Easier Third Place Books

What is Indian food in America? The country's identity as a melting pot makes for a diverse tapestry of flavors, but that doesn't always equate to easily being able to identify one's place in the culinary landscape. In her debut cookbook Amrikan: 125 Recipes From the Indian Diaspora, acclaimed Food & Wine writer and editor Khushbu Shah presents instructions for preparing dinners, drinks, and desserts as varied as Saag Paneer Lasagna, Pani Puri Mojitos, and Masala Chai Basque Cheesecake. But Shah goes beyond instructions and ingredients, writing about the larger story of Indian food. In a 2019 interview with the New York Times, Shah said, “Food is undeniably intersectional. It's impossible — it's irresponsible — to deny it.” Amrikan is replete with images and essays that illuminate this fusion of cuisine and culture, showcasing the links between food and identity. Khushbu Shah is a food writer and journalist who resides in Los Angeles, California. She was most recently the restaurant editor at Food & Wine magazine, where she crisscrossed the United States several times over on the hunt for the country's best new chefs. She is the youngest person and the first person of color to ever hold that title. You can also find her work in the New York Times, Washington Post, GQ, Eater, and more. Additionally, her writing has been featured in the Best American Food Writing anthologies, and she has made appearances on television shows like Ugly Delicious. Khushbu grew up in Michigan, where her immigrant parents raised her with a deep appreciation for spices and good fruit. This is her debut cookbook. J. Kenji López-Alt is a chef, parent, and New York Times best-selling author of The Food Lab, The Wok and Every Night Is Pizza Night. He is a wildly popular New York Times food columnist; cohost of The Recipe podcast with Deb Perelman; and host of Kenji's Cooking Show, which has more than a million subscribers on YouTube. He lives in Seattle, Washington. Buy the Companion Book Amrikan: 125 Recipes From the Indian Diaspora Book Larder

Jesmyn Ward, the two-time National Book Award winner, has returned with a new novel about an enslaved girl in the years before the Civil War. Let Us Descend, an Oprah's Book Club pick, describes a journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans and into the heart of a Louisiana sugar plantation. In Let Us Descend (the title inspired by a line in Dante's Inferno) the protagonist Annis is sold by her father, a white slaveowner. In the face of unspeakable circumstances on her way south, Annis seeks comfort from memories of her mother and stories of her African warrior grandmother. She soon opens herself to a world beyond this world, one teeming with spirits: of earth and water, of myth and history; spirits who nurture and give, and those who manipulate and take. The tale explores themes of family separation, belief, and the harsh history of chattel slavery in antebellum America. While Annis leads readers through the descent, Ward's work aims to be a story of rebirth and reclamation. Jesmyn Ward received her MFA from the University of Michigan and is currently a professor of creative writing at Tulane University. She is the author of the novels Where the Line Bleeds and Salvage the Bones, which won the 2011 National Book Award, and Sing, Unburied, Sing, which won the 2017 National Book Award. She is also the editor of the anthology The Fire This Time and the author of the memoir Men We Reaped, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Ijeoma Oluo is a writer, speaker, and internet yeller. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller So You Want to Talk About Race and, most recently, Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America. Her work has been featured in the Guardian, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, among many other publications. She was named to the 2021 Time 100 Next list and has twice been named to the Root 100. She received the 2018 Feminist Humanist Award and the 2020 Harvard Humanist of the Year Award from the American Humanist Association. She lives in Seattle, Washington. Buy the Book Let Us Descend: A Novel The Elliott Bay Book Company

Dynamic dishes, rich backgrounds, and a legacy of flavor are all on the menu in Marisel Salazar's debut cookbook Latin-ish: More Than 100 Recipes Celebrating American Latino Cuisines. Building on her heritage with years of research and travel, Salazar takes fellow cooks and food enthusiasts on a flavor-packed journey through the Latine diaspora. This collection of recipes draws from a wide range of community-driven cooking and immigrant experience, translated into the kitchens of today. Latin-ish is a unique deep dive into regional Latine food influences across the geography of the United States – from Floribbean to Tex-Mex, from Alta California to NYC Latine, and more. Latin-ish combines lively origin stories with step-by-step directions and vibrant photography to guide readers in putting together playful plates of food and history. Thoughtfully organized and contextualized, Salazar aims to provide a little something for every craving – day or night. Dig into indulgent breakfasts like Guava Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls, boost your snack game by crunching into a Mango Chamoy Salad or Yuca Fries with Cilantro Lime Aioli, warm your dinner guests up with Arkansas Tamales or Cuban Pizza, and treat yourself at the end of a long day with a slice of Plantain Upside-Down Cake or a Oaxaca Old-Fashioned. The recipes of Latin-ish raise a glass to a diverse spread of Latine roots while leaving ample room to grow in an ever-evolving corner of the modern American culinary landscape. Marisel Salazar is a writer, cook, recipe developer, and host with a focus on cultural context in the food world. She is the creator of the column Eating Off Duty for the Michelin Guide. Her writing, recipes, and on-camera work has been featured on platforms such as Zagat, Infatuation, Food & Wine, NYT Cooking, The Spruce Eats, and Thrillist. She is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Newswomen's Press Club of New York, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Agueda Pacheco Flores is a journalist in Seattle with a focus on Latinx culture and Mexican American identity. She was previously an arts and culture writer at Crosscut where she enjoyed writing about Chicano galleries, Cumbia in the Pacific Northwest as well as shining a light on emerging Latinx artists. Before Crosscut, she worked for The Seattle Times, where she was a general assignment reporter covering breaking news, crime, and federal courts. Originally from Queretaro, Mexico, Pacheco Flores is inspired by her own bicultural upbringing as an undocumented immigrant and proud Washingtonian. Her work has appeared in The Seattle Globalist, Seattle Weekly, The Daily, and the South Seattle Emerald. Buy the Book Latin-Ish: More Than 100 Recipes Celebrating American Latino Cuisines Book Larder

Have you ever thought about music not just as entertaining, but as something healing? Research suggests that the benefits of music can go beyond just jamming to catchy tunes. Neuroscientist and New York Times best-selling author of This Is Your Brain on Music Daniel J. Levitin explores this idea in his new book, I Heard There was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine. Levitin's recent release discusses music as one of humanity's oldest medicines and explores the deep connections between music and healing that have been found across the globe. I Heard There Was a Secret Chord explores the curative powers of music, showing us how and why it can be one of the most potent therapies today. He gathers and synthesizes the results of numerous studies on music and the brain, demonstrating how music can contribute to the treatment of a host of ailments, from neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's to cognitive injury, depression, and pain. Levitin incorporates interviews with multiple musicians, from Sting to Kent Nagano to Mari Kodama.  And Levitin himself is not only an acclaimed scientist but an award-winning musician and composer in his own right, living the very nexus he explores in his work. I Heard There Was a Secret Chord makes an argument for the critical role music has played in human biology, illuminating the neuroscience of music and its profound benefits for people of all ages who engage with it. Daniel J. Levitin is a neuroscientist, musician, and the author of four New York Times best-selling books, including This Is Your Brain on Music. He is dean emeritus at Minerva University, professor emeritus at McGill University, and visiting professor at UCLA. A saxophonist, guitarist, bass player, and vocalist, he has worked as a producer and recording consultant. Brian Nova is considered one of the top Jazz Guitarists/Vocalists in the nation, in addition to being Director of Jazz Studies at Seattle University from 1990-1996. Nova has 7 recordings of his own as well as appearing on 70+ artist's recordings. His latest CD release, The Brian Nova Collective, features Brian's Trio with many of his favorite artists like Shelly Berg, Laurence Hobgood, Tom Scott, Larry Dunlap and others. Marc McKennon is a talented multi-instrumentalist and scientist from Seattle.  Starting out on the piano, he branched out to stringed instruments, eventually falling in love with the dobro.  Although it is traditionally a bluegrass instrument, Marc fearlessly takes his dobro into the realms of jazz, rock, folk, country, and pretty much anywhere else he can. When he isn't playing music, he is engaged in cancer and neurologic drug research and development as a PhD organic chemist. Buy the Book I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine The Elliott Bay Book Company

In early 2021, popular artist Anna Marie Tendler checked herself into a psychiatric hospital following a year of crippling anxiety, depression, and self-harm. Over two weeks, she underwent myriad psychological tests, participated in numerous therapy sessions, connected with fellow patients, and experienced profound breakthroughs, such as when a doctor noted, “There is a you inside that feels invisible to those looking at you from the outside.” In her new book, Men Have Called Her Crazy, Tendler recounts her hospital experience as well as pivotal moments in her life that preceded and followed. As the title suggests, many of these moments are impacted by men: unrequited love in high school; the twenty-eight-year-old she lost her virginity to when she was sixteen; the frustrations and absurdities of dating in her mid-thirties; and her decision to freeze her eggs as all her friends were starting families. This literary self-portrait examines the unreasonable expectations and pressures women face in the 21st century. Yet as overwhelming and despairing as that can feel, Tendler ultimately offers a message of hope. Early in her stay in the hospital, she says, “My wish for myself is that one day I'll reach a place where I can face hardship without trying to destroy myself.” By the end of the book, she fulfills that wish. Anna Marie Tendler is an artist and writer. She holds a master's degree in costume studies from New York University. She lives in Connecticut with her three cats, Chimney, Moon, and Butter. Jen Soriano is a Filipinx writer and movement builder who has long worked at the intersection of grassroots organizing, narrative strategy, and art-driven social change. Jen is the author of Nervous: Essays on Heritage and Healing and the chapbook Making the Tongue Dry, as well as the co-editor of Closer to Liberation: A Pina/xy Activist Anthology. Buy the Book Men Have Called Her Crazy: A Memoir The Elliott Bay Book Company

Here in Washington State, we are surrounded by a vast landscape of natural resources. When you are enjoying the outdoors, do you ever wonder about the state of these resources or the role that we play in their preservation? Big River: Resilience and Renewal in the Columbia Basin is a new book-in-progress and visual storytelling campaign exploring the Columbia River system and its expansive watershed, from sea to source. The project seeks to explore the river's complexities and illuminate its beauty geologically, ecologically, and culturally. It also explores the current challenges and the people and communities seeking solutions and sustainability. The book includes the work of award-winning wildlife and outdoor photographer David Moskowitz, landscape and history author Eileen Delehanty Pearkes, former Seattle Civic Poet and Washington Poet Laureate Claudia Castro Luna, and contributions from members of the various communities and cultures whose lives are touched by this river, such as Indigenous tribes across the watershed who have called for new management strategies to establish better outcomes now and secure the river for future generations. The future is uncertain, but Big River hopes to serve as both an educational and inspirational resource to support the ongoing efforts of conservation organizations to push for sound management of this important body of water. This event is part of a series of international book events celebrating the book launch of Big River, and is cohosted by Save Our Wild Salmon, a diverse, nationwide coalition working together to restore wild salmon and steelhead to the rivers, streams, and marine waters of the Pacific Northwest. Big River explores the Columbia River watershed as one living, interdependent entity that embraces a broad cultural and ecological perspective Photographer, author, wildlife biologist, and tracker David Moskowitz is the author of Caribou Rainforest, Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest, and Wolves in the Land of Salmon, and coauthor of Peterson's Field Guide to North American Bird Nests. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Sierra, High Country News, and Audubon Magazine, as well as by organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation, Endangered Species Coalition, and Nature Conservancy of Canada. Eileen Delehanty Pearkes explores landscape, history, and the human imagination through writing, maps, and visual notebooks, focusing on Indigenous culture and the power of water. She has researched the international Columbia River basin for more than two decades. Pearkes is the author of The Geography of Memory, A River Captured: The Columbia River and Catastrophic Change, and The Heart of a River. Claudia Castro Luna served as Washington State Poet Laureate for several years. She is the author of Cipota Under the Moon, One River, A Thousand Voices, and There's a Revolution Outside, My Love, among others. Born in El Salvador, Castro Luna arrived in the US in 1981. Living in English and Spanish, she teaches and writes in Seattle. Cindy Marchand is a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes (Sinixt/Lakes Band). She serves as secretary of the executive committee, chair of the fisheries committee and vice-chair of the natural resources committee.  She works extensively on environmental issues in the United States and Canada, serves as the Eastern Representative of the Environmental Protection Agency's Regional Tribal Operations Committee and Commissioner for the Upper Columbia United Tribes.  Buy the Book Big River: Resilience and Renewal in the Columbia Basin The Elliott Bay Book Company

What does it mean to bear witness to a city in flux, where the echoes of inequality, gentrification, and community resistance reverberate through its streets? Author and activist Reagan Jackson's collection of essays, Still True, poses this question and chronicles her journey into the world of journalism. Equal parts personal testament, structural interrogation, and social criticism, Jackson offers a profound reflection on the evolving landscape of Seattle. By illuminating the struggles and triumphs of marginalized communities, Jackson reinforces our collective resolve in the face of adversity. Jackson offers a glimpse into the interconnectedness of human experiences and the enduring quest for social justice. Join us for a discussion about Jackson's book and the ever-changing landscape of our city. Reagan Jackson believes in creating communities of belonging and the efficacy of critical thinking followed by action. She is a multi-genre writer (poet, novelist, award-winning journalist, children's book author), an artist, activist, and international educator with an abiding love of justice, spirituality, and traveling to new places. Reagan is passionate about providing young people with opportunities and support. To that end, she is the co-executive Director of Young Women Empowered and has taken over two hundred youth abroad to Japan, Guatemala, and Mexico respectively. She is the cohost and producer of the Deep End Friends Podcast. Quenton Baker is a poet, educator, and Cave Canem fellow. Their current focus is black interiority and the afterlife of slavery. Their work has appeared in The Offing, Jubilat, Prairie Schooner, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. They are a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee and the recipient of the 2018 Arts Innovator Award from Artist Trust. They were a 2019 Robert Rauschenberg Artist in Residence and a 2021 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellow. They are the author of we pilot the blood (The 3rd Thing, 2021) and ballast (Haymarket Books, 2023). Bettina Judd is an interdisciplinary writer, artist, and performer whose research focus is on Black women's creative production and use of visual art, literature, and music to develop feminist thought. Her book Feelin: Creative Practice, Pleasure, and Black Feminist Thought (Northwestern University Press, December 2022) argues that Black women's creative production is feminist knowledge production produced by registers of affect she calls “feelin.” She is currently Associate Professor of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Washington.  Buy the Book Still True: The Evolution of an Unexpected Journalist Third Place Books

Headlines from around the world flash on our television screens and appear on our newsfeeds, but we don't always know what life is like for journalists who often risk their lives to deliver the news.  New York Times columnist, Pulitzer Prize winner, and bestselling author Nicholas D. Kristof has penned a memoir, Chasing Hope: A Reporter's Life about his four decades in and out of the newsroom — not only as a reporter but also as a foreign correspondent, bureau chief, and columnist. Since 1984, Kristof has worked almost continuously for the New York Times and has reported from around the globe, crossing cultural and continental lines. Kristof witnessed and wrote about some of the most memorable events in this century: the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, the Yemeni civil war, the Darfur genocide in Sudan, and the epidemic of addiction that swept through his hometown in rural Oregon and a broad swath of working-class America. Readers of Chasing Hope will learn about Kristof's colleagues as well as laymen who impacted his life, such as the dissident whom he helped escape from China and a Catholic nun who browbeat a warlord into releasing kidnapped schoolgirls. Kristof believes that he has seen some of the worst of humanity as well as the best. The memoir details Kristof's long and eventful career as a journalist and examines ideas of global citizenship forged over a lifetime. Nicholas D. Kristof is an op-ed columnist for The New York Times, where he was previously bureau chief in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo. He is the co-author, with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, of five previous books: Tightrope, A Path Appears, Half the Sky, Thunder from the East, and China Wakes. He was awarded two Pulitzer Prizes, one with WuDunn in 1990 for their coverage of China, and the second in 2006 for his columns on Darfur. Timothy Egan is a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter and the author of nine other books, most recently the highly acclaimed A Pilgrimage to Eternity and The Immortal Irishman, a New York Times bestseller. His book on the Dust Bowl, The Worst Hard Time, won a National Book Award for Excellence in Nonfiction. His account of photographer Edward Curtis, Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher, won the Carnegie Medal for nonfiction. Buy the Book Chasing Hope: A Reporter's Life Third Place Books

When given the option, most people will go out of their way to avoid risking life and limb. However, the world is full of people who face untold dangers daily, by circumstance or by choice, and walk through life with a greater understanding of death than many possess. After a career as a war reporter and examiner of dangerous occupations, Sebastian Junger would've considered himself well-versed in the realities of dire consequences. Yet when a quiet afternoon at home resulted in a first-hand near fatality, he found himself ill-prepared to examine his experience. In his newest book, In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife, Junger reaches into the darkness of near-death and the many questions waiting on the other side of survival. In this introspective memoir meets heavy-hitting medical drama, Junger sets out to grapple with the seemingly unanswerable queries and concerns that haunted him after suffering a nearly lethal ruptured aneurysm. Weighing a background that praised the empirical against the old ghosts that appeared to him at his most critical moments, atheist-identified Junger ventures even further into the unfamiliar by following a line of deeply human questions. How do we begin to process the brutal fact that any of us might perish unexpectedly on what begins as an ordinary day? And what happens to a person, emotionally and spiritually, when forced to reckon with such existential questions? In My Time of Dying explores the intersection of science, religion, and philosophy and turns the examination inward when pondering how we best continue to live once we become truly aware that no one is immune to death. Sebastian Junger is a best-selling author, award-winning journalist, and documentary filmmaker with a focus on stories of war, occupational risk, and trauma. His reporting and writing have been featured in Vanity Fair, where he serves as a contributing editor, National Geographic Adventure, Harper's, and The New York Times Magazine. His previous publications and works include the books The Perfect Storm, War, Tribe, and Freedom as well as the Academy Award-nominated documentary film Restrepo. He is the founder and director of Vets Town Hall, an organization that provides veterans with opportunities to speak about their experiences. Buy the Book In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife Third Place Books

You're planning a road trip — you've got snacks, you've got directions from Los Angeles to New York, and you've got a deep sense of curiosity and longing as the home you know fades quickly into your rearview mirror. For the forty-five year old artist at the heart of Miranda July's All Fours, the pull towards the unknown proves a little too tempting. She pulls off the highway a mere thirty minutes from home, but far enough away to dive headfirst into a journey of surprises, thrills, and the authentic absurdity of human connection. In her upcoming second novel, Miranda July spins her seasoned comedic skills with thoughtful nuance to craft an exploration of identity and desire in mid-life womanhood. What does our protagonist expect, and what is expected of her, and how much should she care about those expectations in the first place? All Fours is a quest for experiences as much as answers and July has plenty of pit stops planned for readers to stock up on discovery, sexy sparks, and personal reinvention. Miranda July is a director, filmmaker, artist, and author. Her works include the award-winning collection of short stories No One Belongs Here More Than You and New York Times bestselling novel The First Bad Man, as well as the films Me and You and Everyone We Know and Kajillionaire. Her writing has been featured in The Paris Review, Harper's, and the New Yorker. Laurie Frankel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of five novels, including her new one, Family Family, as well as One Two Three and This Is How It Always Is. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Poets & Writers, Publisher's Weekly, and other publications. She is the recipient of the Washington State Book Award and the Endeavor Award.   Buy the Book All Fours: A Novel Third Place Books

Many of us have sought information about our family history, trying to solve those unanswered questions about our predecessors. In the quest for truths about others through examining their lives and lineage, we may also find truths about ourselves in the process. In his latest release and nonfiction debut, The Dead Don't Need Reminding: In Search of Fugitives, Mississippi, and Black TV Nerd Shit, New York Times bestselling author Julian Randall braids past with present as he retraces the life of his grandfather, a white-passing patriarch driven from a town in Mississippi, all the way to Randall's own internal battles with depression and how he ultimately emerged from its depths. Randall weaves pop culture into his pages, exploring grief, family, emotional health, and the American way with a medley of media ranging from Into the Spiderverse and Jordan Peele movies to BoJack Horseman and the music of Odd Future. Seattle writer Ally Ang joins Randall in conversation for an evening of laughter, tears, and everything in-between. Julian Randall is a contributor to the #1 New York Times bestseller Black Boy Joy and his middle-grade novel, Pilar Ramirez and the Escape From Zafa, was published by Holt in 2022. He has received fellowships from Cave Canem, Tin House, and Milkweed Editions. He is the winner of the 2019 Betty Berzon Emerging Writer Award from the Publishing Triangle, the 2019 Frederick Bock Prize, and a Pushcart prize. His poetry has been published in The New York Times Magazine, Ploughshares, and POETRY. His first book, Refuse, won the Cave Canem Poetry Prize and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award. He lives in Chicago. Ally Ang is a gaysian poet and editor based in Seattle, Washington. Their work has been published in Queer Nature: A Poetry Anthology, Nepantla: An Anthology Dedicated to Queer Poets of Color, Foglifter, Columbia Journal,and elsewhere. They are a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee, a Tin House workshop alum, and a 2022 Jack Straw Writers Program fellow. Ang holds a BA in sociology and Asian American studies from Wellesley College and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Washington. They are currently working on their first full-length poetry collection. When not writing, Ang can be found gazing longingly at bodies of water or doting on their cat, Gomez.

Our Hollowness Sings by Ruth Dickey explores human brokenness, navigating themes of loss, grief, and the quest for healing. Through seasons of profound absence, particularly the loss of her mother, Dickey crafts a poetic journey tethered to the earth, transforming grief into affirmations and blessings. The collection celebrates the human spirit's resilience, offering striking insights into everyday spaces and the complexities of life. With honesty, humor, and heartbreak, Dickey's poems embrace the full spectrum of human experience, transcending pain to reach for joy and renewal. In navigating devastation with precision and grace, she guides readers through the delicate balance of memory, sorrow, and the enduring power of connection and imagination. Ruth Dickey is the executive director of the National Book Foundation and has spent over twenty-five years working at the intersection of community building, writing, and art. She was a 2017 fellow with the National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program and served as a judge in fiction for the 2019 National Book Awards. The recipient of a Mayor's Arts Award from DC, Ruth's first book, Mud Blooms (Harbor Mountain Press, 2019), was a finalist for the National Poetry Series and received a 2019 Silver Nautilus. Our Hollowness Sings is her second book. Rebecca Hoogs is the author of Self-Storage (Stephen F. Austin University Press) which was a finalist for the 2013 Washington State Book Award in Poetry, and a chapbook, Grenade (GreenTower Press). Her poems have appeared in Poetry, AGNI, FIELD, Crazyhorse, and others. She is the Executive Director of Seattle Arts & Lectures. Buy the Book Our Hollowness Sings Phinney Books

When it comes to our own mortality, one big thing that we all share is that we absolutely have to face it and most of us have no idea how to begin. Through her work as a death doula, Alua Arthur has honed the skills to aid others in navigating these uncertain seas- from the many logistics within end-of-life care to the often unpredictable cravings for human connection and understanding. These vulnerable moments can be colored by many emotions—pain, confusion, joy, regret, and release. Arthur's passion for her work shapeshifts to meet people where they are and guide them towards where they want to be. To Arthur, grappling with the challenges that await us starts way earlier than that final chapter. It isn't something to fear and dread and it's an endeavor we definitely should not be doing alone. In her debut book Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End, Arthur details how her life's work around death has informed and reshaped the ways she thinks we can embrace life while we're still living it. She touches on many encounters with death- from her background layered with the harsh realities of political refuge to mental illness to the firsthand experience of what advocacy for the dying really looks like. Equal parts intimate memoir, thoughtful exploration, and message of encouragement, Briefly Perfectly Human gives context to the author's deep and ever growing relationship with our innate impermanence. Through her storytelling, Arthur aims to explain why we should sit at the table to learn from some of our most painful questions and complicated truths about death- and she invites readers to pull up a chair. Alua Arthur is a writer, keynote speaker, and prominent death doula working to bring visibility to the world of death positivity. She is the founder of Going with Grace, a death doula training and end-of-life planning organization. Her work has been featured in national media outlets such as Vogue, Los Angeles Times, The Cut, The New Yorker, and Refinery29. She has made appearances on CBS's The Doctors, Disney's Limitless docu-series, and at the 2023 TED conferences with her TED Talk Why Thinking About Death Helps You Live a Better Life. Rebecca Crichton started her “Encore Career” as Executive Director of NWCCA in 2012 after 21 years with The Boeing Company. She refashioned her skills and knowledge as a writer, curriculum designer, and leadership development coach to offer Creative Aging programs at many Seattle area venues. An active participant in the local aging community, she writes regularly for 3rd Act Magazine. Buy the Book Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End Third Place Books

Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1990s, Hanif Abdurraqib witnessed a golden era of basketball, one in which legends like LeBron James were forged and countless others weren't. In his new book, There's Always This Year, Abdurraqib tells his story of a lifelong love of the game with a lyrical, historical, and emotionally rich exploration of who we think deserves success, the tension between excellence and expectation, and the very notion of role models, woven together with intimate, personal storytelling. “Here is where I would like to tell you about the form on my father's jump shot,” Abdurraqib writes. “The truth, though, is that I saw my father shoot a basketball only one time.” No matter the subject — whether it's basketball, music, or performance — Hanif Abdurraqib sends out a clarion call to radically reimagine how we think about our culture, our country, and ourselves. Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio, and the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” grant. His most recent book, A Little Devil in America, was the winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Gordon Burns Prize and a finalist for the National Book Award. His first collection of essays, They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, was named one of the books of the year by NPR, Esquire, BuzzFeed, O: The Oprah Magazine, Pitchfork, and Chicago Tribune, among others. Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest was a New York Times bestseller and a National Book Critics Circle Award and Kirkus Prize finalist and was longlisted for the National Book Award. He is a graduate of Beechcroft High School. 

Growing up in the mountains of Utah, Cory Richards was constantly surrounded by the outdoors and was taught how to ski, climb, mountaineer, and survive in the wild. Despite a seemingly idyllic childhood, the Richards home was fraught with violence, grief, and mental illness. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and dropping out of high school, Richards subsumed himself in the worlds of photography and climbing, seeking out the farthest reaches of the world to escape the darkness. Then, in the midst of a wildly successful career in adventure photography, a catastrophic avalanche changed everything, forcing Richards to confront the trauma of his past, evaluate his own mental health, and learn to rewrite his story. In his new book, The Color of Everything, Richards recounts his adventures of climbing and the thrill of chasing summits, as well as his tumultuous life off the mountains. Accompanied by photos from his career, Richards' memoir captures the musings of an unquiet mind grappling with success, the cost of fame and addiction, and what it takes to excavate the roots of trauma and climb out. Cory Richards is an internationally renowned photographer, filmmaker, and author of the memoir The Color of Everything. He is the first and only American to climb one of the world's 8000m peaks in winter. His documentation of the climb and aftermath of the experience was made into the award-winning documentary COLD and appeared on the cover of the 125th anniversary issue of National Geographic. Richards is a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Photographer Fellow, and a two-time recipient of an Explorers Grant. He has photographed twelve feature assignments for the magazine. He has an active speaking career, in which he speaks about conservation, mental health, leadership, and vulnerability. Marcus Harrison Green is a columnist for The Seattle Times. A long-time Seattle resident, he is the founder of the South Seattle Emerald, which focuses on telling the stories of South Seattle and its residents. Buy the Book The Color of Everything: A Journey to Quiet the Chaos Within Third Place Books

Get ready to tantalize your taste buds and elevate your cooking game. Embark on a culinary journey with Seriously, So Good, featuring recipes crafted with love by Carissa Stanton, the creative force behind the food blog Brocc Your Body. Originating from her passion for food and community, Carissa's philosophy centers on enjoying meals without restrictions, embracing balance, and savoring every bite. With a focus on feeling good about what you eat, Stanton invites readers to explore a stress-free approach to cooking, empowering readers to create mouth-watering dishes that nourish both body and soul. Join us for an experience that celebrates the joy of cooking and the pleasure of sharing meals with loved ones, all while embracing a positive and balanced outlook on food and life. Carissa Stanton of the popular blog and social media accounts, Brocc Your Body, believes that all food has a place in a healthy diet, and that balance is the key to everything in life. Her passion for movement and well-being led her to a degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in fitness, health, and nutrition from San Diego State University. Stanton has always been in love with food—she learned how to cook from anyone who would let her follow them around in the kitchen—parents, aunts and uncles, neighbors, and friends. Her recipes are approachable, nourishing, and always fun. Stanton's goal is not just to share delicious recipes, but to show you just how exciting and easy cooking can be. Rachael DeVaux is the author of the New York Times bestselling cookbook Rachael's Good Eats. Rachael is a registered dietitian and personal trainer with a loyal community on Instagram. She grew up in Washington and graduated from Oregon State University, where she started the Rachael's Good Eats Instagram account as a college student. She now shares recipes, intuitive eating strategies, and effective workouts with more than 725,000 followers. Rachael launched her fitness-focused brand in 2021, Recreation Sweat supplying activewear, fitness accessories, workout guides, and she further encourages her community to move their bodies. DeVaux lives in Seattle with her husband, Bridger.  Buy the Book Seriously, So Good: Simple Recipes for a Balanced Life (A Cookbook) The Elliott Bay Book Company

What is it like to grow up as a sociopath? Is it possible to lead a normal, successful life after such an earth-shattering diagnosis? In her memoir, Sociopath, Patric Gagne sheds light on the often misunderstood disorder. From a young age, Gagne grappled with feeling different from her peers, unable to experience emotions like fear, guilt, or empathy. This disconnect led her down a tumultuous path of theft, deception, and violence in search of something to replace the emptiness she felt. Despite being diagnosed as a sociopath in college, Patric faced a bleak prognosis with no hope for treatment or a normal life. Surrounded by societal perceptions of sociopaths as monstrous figures, her future appeared grim until a reconnection with an old flame sparked a glimmer of hope. With newfound determination and support, she embarked on a journey to challenge stereotypes and prove that those with sociopathy can lead fulfilling lives filled with love and hope. Patric Gagne is a writer, former therapist, and advocate for people suffering from sociopathic, psychopathic, and anti-social personality disorders. She earned a PhD in clinical psychology with a dissertation that examined the relationship between sociopathy and anxiety. This research became the groundwork for her continued studies on sociopathic disorder, as well as the foundation for her memoir. She did her undergraduate work at UCLA and earned her masters and doctorate at the California Graduate Institute of The Chicago School. Katy Sewall is the host and creator of “The Bittersweet Life” podcast. She's a writer, podcast consultant, and a Public Radio professional frequently heard on 94.9 KUOW. She's also the former Program Director at Town Hall.   Buy the Book Sociopath: A Memoir Elliott Bay Book Company

Do you ever think of what you eat as being political? Back in 2017, celebrity chef Mario Batali sent out an apology letter for the sexual misconduct allegations made against him and infamously included a recipe—for pizza dough cinnamon rolls. Shortly after Batali's recipe, went viral, Popular blogger Geraldine DeRuiter decided to make the recipe and then she wrote about it. Her subsequent essay, which documented each step of her cinnamon roll preparation but also tackled topics like misogyny in the food world, was read millions of times, lauded by industry luminaries such as Martha Stewart, and landed DeRuiter in the middle of an unanticipated media firestorm. Who knew dessert could be so controversial? If You Can't Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury is DeRuiter's new essay collection. The James Beard Award–winning blogger behind The Everywhereist addresses an array of topics, from being “hangry” to receiving death threats to meal-planning for the apocalypse. If You Can't Take the Heat aims to connect the broader culture to the culinary. This event may interest those curious about how patriarchy, pop culture, and plated dishes intersect, or who are just seeking some levity. Geraldine DeRuiter is the James Beard Award-winning blogger behind The Everywhereist and the author of All Over the Place: Adventures in Travel, True Love, and Petty Theft. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The New Yorker's Daily Shouts, Marie Claire, and Refinery 29. She lives in Seattle with her husband, Rand, and the two of them are developing a culinary-themed video game. Scott Heimendinger is an inventor, culinary technologist, and the founder of Seattle Ultrasonics, as well as a former JBFA judge and a member of the Sous Vide Hall of Fame. Buy the Book If You Can't Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury The Elliott Bay Book Company

Go from “what the heck is this” to “how does it taste so good” in a celebration of misfit vegetables. Maybe you just discovered celery root (a lumpy, softball-sized bulb), at the grocery store. Or perhaps you received watermelon radishes in a CSA package. Did a parsnip catch your eye at the farmers' market? Even vegetables you think you know, like cabbage or brussels sprouts, will reveal next-level flavor with the right recipe. Becky Selengut has made it her mission to take less popular — or even outright scorned vegetables like beets and okra — and cook them into irresistible dishes. It's all about knowing how to cook or serve them and what herbs and spices to incorporate. In Misunderstood Vegetables, Selengut highlights 25 vegetables, with recipes alongside history, step-by-step preparation, and storage tips. Organized by season, recipes include Feta and Citrus Salad, Charred Chard with Spicy Chile Oil, and Celery Root Gratin. Calling all plant-curious citizens, you won't want to miss this opportunity to explore the world of unusual and underused produce like never before. Becky Selengut is an author, instructor, podcaster, and chef based in Seattle. Her books include: How to Taste, Shroom, Good Fish, and Not One Shrine. Her latest book Misunderstood Vegetables is slated for publication by W.W. Norton (Countryman Press) for February 20, 2024. Selengut is the co-host of the local foods podcast Field to Fork. When Selengut is not the chef aboard the M/V Thea Foss, she forages, makes a mean Manhattan, and shares her life with her sommelier wife April Pogue and their lovably loony pointer mix Izzy.  Bethany Jean Clement is a food critic for the Seattle Times. Her writing has also appeared in multiple Best Food Writing anthologies, Food & Wine, The Stranger, Edible Seattle, Gourmet, and many other publications, as well as on the windows of the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. She is the former food writer and managing editor of The Stranger, and a former staff writer and managing editor for Seattle Weekly. Buy the Book Misunderstood Vegetables: How to Fall in Love with Sunchokes, Rutabaga, Eggplant and More Third Place Books

Town Hall's 2024 Scratch Night featuring the work-in-progress of our Artist-in-Residence Maia Brown In collaboration with Brivele bandmate, Stefanie Brendler, Maia crafts an intimate evening that dives deep into the Yiddish archives of anti-fascist poetry and song, offering a glimpse into their creative process. Maia Brown, a visual artist, Yiddish musician, and educator, brings a rich background in oral history and fine art to this exploration, alongside Stefanie Brendler, a multi-talented Seattle-based artist, composer, and member of the klezmer brass band Shpilkis. This evening comprises a stirring blend of storytelling and music, echoing the resilience and resistance found within Yiddish tradition. About the Artists Maia Brown (she/her) is a visual artist, Yiddish musician, writer, translator, and educator. Brown has a background in oral history and fine art, including a Watson Fellowship to study storytelling and advocacy in South Africa and the North of Ireland. She received her Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts at Goddard College. She is a dedicated student and teacher of her own tradition as well as the many ways people have reached out to each other across communities. Stefanie Brendler is a Seattle-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, visual artist, translator, storyteller, and union stagehand. The founder of Seattle's premier klezmer brass band Shpilkis, Stefanie is also a member of the Yiddish folk-punk band Brivele. Despite the constant toil under capitalism, heteropatriarchy, and nationalism, Stefanie's artistry reflects the joys of life as a queer Jew. Brivele, a Seattle-based ensemble, blends Yiddish song, anti-fascist and labor balladry, folk-punk, and contemporary protest themes into powerful vocal harmony. Meaning “little letter” in Yiddish, Brivele symbolizes the journey songs undertake, crossing borders and time, carrying tales of love, resistance, and resilience. Rooted in the Yiddish anti-fascist tradition, their repertoire merges satire, remembrance, and political commentary, echoing the voices of ancestors in today's struggles. With an irreverent spirit, Brivele proudly embraces Diaspora heritage, singing in Yiddish as a testament to the enduring relevance of our mixed-up, impure Yidishkayt. About Town Hall Residencies Every year, Town Hall selects exceptional local artists and scholars for paid residencies where they engage with Town Hall programs and collaborate with our programming team to develop original events for the community. Read more about our residency program here.  WORKS CITED: "Music in Concentration Camps: 1933-1945" by Guido Fackler Passionate Pioneers: The Story of Yiddish Secular Education in North America, 1910-1960 by Fradle Pomerantz Freidenreich "The birth and long life of ‘Peat Bog Soldiers' on its 90th anniversary" by Fiete Ausländer "Memories of a Jewish American red diaper baby" by Susan Gosman

Explore the life cycle of Seattle artists in a dynamic round table discussion hosted by Sarah Traver, director of Traver Gallery. Join the conversation on transforming artistic practice into a flourishing and creative career within the vibrant artistic landscape of Seattle. Esteemed artists Esther Ervin, Henry Jackson-Spieker, Steve Jensen, Pohlman Knowles, and Jeanne Marie Ferraro all connected with Pratt Fine Arts Center, will share their experiences in developing their practices across diverse disciplines, including glass, installation, jewelry, metal, printmaking, public art, sculpture, and wood. Gain valuable insights from these working artists as they delve into the unique challenges and successes of navigating the Seattle art scene. Whether you're an aspiring artist or an art enthusiast, this discussion promises a deep exploration of artistic growth and the diverse pathways to establishing a fulfilling career within the rich cultural tapestry of Seattle. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with the life stories and creative journeys of these influential artists. Esther Ervin, a visual artist from Somerville, New Jersey, holds a BS in Biology from UC Irvine and an MFA in Fine Art/Illustration from CSU Long Beach. Her diverse experiences include teaching in the Peace Corps in Colombia and later focusing on art, with a particular interest in the environment, politics, and abstraction. Her jewelry has been exhibited internationally. She is an active member of various art organizations, including the Seattle Metals Guild, the Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA), and the Black Arts West Alumni Association as an honorary.  Henry Jackson-Spieker is a multidisciplinary artist focusing on sculpture and site-specific installations, combining glass, bronze, steel, wood, fiber, and light. His sculptures explore tension, balance and reflection through the merging of contrasting materials. He creates public art installations at Midtown Commons in Seattle, The Seattle Center, Method Gallery, and Wa NA Wari Gallery. Jackson-Spieker has been teaching glass blowing and bronze casting at Pratt Fine Arts Center for the past seven years.   Steve Jensen has been a working artist for over 45 years. Raised around family fishing boats in Seattle, his art reflects deep maritime roots. His latest “VOYAGER” collection is inspired by his Scandinavian fisherman and boat builder heritage, symbolizing journeys into the unknown. From 2015 to 2023, Jensen exhibited solo at major Washington state venues, including the Seattle Art Museum, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, and many others. Featured on Channel 9's Art as Voyage and Amazon Prime's The Story of Art in America (episode 10, 2023), his compelling work has garnered widespread recognition.  Sabrina Knowles and Jenny Pohlman (Pohlman Knowles) marked a quarter-century of collaboration in 2018 with the exhibition “SYNCHRONICITY: Twenty-Five Years of Collaboration” at Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. They have undertaken six international journeys, morphing their experiences into sculptural stories to share what they have learned about healing, compassion, and the power of the human spirit through assemblages of sculpted glass and fabricated steel. Their work is in the collections of Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Henry Ford Museum, Museum of American Glass, and Tacoma Art Museum among others.  Jeanne Marie Ferraro was raised in a working-class family in Cleveland, Ohio, and found her artistic passion in childhood while observing the pouring of liquid metal into steel beams with her father. A storyteller across various media Jeanne's art has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including in Canada and Portugal, and is part of private collections. Alongside her artistic endeavors, Jeanne has dedicated forty years to teaching visual art, currently focusing on glassblowing, drawing, and painting at the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle.  Sarah Traver, President of Traver Gallery  Since joining her father's business in 2004, Sarah Traver has been the President of Traver Gallery, overseeing all aspects from strategy to installation. With degrees in art and education, she emphasizes the gallery's mission as a space for learning and idea-sharing. Sarah, beloved by artists and the community, also serves on the boards of Artist Trust and Pratt Fine Arts Center.   Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Pratt Fine Arts Center.

Looking back through history, it is obvious that the presence of music has had a profound impact on the daily lives of humans, our cultural rituals, and the evolution of civilization as a whole. Yet in public discourse, we still tend to separate conversations about music from those about civics or politics. We frame music as a product for entertainment when in reality the practice of music is deeply tied to the way our communities are structured and function. Shain Shapiro is the director of the global nonprofit Center for Music Ecosystems, and author of This Must Be The Place: How Music Can Make Your City Better. In his book, Shapiro examines the way music affects the building, managing, and governing of a city. Told through personal stories from cities around the world — including London, Melbourne, Nashville, Austin, and Zurich — This Must Be the Place demonstrates how integral music is to everyday life, yet how consistently music is ignored in public policy. Specifically, Shapiro references the transformative role that artists and musicians played in revitalizing elements of our post-pandemic world. In addition to spotlighting the connection between music and building cities, This Must be the Place serves as a guide and toolkit for music enthusiasts, artists, and activists who seek to utilize music as a tool for reinventing their community. Join Shain Shapiro at Town Hall, for an examination of the way music informs the building of a city, and how we can use music to strengthen our communities going forward. Shain Shapiro, Ph.D. is one of the world's leading music and cultural policy thinkers. He is the founder and chairman of economics consultancy Sound Diplomacy, founder and director of the global nonprofit Center for Music Ecosystems and author of This Must Be The Place: How Music Can Make Your City Better. Shain has pioneered the work of music cities and music ecosystem policy, where music is written into how cities and places plan and invest in their future. Gregory Scruggs is a Seattle-based journalist. He is a correspondent for leading international cultural magazine Monocle and also works on the features desk at The Seattle Times. His reporting on how public policy impacts music scenes have been published in outlets such as The New York Times, Bloomberg CityLab, VICE, Next City, Seattle Weekly, and The Stranger.   Buy the Book This Must Be the Place: How Music Can Make Your City Better Third Place Books

What do we learn when an anthropologist and a historian talk about food? Across endless eras, landscapes, and civilizations, humanity's relationship with food has played the part of one of the landmark features of culture and community. We feel this on both the micro and macro scale — from learning a recipe passed down through generations of one's own family to the excitement of exploring an unfamiliar local market in a city far from home. Culinary curiosity invites us all to the table, and through their new book, Ways of Eating, authors and storytellers Benjamin Wurgaft and Merry White are here to serve. Wurgaft and White aim to introduce readers to the interwoven worlds of global food history and food anthropology, exploring how we're not just what we eat, but where, why, and how we came to eat it in the first place. Throughout their collaborative work, Wurgaft and White embark on a world tour of anthropological accounts and vivid storytelling, paying visits to Panamanian coffee growers, Japanese knife forgers, and the medieval age of women brewing beer. Ways of Eating explores the influence of migration and politics in shaping both group identity and global culinary practices, from the Venetian spice trade to the Columbian Exchange to the parallels between ancient Roman garum and contemporary Vietnamese nớc chấm. There are as many dynamics at play across the world of food anthropology as spices in a well-stocked pantry, and Ways of Eating seeks to understand and follow them from the plate back to the kitchen, the farm, and the field. Co-authors Benjamin A. Wurgaft and Merry I. White are a son and mother duo with backgrounds in history, philosophy, anthropology, and the social study of food. Merry White is a Professor of Anthropology at Boston University, with a specialization in Japanese social and food culture. Their previous publications include White's Coffee Life in Japan and Wurgaft's Meat Planet: Artificial Flesh and the Future of Food. This is their first book written together. Born in New England, Peter Miller is a graduate of Williams College and Harvard Graduate School of Education. He moved to Seattle in November 1970, a time when one could rent a home from a nearby phone booth with the instructions, “the key is under the mat, I will come meet you this week.” In 1975, Miller opened a bookshop in Wallingford, with its first lecture series featuring Tom Robbins and Alan Furst. In 1980, he opened an architecture bookshop in Pioneer Square, relocating it to the market in 1983. Thirty years later, he moved again to Belltown, in association with George Suyama Architects. The shop is now situated in Pioneer Square between First Avenue and the water. Additionally, Miller served as a member of the Seattle Design Commission from 1998 to 2001. Peter has authored three books: Lunch at the Shop, Five Ways to Cook Asparagus, and How to Wash the Dishes, with a fourth book set to be released in May, titled Shopkeeping.   Buy the Book Ways of Eating: Exploring Food through History and Culture Third Place Books

The Village Voice aimed to show readers something that mainstream publications wouldn't: live theater productions climbing through the scaffolding of off-Broadway venues; moments in music from hip-hop to jazz to punk; New York City civil issues, like corrupt landlords; and global issues, like the AIDS crisis. Through decades of independent reporting and first-hand accounts within the myriad subcultures of New York, the Village Voice built a journalistic legacy of lived experience, bold critique, and political activism. One can't help but wonder, what it must have been like to be one of the writers, editors, or photographers who was in on the action. In her debut book, The Freaks Came Out to Write, Tricia Romano shares her journey from intern to contributor at the Village Voice, and the multi-generational significance of the weekly paper that reached far beyond the neighborhoods of New York City. Romano's accounts include over 200 interviews that span decades and feature influential figures such as Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead, feminist writers Vivian Gornick and Susan Brownmiller, the post-punk band Blondie, and many other acclaimed individuals in the realms of art, politics, and society. Romano ties it all together in an expansive oral history that tells the story of journalism, New York City and American culture — and the most famous alt-weekly of all time. Tricia Romano is a writer, columnist, and editor whose work has been published in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Elle, the Los Angeles Times, and of course the Village Voice, among others. Her column, Fly Life, dug into the underbelly of New York nightlife and she has penned award-winning stories on music and culture. She has served as a fellow at MacDowell, Millay, and UCross, a staff writer at the Seattle Times, and as editor-in-chief of the Stranger, Seattle's own alternative newsweekly. Dan Savage is a sex-advice columnist, a podcaster, an author, and has appeared on numerous television shows. Formerly the editor of the Stranger, Dan's sex-advice column “Savage Love,” is syndicated worldwide. He has published seven books and his weekly sex advice podcast Savage Lovecast. Jane Levine worked for more than 30 years at alternative weeklies. She started as an intern at Chicago Reader in 1973 and returned to serve as publisher from 1994 to 2004. In between, she held business-side positions at Los Angeles Reader, North Carolina Independent, and Seattle Weekly.   Buy the Book The Freaks Came Out to Write: The Definitive History of the Village Voice, the Radical Paper That Changed American Culture Third Place Books