Below, we've compiled all of our critics' picks for the season's literary events, from prize-winning novelist Siri Hustvedt to celebrated poet Jericho Brown, and from climate activist Bill McKibben to former first lady Michelle Obama. You can also find a complete list of readings & talks in Seattle this spring on our Things To Do calendar, or check out the rest of our critics' picks from Seattle Art and Performance.
Found something you like and don't want to forget about it later? Click "Save Event" on any of the linked events below to add it to your own private list.
Fiction
Mon March 25
Siri Hustvedt: Memories of the Future This new novel by the Man Booker prize-winning Hustvedt (The Blazing World) is about a Minnesotan woman who moves to New York City in the 1970s and becomes entangled with Lucy, her elusive and weird next-door neighbor. In play are themes of gender, memory, childhood, history, and storytelling. (Seattle First Baptist Church, 7:30 pm, $5)
Tues April 2
Laila Lalami: The Other Americans After a Moroccan immigrant is murdered in California, his composer daughter and homesick widow come together with an undocumented witness, an Iraq War vet, and a detective in this novel by Pulitzer Prize finalist Lalami (The Moor's Account). (Central Library,7 pm, free)
Richard Chiem: King of Joy The local fiction phenom is one of my favorite writers AND readers in Seattle. His low-key and yet somehow extremely intense performances cast a spell on audiences. His meditative sentences pull you close, and then, right when he has you where he wants you, he shows you the strangest and most heartbreaking and quietly funny things you've ever seen. Women drunk on champagne and lighting a tree on fire. An airplane entering and then exiting the reflective mirror of a puddle. A glowing black chandelier. These are some of the striking scenes and images you'll find as you follow the story of Corvus, a young woman who uses her imagination to cope with the pains of loss—until one day she suffers a loss so great she can't escape. RICH SMITH (Third Place Books Ravenna, 5:45 pm, free)
Thurs April 4
Rachel Cusk: The Outline Trilogy Beginning with the "lethally intelligent" (Heidi Julavits, NYT) Outline, a British writer whose very presence induces people to confess their secrets copes with her own traumas and transitions. Its sequels, Transit and Kudos, have together racked up awards and mentions in Vogue, NPR, the New Yorker, and others. (Elliott Bay Book Company, 7 pm, free)
Sun April 7
Anne Lamott Anne Lamott's friendly, nonjudgmental, and vague brand of Christianity (as encountered in her latest book Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy) irritates many critics even as they praise her linguistic facility and approachability. But she wrote Bird by Bird, an indisputably great book, and she is funny as hell onstage. CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE (Benaroya Hall, 7:30 pm, $29–$58)
Fri April 12
Ngg wa Thiong'o: Minutes of Glory In 2016, Rich Smith wrote: "Ngg wa Thiong'o's name gets thrown into the ring every time the Nobel Prize committee convenes to select the year's winner. And for good reason. Known early on for his great plays, The Black Hermit and This Time Tomorrow, the Kenyan genius went on to lead postcolonial thinking with books such as Decolonising the Mind and Moving the Centre." Thiong'o will be back in Seattle for this Town Hall event with Minutes of Glory and Other Stories. (Seattle First Baptist Church, 7:30 pm, $5)
Sat April 13
From Zine to Lit Scene: A Reading and Conversation with Steve Hughes and Jekeva Phillips Hear an interesting new voice from Detroit, zinester and fiction writer Hughes, alongside local literary and theatrical celebrity Phillips (creator of Word Lit Zine and the Bibliophilia festival). Hughes will read from his new collection STIFF, an ode to his economically devastated city. After Phillips has read as well, the two will "discuss the ways in which their alt-lit zine backgrounds have influenced their writing." (Hugo House, 7 pm, free)
Wed April 17
Seattle Arts & Lectures: Valeria Luiselli Don't miss this appearance by the celebrated Mexican author, one of the most talked-about figures in current literary circles: the New York Times has called her new novel, The Lost Children Archive, a "mold-breaking new classic." It calls urgent attention to the horrors befalling unaccompanied refugee children trying to reach the US from Central America. (Benaroya Hall, 7:30 pm, $20–$80)
Sun April 28
Surreal Storytelling with Strange Women #5 Author, zinester, and energetic literary event host Kate Berwanger presents this series. Readers this time will be highly prolific author and teacher Carol Guess, Pakistani Mexican poet Jasmine Khaliq, Stranger arts calendar editor Joule Zelman, and UW MFA candidate and artist Jordyn Murray. (Alibi Room, 7:30 pm, $15)
Tues May 14
Seattle Arts & Lectures: Tayari Jones The plot of Jones's new book, An American Marriage, sounds all too familiar: An innocent African American man, Roy, is arrested for a crime he's not guilty of, and his imprisonment and degradation strain his relationship with his wife, Celestial. Jones will be interviewed by Lisa Lucas, director of the National Book Foundation. (Benaroya Hall, 7:30 pm, $20–$80)
Wed May 22
Karen Russell: Orange World and Other Stories Russell is cherished for creating fleshed-out characters in bizarre, magical-realist tales, a talent that should be fully on display in this new collection. (Central Library, 7 pm, free)
Fri June 7
Seattle Arts & Lectures: Imbolo Mbue The Cameroonian writer nabbed the PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction with her very first novel, Behold the Dreamers, which follows a pair of immigrants who arrive in New York just in time for the Great Recession. (Town Hall, 7:30 pm, $35–$80)
Last Tuesdays
Loud Mouth Lit Writer and Stranger Genius Award winner Paul Mullin curates this "fresh, local, organically sourced" monthly literary event dedicated to "the amazing writers living in Seattle." (St. Andrews Bar and Grill, 8 pm, free)
Poetry
Wed March 20
Poetry of the Uncanny: GennaRose Nethercott and Sierra Nelson Rich Smith has written: "Nelson's work combines the scientific with the lyrical in ways that inject wonder back into both disciplines, and it's looking like the new book will be more of the same greatness." That book is The Lachrymose Report, a collection of poetry about what links us to the past. Nelson will read from this book alongside Nethercott, who'll introduce you to her National Poetry Series-winning The Lumberjack's Dove. There will even be a cranky shadow puppet show to provide visual stimulation. (Hugo House, 7 pm, free)
Sat March 23
Catherine Bresner, Sarah A. Chavez, Heather June Gibbons Hear work by Bresner, author of The Merriam Webster Series and Everyday Eros; Chavez, who wrote Hands That Break & Scar and All Day, Talking; and Gibbons, who created Her Mouth as Souvenir, Sore Songs, and Flyover. (Open Books, 7 pm, free)
Tues March 26
Poems of Legacy, Poems of Transformation: Monica Youn with Shankar Narayan Rich Smith has called Youn "phenomenal," and he's far from the only one to recognize her genius: Youn has been a finalist for the National Book Award and the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, among many other prizes. She'll read along with civil rights lawyer/poet Shankar Narayan. (Hugo House, 7 pm, free)
Sally Wen Mao: Oculus As the title suggests, Mao investigates the acts of seeing and being seen in her second book of poetry. In the New Yorker, Dan Chiasson called Oculus a "strange and morally succinct" book, and described her poems as "rangy, protean, contradictory." Sounds like faint praise, but with this book, Mao's using all those tools—which can be delightful and kinetic in poetry—to complicate the pristine pictures of life that fill our social media feeds. RICH SMITH (Elliott Bay Book Company, 7 pm, free)
Mon April 1
Seattle Arts & Lectures: Ilya Kaminsky Kaminsky may be one of the most-praised poets working in English today. Born in then-Soviet Odessa, Kaminsky and his family were granted asylum in the USA in 1993. He is the author of Musica Humana, Dancing in Odessa, and most recently Deaf Republic, which addresses Russia and his own loss of hearing. (Broadway Performance Hall, 7:30 pm, $20–$80)
Thurs April 4
Morgan Parker: Magical Negro Morgan Parker blew up the poetry world with 2017's There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé, which made every conceivable top 10 list that year, including the only one that really matters—Oprah's. Expect that to happen all over again with her new collection of poems from Tin House Books. Again Parker centralizes the powers and paradoxes of Black womanhood, riffing off the work of other black artists and weaving them into her own life. But in most of the poems in this book, Parker lets the faucet loose a little, trusting repetition to ground the reader as she leaps down the page from association to association. Here she's funnier, sadder, raunchier. If you see this book at the shop, read "Magical Negro #217: Diana Ross Finishing a Rib in Alabama, 1990s," and "Matt," and you'll know what I mean. RICH SMITH (Hugo House, 7 pm, free)
April 10 & June 5
Poetry in Translation: Indigenous Showcase Edition Washington State's beloved first civic poet laureate, Claudia Castro Luna, curates this bilingual poetry series. (Northwest Film Forum, 6:30 pm, $12)
Thurs April 18
Shayla Lawson: I Think I'm Ready to See Frank Ocean Lawson takes individual Frank Ocean songs as inspiration to produce "a mythological mixtape of confession and surreal sleuthing." (Hugo House, 7 pm, free)
Sat May 11
Michael Collier and Matt Nienow Collier has been publishing poetry for three decades, including in The Ledge and Dark Wild Realm. Nienow is a Port Townsender who's been published in many prestigious poetry journals and received many fellowships. (Open Books, 7 pm, free)
Tues May 21
Seattle Arts & Lectures: Jericho Brown Every time you think a Jericho Brown poem is about to drown in sentimentality or gushy eroticism, he makes a turn that freezes you solid, or boils you over, or completely vaporizes you. Look no further than every single love poem in his 2014 book The New Testament, which rightly scooped up a bunch of awards for its lyrical beauty and its incisive and understandably cynical perspective on the potential for true racial justice in America. RICH SMITH (Broadway Performance Hall, 7:30 pm, $20–$80)
Second Mondays
African-American Writers' Alliance Poetry Reading Hear poets from the Northwest's African American community in a reading organized by the alliance. (Third Place Books Seward Park, 7 pm, free)
Third Thursdays
Margin Shift A poetry reading series emphasizing the contributions of anyone who might normally be at the margins of the mainstream literary scene—"poets of color, LGBTQI poets, poets from out of town, poets who are new to town, women poets, undocumented poets, experimental writers (whatever that might mean!), and brand new writers." (Common AREA Maintenance, 6:30 pm, free)
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Wed March 20
An Evening of Science Fiction with Nancy Kress, Jack Skillingstead, and Daryl Gregory Hear from three highly regarded authors who work in fantasy, YA, thriller, and sci-fi. Prolific, multi-award-winning Kress (33 novels to her name!) and her Locus- and Philip K. Dick Award-nominated husband, Skillingstead, live in Seattle. So does Gregory, who also has some impressive laurels, including a Best Fiction Book of the Year from NPR. (Central Library, 7 pm, free)
John Lanchester: The Wall Lanchester's new novel compounds multiple contemporary anxieties—Brexit, climate change, the border wall—in one satire: A "Defender" of the concrete wall surrounding his nation tries to perform his duties repelling despairing outsiders imperiled by rising seas. (Pigott Auditorium at Seattle University, 7:30 pm, $5)
Sat May 11
Paul Constant: Planet of the Nerds The former Stranger editor and cofounder of the Seattle Review of Books has a new series from AHOY Comics! Cryogenically frozen outcasts from the '80s are defrosted in 2019, only to find that their nerdy brethren have taken over the world. (Elliott Bay Book Company, 7 pm, free)
Fri May 24
Hugo Literary Series: Stranger in a Strange Land Robert Heinlein's sci-fi novel about a messianic outsider born on Mars who travels to Earth fuels the second event in the Hugo Literary Series, with excellent writers like National Book Award finalist Domingo Martinez (My Heart Is a Drunken Compass), Terese Mailhot (Heart Berries), and Rebecca Brown (The Gifts of the Body). Folk singer Bryan John Appleby will play some original tunes. (Hugo House, 7:30 pm, $25)
Thurs May 30
Ted Chiang: Exhalation The lauded recent sci-fi film Arrival was based on Chiang's short, "Story of Your Life," which combined a gorgeously nerdy and profound examination of alien grammar with a sad and equally profound exploration of love and fate. Which is to say, Chiang is a genius, and "Story of Your Life" should be viewed as a gateway to his body of literature, not a companion to Denis Villeneuve's (admittedly pretty cool) movie. Better yet, catch up with the author at this Literary Luncheon for a reading of his new collection of short stories, Exhalation, over a lunch prepared by Vios Café. JOULE ZELMAN (Third Place Books Ravenna, 1 pm)
Mon June 3
Neal Stephenson It feels like Neal Stephenson has been around forever—or at least for as long as I've been reading sci-fi, cyberpunk, and speculative fiction. (My first intro was one of his early works, the coming-of-age intrigue of The Diamond Age: or A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer.) He's won numerous awards, made the New York Times best seller list several times, and will be in town behind his latest, Fall; Or Dodge in Hell, a sci-fi thriller about an afterlife of sorts in which humans continue to exist as digital souls. LEILANI POLK (Town Hall, 7:30 pm, $5+)
History
Wed March 27
Stoked Spoke Adventure Series Presents: Women, Trans and Femme Riders in Early Cycling History Visual artist, comic, writer, and adventurer Tessa Hulls has biked solo all over the planet, rolling over approximately 14,000 miles of paved road and donkey trail. No matter where she went on her long rides, she always heard the same thing from passersby: "You know, a woman can't travel alone." This constant refrain provoked Hulls to add another line to her résumé: feminist historian with a focus on little-known turn-of-the-20th-century adventurers. After digging up tons of primary source material about female-identified bikers of yore, she's now out on a lecture tour to show that she can travel alone, thank you very much. And what's more, she's following in a long but undersung tradition of women adventurers who used a two-wheeler to fight for their rights. RICH SMITH (The Rhino Room, 7 pm, $5)
Memoir/ Biography
Wed March 20
Jacob Tobia: Sissy Assigned male at birth, Jacob Tobia (co-host of MSNBC's Queer 2.0) has set out to make being a "sissy" a point of pride and "a rallying cry for a much-needed gender revolution." In this book, subtitled A Coming-of-Gender Story, they talk about their childhood and their hope for a new, (trans)feminist world. (Elliott Bay Book Company, 7 pm, free)
Sun March 24
Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama The former first lady hits town behind Becoming, which focuses on different aspects of her life, from being a mother, to her time in the White House, and her role as a public-health figure. There's no doubt that Michelle will drop cute facts about her relationship with Barack, tell a few candid details about what it's like to be at the top, and wear something completely and utterly stunning. JASMYNE KEIMIG (Tacoma Dome, 8 pm, $154–$854)
Seven Things I've Learned: An Evening with Ira Glass If there's a podcast you love, chances are, This American Life's Ira Glass has had some kind of influence on it, and he'll be talking about both his life and his work when he comes to Tacoma. KATIE HERZOG (Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 5 pm, $20/$117)
Mon March 25
Carolyn Forché: What You Have Heard Is True The poet, translator, and human rights activist has won fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. In her new book, she recounts what she saw in El Salvador as the country teetered on the cusp of civil war. (Elliott Bay Book Company, 7 pm, free)
Sat March 30
Peter Bagge and James Sturm Two new political books from two veteran comics artists! Bagge started his career skewering pop culture in Rage and Neat Stuff, and presents his third biography of a (currently) relatively unknown feminist trailblazer. In Credo: The Rose Wilder Lane Story, Bagge sketches out the life of Lane, who was Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter, as well as an early proponent of the libertarian movement. Sturm's new book, Off Season, tells the story of a married couple whose separation parallels the country's split in 2016. I was about to make a joke about Rose Wilder Lane discovering free market solutions for divorce, but it seems like she actually had one—she was against the institution of marriage. RICH SMITH (Elliott Bay Book Company, 7pm, free)
Sun April 14
Elizabeth Gilbert So you saw Eat, Pray, Love and think you know a little something about Elizabeth Gilbert? But the milquetoast movie, which was adapted from her 2006 memoir of the same name, in no way captured the true brilliance of Gilbert, a woman who isn't a crazy good writer (seriously!), but is funny as fuck and has a life story that'll make you weep more than you want to. This is especially true when she talks about leaving her husband for her best friend, the writer Rayya Elias, who was dying of cancer at the time. It's a heartbreaking story, but Gilbert tells it with reverence, pathos, and humor. Bring tissues. KATIE HERZOG (McCaw Hall, 7:30 pm, $270–$480)
SAL Presents: Tara Westover In Educated: A Memoir, Westover shares her account of being raised by Mormon survivalists in Idaho. A self-taught scholar with an astounding (and disturbing) story, Westover is bound to have interesting things to say. (Benaroya Hall, 7:30 pm, $20–$80)
Fri April 19
Nick Thorkelson et al.: Herbert Marcuse, Philosopher of Utopia Prefer your biographies of philosophers in comics form? This is a great way to discover the life of Herbert Marcuse, the 20th-century proponent of "principled utopianism," which inspired activists from Angela Davis to Kathy Acker. (Elliott Bay Book Company, 7 pm, free)
Fri April 26
Aaron Bobrow-Strain: The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez A revealing look at how unforgiving and indifferent the US immigration system can be through the story of a woman who is deported to a country she barely knows, and her attempt to reunite with her son. (Elliott Bay Book Company, 7 pm, free)
Politics/Current Issues
Wed March 27
Preet Bharara In 2017, Preet Bharara defied Attorney General Jeff Sessions's request for all Obama-era-appointed district attorneys to resign, and was subsequently fired. Before that, he was best known for prosecuting significant corruption cases and financial crimes, as well as cases involving gang violence, arms trafficking, and civil rights violations. Now, Bharara is a distinguished scholar in residence at NYU School of Law. (Neptune Theatre, 7 pm, $35)
Fri April 12
Damon Young: What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker On VerySmartBrothas.com, website co-founder Damon Young offers witty, passionate, and beautifully constructed takes on culture and the news. That same élan is expected to animate his memoir about the "extreme sport" of being black in America. (Northwest African American Museum)
Tues April 16
Jennifer Eberhardt: Biased Stanford University psychologist Eberhardt will read from her new book, and explain the science of implicit racial bias in all its forms, and the resultant impacts on people of color in everything from education to criminal justice. (University Book Store, 6 pm, free)
Fri April 26
Nathaniel Rich: Losing Earth—A Recent History You may have read Rich's article on climate change in the New York Times Magazine. Now Rich will present his book-length expansion of the article, in which he examines the fossil fuel industry's thwarting of scientific consensus and a public willing to cope with the problem. (The Summit, 7:30 pm, $5)
Fri May 3
An Evening with the Clintons No matter how you feel about this particular power couple, there is no denying that they're two of the most important political figures of our lifetime. While I doubt we can expect much insight into the most famously troubled of marriages, they'll be in Seattle as part of a national speaking tour, where they'll discuss his time as president, hers in the Senate and as secretary of state, and, of course, the most shocking night in American politics: November 8, 2016 (never forget). KATIE HERZOG (WaMu Theater, 7:30 pm, $66+)
Tues May 7
Kara Swisher Swisher is probably the most accomplished—and feared—tech journalist in the country. One of life's great pleasures is listening to her dress down a tech bro CEO on her Recode Decode podcast, or watching her grill @jack on Twitter, or reading her analysis in the New York Times on Amazon's latest takeover of some business sector I didn't even know existed. Swisher holds big tech accountable—and she's pretty fucking funny while she's doing it, which is a vital service in a world where four major tech companies basically monopolize media, entertainment, information, and the distribution of consumer goods. At this SAL event, she'll lecture on social media and responsible ways to run tech companies. RICH SMITH (Benaroya Hall, 7:30 pm, $20–$80)
Thurs May 9
Seattle Arts & Lectures Presents: An Evening with Melinda Gates The businesswoman and global women's rights activist will talk about the "link between women's empowerment and the health of societies" as she presents her book The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World. (McCaw Hall, 7:30 pm, $42–$182)
Science/Nature
Tues March 19
Frans de Waal: Mama's Last Hug The title of the latest tome from the brilliant Dutch American ethologist and author refers to a video of a dying chimpanzee named Mama hugging her human biologist friend. From this image, de Waal delves into non-human species' emotional lives. (Seattle First Baptist Church, 7:30 pm, $5/$33)
March 24–26
National Geographic Live — Capturing the Impossible Bryan Smith takes risks to obtain the footage he wants, whether he's ice-climbing Niagara Falls or hang-gliding in the Canadian Rockies. (Benaroya Hall, $28–$48)
Tues March 26
Dahr Jamail: The End of Ice Mountaineer and journalist Jamail will give insights from his new book, about the people whose lives are already being turned upside-down by global warming: fishers, farmers, and coast-dwellers included. (The Summit, 7:30 pm, $5)
April 2–May 21
UW Science Engage! Co-hosted by Town Hall, this Tuesday night series will allow UW researchers to practice science communication skills and attendees to learn about cutting-edge research, from the link between obesity, diabetes, and tuberculosis, to genetic susceptibility, landing on Europa, and more. (Ada's Technical Books, 7:30 pm, $5)
Tues April 9
Salmon People: Northwest Native Opposition to Genetically Engineered Fish Learn about the risks of farming genetically engineered fish in the Pacific Northwest at this Town Hall movie night and talk with New Canoe Media. (Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 7 pm, $5)
April 14–16
National Geographic Live — Wild Seas, Secret Shores Shark-obsessed photographer and scientist Thomas Peschak will show photos of great whites, manta rays, whale sharks, and other amazing fish in this special talk and presentation. (Benaroya Hall, $28–$48)
Thurs May 2
Bill McKibben: Falter The author and activist has been on the front lines of the fight against climate change for decades, and as everyone north, east, south, and west of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue seems to realize, the news about our warming planet gets a little direr each day. Why are Americans still debating the existence of climate change as the world burns around us? For that, we can thank the oil industry in general and Exxon in particular, and McKibben will review our fraught history and (hopefully) tell us just what to expect as the world keeps warming up. KATIE HERZOG (To Be Announced)
Mon May 6
The Neuroscience of a One-Track Mind: A Lecture-Concert This highly intellectual, multidisciplinary evening will begin with a lecture by UW neuroscientist Chantel Prat on what happens in the brain when we concentrate, then continue with a solo marimba performance by Erin Jorgensen. (The Royal Room,7 pm, $20/$30)
Sat May 18
Professor Brian Cox Neil Degrasse Tyson has likened Cox to Carl Sagan, which is an impressive vote of confidence. Cox is an ex-musician (including membership in D:Ream, of "Things Can Only Get Better" fame), and current English physicist and professor of particle physics at University of Manchester who's lent his expertise to a variety of science and space programs for BBC, gives talks on topics like AI and entropy, and spreads knowledge in a down-to-earth, cultured, accessible manner. This night, he'll use "state-of-the-art imagery" on giant high def screens to "explore the nature of science and time from the big bang to black holes." LP (Moore Theatre, 8:30 pm, $50–$60)
Fourth Wednesdays
Astronomy on Tap If discussing dark matter with like-minded folks sounds interesting to you, read on. If discussing it with a beer in your hand sounds even better, you'll probably enjoy these events, which strive to be "accessible and engaging," and typically include non-boring science presentations on topics ranging from the beginning of the universe as we know it to black holes. (Peddler Brewing Company, free)
Sociology/Psychology
Wed April 10
Lori Gottlieb and Dan Savage: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone Gottlieb (of the Atlantic column Dear Therapist) demystifies her profession in Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, which finds her chronicling her career and her own attempt to get her psyche in order. She'll be chatting with The Stranger's own sex and relationships columnist Dan Savage at this Town Hall event. (The Summit, 7:30 pm, $5)
Tues May 14
Jared Diamond: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis The author of Guns, Germs, and Steel (about the technological discrepancies between different societies), and Collapse (an analysis of societal doom) will tackle question of how civilizations can make choices to avert catastrophe. (Seattle First Baptist Church, 7:30 pm, $5–$40)
Humor
Mon May 20
Bob Newhart The comedian and actor (Elf, The Big Bang Theory, and, of course, The Bob Newhart Show) will speak about a lifetime of dealing out deadpan humor. (McCaw Hall, 7:30 pm, $50–$480)
Music
Mon April 8
Hanif Abdurraqib: Go Ahead in the Rain Abdurraqib writes good poetry about music, and good music criticism using the tools of poetry. Combining personal narrative with an electric analytical mind, Abdurraqib has made me consider the work of artists like Celine Dion, Macklemore, and Carly Rae Jepsen more deeply than I ever imagined I would. And, as much as it pains me to say, it's true: He has written powerfully about the band Fall Out Boy. His essay about going to see a Bruce Springsteen show after visiting Michael Brown's plaque is a must-read, too. So, when news came out that Abdurraqib was working on a biography / book-length personal essay about his love for A Tribe Called Quest, I jumped for joy. RS (Elliott Bay Book Company, 7 pm, free)
Sun April 14
Damon Krukowski: Ways of Hearing Krukowski has gained notoriety this decade as an incisive essayist who's scrutinized how streaming services shaft musicians with pitiful royalties. Beyond that important topic, he's written the books The New Analog: Listening and Reconnecting in a Digital World (2017) and this year's Ways of Hearing, the latter of which is a deep dive into how transitioning from analog to digital audio has transformed people's "perceptions of time, space, love, money, and power." DAVE SEGAL (Elliott Bay Book Company, 3 pm, free)
Fri May 10
Moby: Then It Fell Apart Moby will chat with KUOW's Ross Reynolds about the storms of the celebrity life, and how, as the title of his new book suggests, such joys cannot last. (Seattle First Baptist Church, 7:30 pm, $5)
Wed May 22
Roy Christopher: Dead Precedents Subtitled How Hip-Hop Defines the Future, this book takes a cyberpunk-influenced approach to analyze the rise of hiphop throughout the world. (Elliott Bay Book Company, 7 pm, free)
Writing Technique
Fri April 19
Michael Straus: Translation—From Neruda To Revelations There's far more to translation than just vocabulary and grammar, as translator Michael Straus will reveal. Straus has rendered Pablo Neruda's Grapes in the Wind and the Biblical book of Revelations into English, so he'll be able to approach the problem from at least two different languages and perspectives at this Town Hall event. (The Summit, 7:30 pm, $5)
Thurs May 2
Word Works: Min Jin Lee on Having Faith The literary hit Pachinko, following a Korean family over 70 years, was Min Jin Lee's second novel. It took her 25 years to write. In this lecture, Lee will speak about having faith in herself and her book through all that time. (Hugo House, 7 pm, $15)
Sports
Mon April 15
Abby Wambach: Wolfpack—How to Change the Game The international soccer star, Olympic gold medalist, World Cup champion, and multiple winner of the US Soccer Athlete of the Year Award will present her new book at this Town Hall event. (Seattle First Baptist Church, 7:30 pm, $5–$25)
Open Mic/Storytelling
Tues March 19
Salon of Shame #89 Writing that makes you cringe ("middle school diaries, high school poetry, unsent letters") is read aloud with unapologetic hilarity. (Theatre Off Jackson, 8 pm, $16)
Thurs March 21
The Moth Seattle GrandSLAM Winners of previous storySLAMs will battle for the title of GrandSLAM Story Champion. Hear inspiring, embarrassing, enlightening, sometimes enraging stories and take home the Moth's new book Occasional Magic: True Stories About Defying The Impossible (included in the ticket). (Seattle First Baptist Church, 8 pm, $35)
Thurs May 23
SAL Presents: The Moth Mainstage Listeners of The Moth know the deal: each storyslammer has a short period of time to tell a compelling story, whether poignant, funny, tragic, or edifying. For this edition, five slammers have worked extensively with the staff of The Moth to develop their tales. (Benaroya Hall, $20–$80)
First Thursdays, Third Fridays
Seattle StorySLAM A live amateur storytelling competition in which audience members who put their names in a hat are randomly chosen to tell stories on a theme. Local comedians tend to show up, but lots of nonperformers get in on the action as well. First Thursday readings take place at the Fremont Abbey; third Friday events at St. Mark's Cathedral. (Various locations, 8 pm, $10)
Second Saturdays
Give Up the Ghost There comes a time of night when the mind turns to ghosts. It's approximately 10 p.m., the hour when you let in the unknown, and shades reveal themselves, and possibilities open. Give Up the Ghost is a new late-night storytelling event at Queen City where a nonfiction writer, fiction writer, poet, journalist, or artist tells a ghost story. CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE (Queen City, 10 pm, free)
Misc
Tues April 2
Graywolf at 45: A Conversation with Fiona McCrae of Graywolf Press Discover how this 45-year-old Port Townsend press has risen to prominence and published authors who've won the highest literary honors in the country—and beyond! (Hugo House, 7 pm, free)
Sat April 27
Independent Bookstore Day Seattle's celebration of the city's plentiful and varied indie bookstores. This year they're bringing back the Passport Challenge: Visit all 19 participating stores, get a stamp at each one, and you'll receive 25 percent off on books all year from those stores. Enjoy a good spring day of buying books in person from booksellers who love you and want you to be happy. Also: FUCK JEFF BEZOS. LONG LIVE INDIES. RICH SMITH (Various locations, free)
Thurs May 16
Eat Read Hugo This annual fundraiser includes dinner by seasonal caterers Herban Feast, a live auction of unique items and experiences you probably want to bid on, and a talk by special guest author Laurie Frankel (This Is How It Always Is, Goodbye for Now). Proceeds help Hugo House in its efforts to bring all those fantastic authors to its stage and give scholarships and fellowships to emerging writers, because this isn't a career that pays, people. The newbs need all the support they can get, and Hugo House does its part to offer it. You should, too. Go eat and be merry for a good cause. LP (Sodo Park, 5:30 pm $200/$350)
First Wednesdays
Silent Reading Party One of the weirdest, most wonderful parties you'll ever go to, because no one talks to you and you can get some reading done. You curl up on a couch or in a wingback chair with whatever you feel like reading, while Paul Moore plays piano and waiters bring you things. The reading party, which turns 10 years old in 2019, is so popular that there is often a line out the door just to get a seat. CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE (Hotel Sorrento, 6 pm, free)
Last Tuesdays
Literary Happy Hour Each reading is loosely organized around the theme of "drafting." Over the course of two hours, the four participating writers are encouraged to use part of their time onstage to read an old draft, give a craft talk about some element of literary composition, or else show their work in some way. Low-key, consistent nights like this can help readers find their writers (and vice versa), and a city of this size needs places for happy, un-dumb literary accidents to happen. RICH SMITH (Capitol Cider, 5 pm, free)
