The Richard Hugo House is challenging Seattle writers to create a new piece of work from a top-secret “list of ingredients,” in just 72 hours. The official writers are Sherman Alexie, Pam Houston, T.M. McNally and Devin Sullivan, but Hugo House has posted the list on their website, so that everyone can participate. The very bold may read their brand new work on Saturday morning at Hugo House.

Go! Now! Hurry! The countdown has already started!!!

[EDIT: The list is no longer top-secret, obviously, now that it's been posted on the Hugo House site.]

dubs, via UW

In September, Spirit, the old Husky mascot sustained a shoulder injury and retired early rather than watching the UW football team’s painfully losing season. At last, the long search for a new UW mascot and the contest to name it has come to an blessed ending.
The people have spoken and the newly chosen puppy, picked in what we can only assume to be a process like the mysterious used by The Others to choose their leader, has been unfortunately dubbed “Dubs”. Early this week, his own homepage [gohuskies] and had his first face-to-face with the media. There, he romped around on the track, sat prettily for treats, and generally charmed reporters.

There’s a video of the whole adorable affair on the website. Go ahead, watch it and melt. Let’s hope that Spirit has a happy retirement watching the new kid cheer on a team that has a slightly better season. [gohuskies]

Pizza Fusion, Whole Pie

Pizza Fusion (new location at 12th between Madison and Pike, Capitol Hill) is one of a series of new pizza joints that have cropped up in the Seattle area (think Zaw as an example), with emphasis on organic, local, green. Pizza Fusion takes this three steps further.
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* 6:30 PM: I am not sure how I feel about former President Jimmy Carter. I was merely a wee tot when he was CIC; since then he’s been a relentless activist. How effective is his activism? Is he helping or hindering a Middle East peace? It depends on your point of view. Judge for yourself: Mr. Carter will be at the U-District UW Bookstore to sign his most recent book, We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work. There’s a whole list of signing guidelines, so be sure to check the link before you run out to buy yourself a copy.
[LINK]

* 7:30 PM: Seattle artist Ginny Ruffner will be at Elliott Bay Book Co. to promote her newest pop-up book, The Imagination Cycle, proving that pop-up books aren’t just for kids. I love pop-up books. And pop-up cards. Anything that pops-up, really. Anyway… examples of Ruffner’s work can be found around town; find out where by checking her website.
[LINK]

Swedish popster Lykke Li is coming to the Showbox Market this Friday for an all-ages show, and if your vision of a pre-Valentine’s day evening includes the expanded universe of Peter, Björn and John, then MBSeattle might just be able to hook you up. Her publicists promises (threatens?) “harpsichords, flutes, and theremins” on her new album Youth Novels, but all we promise to do is select one lucky winner for två (2) tickets.

Her show last October at Neumos (pictured above) drew a capacity crowd for her mix of cymbals and vaguely-funky-chicken-esque dance moves. Email us at seattle.metblogs at gmail.com with “lykke li” as the subject if you’d like a chance to see for yourself.

// Lykke Li, Wildbirds & Peacedrums. Doors 8 pm, $20 adv, 13 february.

* 7:00 PM: I’ve been waiting for the release of debut author Jamie Ford’s Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet ever since the deal was announced, lo, these many moons ago. Set in Seattle’s International District during WWII, Hotel… tells the story of Henry Lee, an ethnic Chinese, and his first true love, Japanese-American Keiko Okabe. Ford is doing the obligatory book tour, and tonight’s stop is The Panama Hotel, the very hotel the story is based on. Ford grew up in Seattle (his great-grandfather changed the family’s surname from Chung), though he now lives in Montana. This is a terrific opportunity to hear an author speak at and about the place that inspired their work. Don’t let the weather keep you away!
Panama Hotel Coffee and Tea House, 605 ½ S. Main St. 206-223-9242

photo by joshc [flickr]. the dust on that buffalo is vintage.

Tonight marks the fifteenth birthday of Linda’s, Capitol Hill’s most favorite pseudo-Montana tavern. Really though, the thematic qualification is hardly needed: as the flagship in the increasingly wonderful fleet launched by Linda Derschang three-quarter score years ago, it’s practically the neighborhood’s living room and back patio.

Tonight beer prices drop to 1994 levels (perfect for the economic climate!) and the first people to show up to pay their respects get commemorative T-shirts; so it should be even more of a fun Tuesday night than usual.

related: On the occasion of the bar’s tenth birthday, the P-I profiled Linda [p-i]. Since then Viceroy is now Rob Roy and she’s opened Smith on 15th, King’s Hardware in Ballard, and Oddfellows in Capitol Hill, making it possible to find great comfortable drinking throughout the city limits.

photo by Rachel Barsness [flickr] via our group pool [#].

• ZOMG! A peek at Throw Me the Statue’s new album, which comes out next week. [mbv]
• the Seattle P-I’s website & blogs are really really popular [slog] and Hearst owns the URLs [slog] and recently paid a visit to take a look at the company in person. [publicola]
• Monqui is starting to promote shows as early as 20 March for the Crocodile (and its shiny new logo [twitter]). No offense to “bluegrass pioneers” Hot Buttered Rum and Everybody Orchestra, but I’m hoping that they aren’t the opening night show. [soundonthesound]
• Stop the presses: a bartender at Vessel, a swank bar that rightly prides itself on classic and inventive cocktails, frowned upon a pair of customers who dashed in for intermission tequila shots. [voracious]
• Science suggests that NARN turn their efforts from protesting liver outside lark toward following the path that brought ethics to laboratory experiments on animals. [dearscience]