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TUESDAY
READINGS & TALKSMargaret Wappler
Two subjects I almost always avoid when it comes time to actually read, rather than just read about, a book: suburbia and spaceships. Imagine how conflicted I felt when I learned that one of my favorite arts and culture journalists had written a novel about spaceships in suburbia. Lucky for all of us, Margaret Wapplerâs debut novel, Neon Green, is interested in a lot more than anti-consumption redundancies and speculative indulgences. The post-Cobain/pre-internet moment in which the story takes place offers ample opportunity to consider just how much weirder it has become to be a human in the last two decades, and how much weirder, and harder, itâs likely to get. Though youâre welcome to consider the spaceships as concrete metaphors, they work just as well as enigmatic catalysts for Wapplerâs disarming reflection on the human hunger for certainty, which feels more like a mania every day. SEAN NELSON
Nisi Shawl
Journalist and science fiction writer Nisi Shawl (co-author of Writing the Other: Bridging Cultural Differences for Successful Fiction) will discuss and sign copies of historical fantasy/steampunk novel Everfair.
Comedy Nest Open Mic
The rules of this pro-lady stand-up night are refreshing in their simplicity: no misogyny, racism, homophobia, hatred, or heckling. Based on the size, quality, and diversity of the crowds it attracts, the rules work. Tonight's show will feature Brandi Morgan, Hawaii's only transgender comedian. ART
Shaun Scott: The Faded Signs Podcast
In this project for the Dialogues in Art: Exhibitions on Racial Injustice series, writer, artist, and filmmaker Shaun Scott will record and edit podcasts about "what the present will look like to future generations who can only see what we left behind (and not our best intentions)." The podcasts will feature interviews, found audio clips, and creative nonfiction, and will ultimately be available on iTunes and SoundCloud.
This exhibit closes Friday.
WEDNESDAY
READINGS & TALKSDean Wong
If you don't know Dean Wong's name already, he is the photographer who has most doggedly and beautifully documented Seattle's Chinatown, and he has a new book out, Seeing the Light: Four Decades in Chinatown. It includes photographs also taken in Chinatowns in San Francisco and Vancouver, BC, but Wong's heart is where his home is, here in Seattle, where he grew up in his family's home tucked into the streets of what we now call the International District, where he learned to develop his first roll of film at Cleveland High School in a black-and-white photo class taught by the biology teacher, and where, at the University of Washington, he developed a conscious practice of resistance toward the racist mainstream. JEN GRAVES
Goodship Higher Education: Alan Maskin on Design Excursion
The highly anticipated Goodship Higher Education series (weed and "heady topics") is back, with a lecture from Alan Maskin on "design excursion," about a multi-year design project that began with a large rooftop park in Korea. Come "pre-boarded"âso toke up beforehand, not while you're thereâand make sure to get your tickets early, because these events often sell out quickly.
Norm Stamper with Deborah Jacobs
Author and former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper will speak about his new book, To Protect and Serve, and speak about his ideas for structural reorganization that will make law enforcement more equitable. He will be joined by Deborah Jacobs, the director of the King County Office of Law Enforcement Oversight.
Silent Reading Party
Invented by our own Christopher Frizzelle, the reading party is every first Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. That's when the Fireside Room at the Sorrento Hotel goes quiet and fills with people with books tucked under their arms. (And, occasionally, a Kindle or two.) Lately the resident musician is pianist Paul Matthew Moore. He's amazing.
The Gay Uncle Time
It's an avuncular variety show starring Santa-esque comedian Jeffrey Robert and a rotating cavalcade of local stars, drag queens, storytellers, and weirdos. Get a healthy dose of history, comedy, and song from the gay uncle you always wished you had and his friends you always suspected were up to no good. Get there early if you want a seatâtheir shows are often filled to capacity, with latecomers turned away. Hey, a room can fit only so many nieces and nephews. Copresented by the Comedy Nest. MATT BAUME
WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY
ARTFay Jones: Water Exhibit Opening
For 56 years, Fay Jones has lived in Seattle and made paintings here. She's been recognized with museum retrospectives, and in the mid-1980s she made a huge permanent mural that's still in the tunnel at Westlake Station downtown, where thousands of people pass by every day. Oh, you've seen it. In 2013, Jones won a prestigious Joan Mitchell Grant, but in the last few years she's been relatively quietâuntil now. Water is her first solo exhibition at James Harris Gallery. It includes two large, luscious diptych painting/collages, one large triptych, and three medium-sized painting/collages, all on paper. The most beautiful thing I know of that's been written about Jones's work was published last year in Golden Handcuffs Review, and we have permission from the author, Rebecca Brown, to reprint a large chunk of it here. JEN GRAVES
WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY
THEATERWedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White
Stranger Genius Valerie Curtis-Newton told me over the phone that she would "crawl across glass" to produce Alice Childress's Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White, a play about an interracial relationship in the Jim Crow South. Back in 2013, she directed Childress's Trouble in Mind, which former Stranger theater editor Brendan Kiley raved about in his review for the show, and directing this one will mean that, over the course of her career, Curtis-Newton will have directed all of Childress's plays. How are you not going to be there to witness that? Wedding Band serves as the bookend drama for the Intiman Theatre Festival, which has focused on plays written by black women. RICH SMITH
The Winter's Tale
Seattle Shakespeare Company presents William Shakespeare's absorbing "problem play" The Winter's Tale, so called because of its mishmash of comedy and brutal drama.
THURSDAY
ARTCapitol Hill Art Walk
Once again, it's time to fill the streets of Capitol Hill with tipsy art lovers. In September, don't miss Enduring Freedom, an exhibit by decorated documentary photographer Eugene Richards that will juxtapose images from the terrorist attacks on New York in September 2001, and the aftereffects of the war in Iraq in later years. For our full list of unmissable shows, see our Capitol Hill Art Walk calendar. READINGS & TALKS
Bagley Wright Lecture Series: Ange Mlinko
This is going to be the sharpest and most delightful academic discussion of the seductive power of poetry you've ever heard. Not that you've necessarily ever heard such a lecture, but there is a sort of general sense among us that poetry is for romantics, that it's a tool a person uses to seduce someone else and not a site of seduction in and of itself. It's hard to make that intellectual leap, though, because you can't really make out with a piece of paper. Ange Mlinko, professor at the University of Florida and poetry editor for The Nation, is perfectly positioned to make the case for the overlap between seduction and multivalence in language. She writes dense, multivalent lyric poems herself, and they're shot through with a lot of Greek allusions. And you KNOW the Greeks were into that kinda shit. Homework before you go: Mlinko's book, Marvelous Things Overheard: Poems and Anne Carson's book, Eros the Bittersweet. RS
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's emergence as one of the smartest, soberest, and most nuanced voices in the nonstop "cultural conversation" should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his heroic life and career. The fact that he is also one of the greatest athletes who ever lived (for my admittedly small money, the very greatest) only deepens the pleasure of his third act as a writer. At this event, Abdul-Jabbar will discuss his new book, Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White. (Not to be confused with his other recent book, the novel Mycroft Holmes, about Sherlock's smarter brother!) SEAN NELSON
Guest Chef Night with Alex Barkley
FareStart is a fantastic organization that empowers disadvantaged and homeless men and women by training them for work in the restaurant industry. Every Thursday, they host a Guest Chef Night, featuring a three-course dinner from a notable Seattle chef for just $29.95. This week, FareStart welcomes Chef Alex Barkley of Manolin.
THURSDAY-SATURDAY
THEATERRhinoceros
You're probably going to spend a lot of time while watching Strawberry Theatre Workshop's production of Eugène Ionesco's classic absurdist play thinking, "Okay but do the rhinoceroses stampeding all over this French town represent Trump supporters, or do they represent Bernie Bros, or do they represent Hillbots perfectly enacting the Democratic nominee's vagenda of manocide?" And then once you figure that out you're going to be thinking, "Alright well, is this funny and pointed parable about the rise of the 20th century's worst -isms a critique of the idea of the state of political discourse or a critique of incrementalism, or..." By the end of the show you'll either think that Rhinoceros is EXACTLY the play we need to be seeing right now or EXACTLY the play we don't need to be seeing right now. RICH SMITH
Hooded or Being Black for Dummies
Does voting for members of a political party who want to rid universities and workplaces of affirmative action, who pay lip service to white nationalist groups, who push for voter ID laws, and who generally advocate for economic/policing systems that disadvantage black people make a black person less black? That's one of the many questions Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm asks in his West Coast premiere of Hooded or Being Black for Dummies. Tru, a rapper from Baltimore, meets Marquis, a "Republican prep-schooler" living in a white suburb, in a holding cell, and the two tangle over the question of whether blackness is a thing that one can lose and gain. Yes, you should drive/bike/bus to a strip mall in Kent to watch this dramatic conversation about the way notions of blackness form within the minds of youth. Yes, you have timeâhi, Labor Day weekend! And yes, you have the money. The show is free, thanks to a grant that producers Theatre Battery secured from Radical Hospitality. These young theater artists want to participate in a conversation about blackness in Kent. Join them. RICH SMITH
FRIDAY
READINGS & TALKSEd Yong
Perhaps it should be no surprise that Yong, who chose to invoke Walt Whitman in his book's title, writes in energetic, generous, and visceral prose. I Contain Multitudes is a deeply researched bookânerdy and technical, with a Notes section that is its own odd pleasure to readâbut Yong's words also pulse and glow with carnality and wonder. He deftly places human evolution in a larger, more complex context of microbial and animal life, which will alter your perspective on your place in the world, as well as within your own body. But the book might also offer a revolutionary perspective on our society and our individual places within the body politic. "Microbes matter," Yong insists. "We have ignored them. We have feared and hated them. Now, it is time to appreciate them, for our grasp of our own biology is greatly impoverished if we don't." He could easily be writing about black and brown lives in America. ANGELA GARBES
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
FOOD & DRINKCider Summit Seattle
Do you want to drink a bunch of the Northwest's most esoteric and delicious cider and raise money for good causes while doing it? Of course you do. Cider Summit Seattle, at the South Lake Union Discovery Center, brings you cider from the likes of Reverend Nat's and Sea Cider, as well as vittles from Capitol Cider. While these types of things can be a little Portlandia-ish, if you can stomach the toe shoes and doggy parents (that's right, there's onsite doggy day care), you'll get the chance to swill such delicacies as Sea Cider's Prohibition Rum Barrel cider, a personal favorite. Nick Jarvis, bar manager at the Carlile Room, included it on the drink pairings for his inaugural and excellent Rough Draft pop-up, and it was a revelation. My opinion of cider went instantly from "That watery shit with a poorly drawn Ent on the bottle that I never drink" to "Every bit as complex and rich as your favorite craft beer." TOBIAS COUGHLIN-BOGUE
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
FILM70 mm Film Festival
Put down your phone, close your laptop, and surrender to the splendor of 70 mm cinema in the retrofuturist movie cathedral that is the Cinerama. Not much unites the films in this 10-day festival (a couple of Kubricks, a pair of PT Andersons) other than their commitment to MAGNITUDE, but several are essential viewing. I know it's an old saw, but I will say it again: Seeing a film in a darkened theater with strangers is a secular sacrament. The fact that you can't pause, talk, text, or tweet until it's over is a measure of its value. Please enjoy it while it's still available. (And if you must pick one, the answer is always Lawrence of Arabia.) SEAN NELSON
(Through September 19) THEATER
Working
Studs Terkel's book Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, is a brilliant, best-selling depiction of the American workforce and how they as individuals relate to both their daily lives and the nebulous concept of "work." The 1977 musical, based on the book, combines Terkel's social commentary with music from geniuses including Stephen Schwartz and James Taylorâand this production, from the 2012 version of the show, will feature new songs by the hottest composer of the moment, Lin-Manuel Miranda.
SATURDAY
FESTIVALSSeattle Design Festival: 2016 Design Change
Last year, this annual two-week celebration by architects, designers, and aesthetes of "the ways design makes life betterâ took a turn for the radical. Per Charles Mudede: âBy intersecting social justice, urban planning, ecology, and capital, [SDF 2015] transforms design into a moral issue.â Hereâs hoping the 2016 theme âDesign Changeâ builds on that transformation, to address the crises of a city in increasingly desperate need of ways to make life better. See the full schedule of events on our Seattle Design Festival calendar. SEAN NELSON (Through September 23) COMMUNITY
Stomp the Patriarchy Ball
Shout Your Abortion launched from a simple premise: Women should not be required to feel or perform shame for having had an abortion. This was not a new idea, but the fact that so many people have objected to it is a sufficient argument for its continued propagation. An even better argument is the fact that so many people have embraced it. Tonight, SYA will celebrate its first birthday with live music from DoNormaal, JusMoni, Stas THEE Boss, and "a secret guest weâll tell you about soon." Plus words and reflections from Lindy West, Hollis Wong-Wear, Ijeoma Oluo, members of Tacocat, and SYA founder Amelia Bonow. SEAN NELSON (patriarch manquĂŠ) ART
Georgetown Art Attack
Once a month, the art that resides in the tiny airport hamlet of Georgetown ATTACKS all passersby. In more literal terms, it's the day of art openings and street wonderment.
Community Outreach Gathering: Asian Art Museum Renovation
Weigh in on plans for the Asian Art Museum's impending renovationâwhich includes an expansionâat this community outreach gathering.
Food Justice, Food Education, and Food Literacy: A Conversation
To celebrate Food Literacy Month, SPL will host this panel discussion with leaders from some of our city's most innovative food-centered organizations. Moderated by Philip Lee (Readers to Eaters) and introduced by Chef Eduardo Jordan (Salare Restaurant), this discussion will feature Brian Estes (Catholic Charities Spokane/WA State Farmers Market Association), Mei Yook Woo (Danny Woo Garden/FoodWays Project), Michael Friedman (Farestart), Tarik Abdullah (Hillman City Collaboratory), Cecilia McGowan (King County Library System), and Valerie Segrest (Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Project). After the panel, enjoy samples of local bites by Ariel Bangs, and continue talking with local organizations about food justice, food education, and food literacy. QUEER
Cucci's Critter Barn
Hosted by Cucci Binaca, Critter Barn has already made itself known for some wild drag from the likes of Betty Wetter, Amoania, Hellen Tragedy, Mona Real, Menorah, and Cookie Couture. READINGS & TALKS
Jonathan Porretta with Marcie Sillman
KUOW's Marcie Sillman will present her first book, Out There: Jonathan Porretta's Life in Dance, about the Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancer. At this event, she will be joined by Porretta himself for a conversation about his life and work.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
FOOD & DRINKSushi Making & Sake Tasting
Learn to roll five different types of sushi at this tasting event with Chiso Sushi owner Hirohiko Kirita. You'll also get three different sake tastes, a full pour of your favorite one, a prize if you're on the best sushi maker team, and a take-home sushi-making guide. READINGS & TALKS
Esoteric Book Conference
The eighth annual Esoteric Book Conference brings together authors, artists, publishers, and bookmakers from across the world, all of whom are working in the field of esotericism (a word that, perhaps fittingly, is hard to define, but deals with books that are mysterious and, frequently, spiritual or philosophical). The conference schedule includes presentations from notable authors and scholars, as well as a book fair that will showcase the largest selection of esoteric books under one roof.
SUNDAY
COMEDYWine Shots: Comedy's Happiest Hour
This all-female comedy variety show comes complete with an all-female Michael Bolton cover band, Lightning Bolton. Organized by the very funny Elicia Sanchez, itâs every second Sunday of the month in the Grotto at the Rendezvous, and every audience member gets a free shot of wine.
