*7:00 PM: Poet and former nun, Madeline DeFrees will speak at the UW’s Suzallo Library 101. Ms. DeFrees has won more awards than you can shake a stick at. [LINK]

* 7:00 PM: Hugo House hosts Poet Populist-elect Mike Hickey, finalists Ananda Selah Osel, Roseanne Estelle McAleese, and Chelsey Richardson, and other, unnamed, nominees. There will be drinks and door prizes. Woot! [LINK]

* 7:30 PM: Amitav Ghosh has won the ALA Notable Book Award and was a finalist for this year’s Man Booker Prize. He’ll be at Elliott Bay Book Company tonight to read and sign his newest novel, Sea of Poppies, the first in a proposed trilogy. Fans of Ghosh’s work will undoubtedly be all over this book, but new readers might find the first volume of the “Ibis” trilogy a bit uneven and schizophrenic, with an abrupt ending that offers no resolution. Which can happen with series’ novels… [LINK]

* 7:30 PM: Fremont’s Café Babel hosts author Jeffrey Overstreet. Overstreet will read from Auralia’s Colors and his new novel, Cyndere’s Midnight. Billed as Christian Fantasy, the series is available at SPU’s bookstore. Attendees with a copy of one of the books in hand will get a free poster of the cover art. [LINK]

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for Wednesday, October 29, 2008

* Seattle Public Library has announced that My Jim by Seattle author Nancy Rawles is the 2009 Seattle Reads selection. My Jim is based on the character of Jim in Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Told from the perspective of Jim’s wife, Sadie, My Jim offers a different perspective on the familiar novel. SPL has ordered 38 new trade paperbacks in anticipation of demand, to supplement the six hardcovers currently in stock. [LINK]

The past few years have seen a number of authors retelling classic novels: Ahab’s Wife by Sena J. Naslund, (Moby Dick); March by Geraldine Brooks (Little Women); Wicked by Gregory Maguire (The Wizard of Oz). I’ll be interested in how Rawles’s contribution to the genre compares. Has anyone out there already read it? What did you think?

* 12:15 – 1:45 PM: SPL’s Wallingford Branch hosts Book-It Repertory Theatre for another presentation of their “Danger: Books!” program. Professional actors will read from banned or challenged books. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is way up there on the list of frequently banned or challenged books, which ties in nicely with Seattle Reads 2009. [LINK]

* 6:30 PM: YA Fantasy author Patrick Carman visits SPL Ballard Branch to read from Stargazer, the fourth novel in his “Land of Elyon” series. [LINK]

* 7:00 PM: Laura Anne Gilman will be at the U-District UW Bookstore to read and sign book number five in her “Retrievers” series, Free Fall. A little different from the current wave of paranormal romance novels dominating genre fiction sales, Gilman’s “Retrievers” books tend more towards the Science Fiction end of the spectrum than Fantasy/Horror. They aren’t bad. [LINK]

* 7:30 PM: Town Hall Seattle presents Mike Chinoy, former Senior Asia Correspondent for CNN and author of Meltdown: The Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis. Chinoy will talk about North Korea policy in the Bush Administration, as well as what challenges the country may present to our next president. $5 at the door, or via www.brownpapertickets.com, 800/838-3006. [LINK]

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If you want to get a head start on Halloween, then scroll down to the end for a list of weekend Halloween happenings. If you’re like me, and you think that one day of Halloween is just plenty, thank you, then here’s some non-Halloween weekend fun:

Family Day at SAM

Art activities, games and live performances to celebrate the opening of the S’abadeb exhibit of Pacific coast Salish art.

Family day activities are from 10am - 3pm on 10/25. The exhibit runs through 1/11.

Greenwood Fall Carnival

Face painting, bouncy houses, games, music and food. Proceeds benefit art and music programs at Greenwood Elementary. While you’re there you can hit the Greenwood Safe Trick or Treat from noon - 3pm.

10/25, 1-5pm at Greenwood Elementary

Family Concert at Town Hall

Chic Streetman comes to Town Hall as part of the Saturday Family Concert series with a performance entitled, “What are Mom and Dad voting for?”

10/25, 11am and 1pm, Town Hall

Fall Festival at Swansons Nursery

Hayrides, face painting, vegetable car races and more. Plus, planting containers are 40% off.

10/25 - 10/26, 11am-3pm, Swansons

Day of the Dead craft activity

Create and decorate a skeleton mobile at the Greenwood library to celebrate Day of the Dead.

10/26, 1-2pm, Greenwood Library

Halloween Happenings

• Mt. Baker Trick or Treat Party - meet at Bradner Gardens Park. 10/26, 2-4pm. Come in costume. Bring your own apples and cup to make your own apple cider on a manual apple press.
• Pacific Science Center has tricks, treats and science feats and nightly Haunted Hikes.
• Un-haunted house at Moonpaper Tent
• Trick or treat on the waterfront with entertainment and activities at the Aquarium
• Pumpkin prowl at the zoo
• Eco-green Halloween at Camp Long
• Halloween Hoopla in Wallingford, supports Boys and Girls club

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In addition to pumpkin patches galore, here’s some more weekend happenings:

Young Gardeners Story Time at the Center for Urban Horticulture

The theme this week is fall fruit with books about apples, pears, and bananas. I’m not sure how bananas qualify as fall fruit, but it’s all good, I guess. The stories are followed by a hands-on activity.

10/11, 10-11am, Elisabeth C. Miller Library

Kelsey Creek Farm Fair

Fall farm fun with pony rides, hayrides, kid’s crafts, and pumpkin decorations. Live entertainment by Cowboy Buck.

10/11 - 10/12, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Kelsey Creek Farm Park

Sounds of Cuba at the South Park Library

Learn about Cuban dance music and culture in this bilingual presentation by the Supersones classic guitar trio. Refreshments provided.

10/11, 3-4pm, South Park Library

Grand opening celebration for the expanded Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center

Mercer Slough is a 320 acre nature park within the city of Bellevue. To celebrate the opening of their newly expanded Environmental Education Center they are having speakers and workshops throughout the day. Activities include: native species on-site planting, water creature exploration in the ponds, toddler hikes, and facility tour with park rangers.

10/11, 10am - 5pm at Mercer Slough. Free shuttles run every 15 min. from the Newport High School parking lot

Utsav: South Asian Performing Arts Festival

“Strings, flutes, drums and dances from various South Asian countries highlight the talented artists of the Northwest. Ancient and modern, vocal and instrumental music and a tremendous variety of dance styles and their rhythmic foot beats convey the deep connections of Seattle’s growing South Asian community to these countries’ art forms.”

10/11 - 10/12 at the Seattle Center House and UW campus, locations and schedule of events here

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~Wm. Shakespeare, Henry V

* The U-District UW Bookstore goes all high-tech and 21st century at 5:00 PM tonight, with a Live Broadcast webcast interview of Philip Roth, to discuss his Indignation. And yes, I did mean it that way. Although, to be fair, I’ve only managed to finish one of his previous 28 books, though not for lack of trying. “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!”

* After being tromped by a “giant of American letters” (per the UW Bookstore), head up to the University Branch of Seattle Public Library for a light and refreshing change of pace. Local author Steve Roberts will be on hand to discuss Wine Trails of Washington, 6:30 – 7:45 PM. Wine Trails profiles 228 wineries, grouped by 32 regions.

* Roving farther afield than Washington wineries, Wide World Books & Maps hosts Beth Whitman, author of the Globe Trekker Press series Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo, tonight at 7:00 PM. Whitman is promoting the latest in her series, India for Women.

* Speaking of wandering, where’s farther than a galaxy far, far away? Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson go back to Arrakis with the newly published Paul of Dune. This installment of the long-running series, spawned by Frank Herbert, examines the Jihad years. The authors will read and sign at the U-District UW Bookstore at 7:00 PM.

* If you don’t feel like spending your evening up north, the Central Library is hosting Christopher Buckley. Buckley’s newest novel, Supreme Courtship, takes on (what else?) America’s judicial system. He’ll be reading and signing in the Microsoft Auditorium 7:00 – 8:30 PM.

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~ Samuel Green, from ‘Breaking Ground’

* Originally self-published back in 2000, Brunonia Barry’s semi-historical mystery/suspense novel The Lace Reader sold to William Morrow for a rumored 2.4 million. Morrow is pushing the novel as their big summer sleeper hit, with a first print run of as many as 200,000 copies, spurring a minor kerfuffle and some public sniping from the novel’s initial publicists, Kelly & Hall Book Publicity. That said, reviews have been excellent, and libraries and bookstores around the country report brisk trade. SPL, itself, currently has 143 active holds on 32 copies (I’m currently in queue at #65. HA!). If you want to know what the hype is all about, Barry is expected to be signing at Seattle Mystery Bookshop tomorrow, Saturday, September 6th. She is scheduled to appear at the Ballard SPL Branch on Sunday, September 7th at 2:00 PM, as well. UPDATE: Ms. Barry is having some transportation issues, so her appearance at Seattle Mystery Bookshop has been rescheduled to noon on Monday, September 8th. Then she’s off to Bellingham, and the rest of a really massive book tour.

* Book-It Theatre is bringing their “Danger: Books!” show to the Ballard Branch of SPL on Saturday, September 6th. Actors read and perform selections from banned books. The show starts at 2:00 PM and runs about an hour. Book-It’s website is currently under construction, so there is no way to confirm precisely how dangerous the performance will be.

* Also on Saturday, September 6th, Mr. Sam Green, Washington’s Poet Laureate, will read at SPL’s Fremont Branch, along with Richard Wakefield and Kathleen Flenniken. Wakefield teaches writing and AmLit; Flenniken’s collection “Famous” was named a Notable Book of the Year by the American Library Association. 2:00 – 3:30 PM.

“There’s always more than one way in. Come. Stay
long enough to know what brought you here,
what you leave behind, and what you take away.”
-from “Home Town Park” by Samuel Green

* It seems to be Poetry Weekend in Seattle. Elliott Bay Books is hosting Steven Nightingale on Saturday at 2:00 PM. Nightingale will read selections from Cinnamon Theologies, his third collection of sonnets.

* On Sunday, the theme continues with Poetry in the Park. Kerry Cox, Vivienne Inman, Dobbie Norris, and Herb Sundvall will read at Victor Steinbrueck Park from 4:00 – 6:00 PM. There will be a limited open mike, so bring your best doggerel and worst verse to the Northwest corner, and get in line.

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English Breakfast at Voxx by culinaryfool [flickr] via our group pool [#]

The Seattle P-I, along with City Club, hosted a panel tonight on neighborhood blogging. Panelists included Tracy Record of West Seattle Blog, Cory Bergman of MyBallard, Amber Campbell of Rainier Valley Post, Scott Schaefer of B-Town Blog, and Heather McLeland-Wieser with the Seattle Public Library’s Shelftalk.

Moderator Monica Guzman of the The Big Blog asked the panelists a number of questions involving how they generated readership, moderated comments, used advertising, worked with the local media, and how local blogs have been able to cover local neighborhood issues in ways that traditional media is unable to cover.

Many of the panelists shared different stories about how their blogs are engaging their community. Campbell mentioned that Rainier Valley Post was recently able to contribute to a fund for the funeral of a local child that was killed in their neighborhood through PayPal donations, and Record shared her passion for the pets section of West Seattle Blog. The amount of information available through these local (and sometimes hyperlocal) blogs is amazing, and many of the bloggers, like Record, Bergman and Campbell have devoted a lot of hours and lost sleep to their neighborhoods.

As Record mentioned, neighborhood or place-blogging has become a kind of ‘calling’ for some Seattleites. If you’re out and about on the Internet, be sure to check out your local blogs- a lot of them are doing some really amazing things in their communities, and if there’s not one in your neighborhood, there probably will be soon (or hey, you could start one yourself- many panelists stayed afterwards to lead a workshop on creating your own blog). Happy reading- and be sure to mention any neighborhood blogs you think are worth reading in our comments- the more, the merrier!

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- Benjamin Disraeli, Lothair

Most of our local literary arts venues chose not to schedule readings and signings during Bumbershoot, but those of us starving for words and too poor to pay One Reel’s cover charge can throw our own personal music & arts festivals. Spend your money on your beverage of choice, check out a work by the following Bumbershoot-featured artists from our handy-dandy public library, and thumb your nose at the crowds, bad food, long lines, and grotty toilets.

Saturday:
• Saul Williams has published several books of hip-hop poetry. The most recent, The Dead Emcee Scrolls, received a starred review from Publisher Weekly, particularly for the opening poem “NGH WHT”. Also well worth checking out is the DVD Russell Simmons presents: Def Poetry, Season 3, which features Mos Def, Jill Scott, Common, Kanye West, and Lou Reed, in addition to Mr. Williams.

• Seattle author Sherman Alexie made quite a splash this year with The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, but you’ll be waiting weeks for a copy to become available through SPL. Check out Ten Little Indians, a collection of 11 compassionate, wry, and revelatory stories, instead. The collection is outstanding, alternately poignant and hilarious, and often both at once. Another good choice is his 2000 collection of nine stories, The Toughest Indian in the World.

• Christa Bell doesn’t have a book out, but she does have a website and a MySpace page, so you can watch and listen to her rant, rave, and revelate about the power of CoochiMagick in the comfort of your own home. No lines, no waiting, plenty of comfortable seating.
http://www.christabellonline.com/
http://www.myspace.com/christabellonmyspace
Read more

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I just got back from a whirlwind of a trip to NYC. Years and years ago, I actually lived in Midtown and racked up a pretty penny in credit card debt because of it. Now, I just like to visit every now and then. But I thought I should share my take on which city is better (in my opionion).

Airports: Seattle wins

• Sea-Tac: I know in a previous post I mentioned my distaste for Sea-Tac. I since realized I’m a dumbfuck and have come to love their cleanliness, their easy going attitudes and if you go on a Saturday at 7am you won’t have to wait on any lines at all.
  
• JFK: Normally, I wouldn’t fly into JFK but for whatever reason this was either the cheapest or the most direct way to get to New York. When I got off to use the bathroom I was petrified. Old stinky bathrooms, with kids crying and doors that wouldn’t lock properly. Never mind the fact that an Italian dad slapped his kid for just standing there. I knew I arrived in New York, and immediately wanted to go back home.

Food: Tie

• Seattle: I think that Seattle has had some great new restaurants lately. Since I live here, get Daily Candy and know a thing or two I have an advantage over tourists who will probably just go to Wild Ginger and never know the glory that is Rancho Bravo or Lunchbox Laboratory. There are some major disappointments though. Like, for a city that has some of the freshest fish, I have yet been to an amazing fish place. I think Tom Douglas is overrated. And don’t even talk to me about Jewish Deli’s or a decent slice of pizza.
  
• New York: Sure, they always say everything is just great there. But I kinda think it’s all hype. For instance, I think Boston has a better Little Italy. And Vancouver has a better Chinatown. Granted I didn’t go to Balthazar (although I’ve been) or Tavern on the Green (I’ve also been and it’s a huge waste of money), but I did go to bodegas, one decent sushi joint and enough Jewish delis to get my fill for the year. I bought one unmemorable black and white cookie at Zaro’s (if you want a Jewy bakery chain that delivers, place your bets on Juniors instead) and then one very memorable one at Mother’s (in the Bronx). Liebman’s Deli had a reasonably priced, and not famously stuffed pastrami sandwich. And I did get to go to my FAVORITE pizza place ever near Columbia on 110th and Broadway. But my $6 hot dog at the Yankees game pissed me off more than filled my tummy with goodness. And besides Mother’s black and white cookie and the pizza, the most memorable food I had was a one scoop of Butterfinger fro-yo at Tasti Dlite. Basically, the things we don’t have in Seattle are great in New York but you can also hit some real duds. A lot.

Transit: New York wins

• New York: Hands down, the subways, buses and everything else are just easier to follow in NYC. You get one little map and you can just figure it out.
  
• Seattle: In Seattle, even the bus drivers don’t really know where they’re going. And the maps (if they’re even there) at the bus stops are in Japanese. The maps on the bus are even worse, because they don’t actually show you ever stop they make. The only way I get around Seattle is on the bus and so I’m dependent on our Trip Planner and I know that if I’m going somewhere I haven’t been to before than I sit up front and tell the driver to tell me when to get off. These are the tricks you learn when living here, but if a tourist came to to Seattle, I can only imagine how confusing getting around would be for them.

Bums: Seattle wins

• Seattle: Okay, maybe the bums only live in Capitol Hill, Downtown, Pioneer Square and University Village but there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t get asked for money or a cigarette. And I don’t even smoke.
  
• New York: Surprisingly, they were missing from this week of tourist fun. Maybe it was the unbearable heat that made them scatter deep into the bushes, but I simply didn’t see many of them. Only one dude made his speech on the train about how he can’t pay for rent, but even he smelled decent enough and didn’t look like he had the crazies. Just shove a Real Change in his hand and he might actually get a buck from me.

People: Seattle wins

• Seattle: I love that Seattle doesn’t have loads of people living here (yet). Because the more people in a city, the more suffocating it gets. In Seattle, you can escape the noise. You don’t hear cabs at all hours. You can go through your whole day without hearing a car honk. And I love this.
  
• New York: When I lived here in my early 20s, I loved the people, the life, the noise. But even after my 3 month stint, I just wanted to relax. Maybe go to a zen garden without my discman (before ipods were invented) and just be. You just can’t do this in Manhattan. And so, for me, this is the biggest reason why I only go to visit and not to live. Because after a week of all that noise and all the people, I just want to curl up in a ball and hide.

Sights: New York wins

• Seattle: I actually kinda think Seattle wins, but to be fair New York really does have so much to see and do. Almost too much. I like Seattle for their breathtaking views of the city and their abundance of parks, but when it comes to old buildings and cool sculptures I think Seattle lacks. I’m much more into older buildings, rather than obscure sculptures of an ampersand. The modern styles of our library are nice, but the older libraries are nicer. And there just aren’t enough big museums here for me.
  
• New York: Museums. Check. Old buildings with character. Check. A great big park in the middle of it all. Check. Check. Like I said, there’s almost too much in New York. But that can also be a good thing.

Overall: Seattle

• I’m biased of course, but I just love it here. Seattle was the first place I moved to where I didn’t know anyone. And I was scared and excited. And as I was driving into the city, it was the first time I said out loud, “I’m gonna live here forever.” It’s only been a little over 2 years, but so far Seattle hasn’t disappointed me yet.

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Planning a party or other special event like a wedding or bat mitzvah or company party can be a lot of fun but it can be rather stressful, too. There are many different factors to consider when putting together an event, like finding a venue, choosing a caterer, hiring entertainers, printing invitations, arranging floral displays…the list of things to do and decisions to be made can be quite long and simply figuring out how to get started on the research that goes into organizing your event can be overwhelming. Sure, you could hire a professional to plan your party for you, but as local businesswoman Jeanne Beauregard says, “Not everyone has the need or the budget to hire an event planner.” According to Beauregard, over 80 percent of events are planned independently, but there are few personalized resources available to meet the needs of people who want to plan their own events.

That’s where her new business comes in: Studio Boum, which opened last week in Fremont, bills itself as an “event research boutique”. Self-styled “event maven” Beauregard has created a unique business niche targeted at the do-it-yourself event planner that offers clients a centralized resource center to assist them in planning their special occasions. Unlike more traditional event planners, the staff at Studio Boum don’t make the decisions for the events being planned, but instead offer general assistance in formulating a plan and access to event planning ideas and tools as well as providing an introduction to partner vendors from whom the client will select.

When I first heard of the Studio Boum concept, I was frankly confused by it–why not use the power of the internet for research?–but after visiting the studio, I am completely convinced of its worth. Simply choosing food for your event can be a massive task when you consider that there are over a hundred caterers in the Seattle metro area and it can be tough to figure out where to start in finding the right one. Studio Boum gives event planners the chance to be a little more focused from the start. Studio Boum clients pay $95 for a six month membership which includes a one-hour initial consultation with Beauregard to discuss the type of event you’re planning, what sort of vendors you’re seeking, what your budget is, and what overall “feel” you want for your event. After your consultation, you get a personalized guide that includes a list of vendors that best match your needs. During your membership, you get unlimited access to the studio resources for planning purposes, which I think is the business’s true selling point. Studio Boum has a huge library of planning resources: event idea books, design and event magazines, vendor portfolios, and a media station to help select bands or DJs. Artfully arranged seating areas invite members to brainstorm together and members get invited to special events like cake tastings and fashion shows. As an added bonus, members are treated to complimentary champagne every time they visit.

If you’re in the process of planning an event, or thinking about planning an event in the future, Studio Boum is well worth checking out.

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