You know Seattle's bid to become a UNESCO City of Literature is heating up when French literary website ActuaLitté writes about it. The Google Translation of the page into English is kind of charming:

Conducted in front by the American writer Ryan Boudinot, the city of Seattle unites to try to get the name of "literary city" with UNESCO. A campaign has been set up, composed in particular, besides the writer, the mayor, several council members and representatives of major American publishing houses.

But the best part addresses Boudinot's recent European trip—which he paid for out of his own pocket—to promote Seattle's City of Literature bid:

To better realize the expectations of UNESCO, Ryan Boudinot did not hesitate to make a trip at his own expense in each of the literary cities, even to visit its headquarters in Paris. It sees not only an opportunity for the city to acquire a new title, but also to Seattle to see "as it is: a city of global radiation for literature" .

In an e-mail linking to the ActuaLitté story, Boudinot writes of the translation, "That sounds about right." Tomorrow night at Town Hall, Boudinot is joined by Mayor Ed Murray, Nancy Pearl, and a host of other Seattle literary celebrities to make the case for Seattle's UNESCO bid. It's free. You should go. Despite Google Translate's warnings, radiation suits will not be necessary.