April 2008

  • Row, Row, Row Your Boat

    Seattle considers itself the boating capital of the world. And it should be, with 200 miles of shoreline on Puget Sound, Lake Washington, Lake Union and Green Lake. If you need proof, come to the Opening Day of Boating Season on Saturday, May 3rd. An annual tradition since 1920, the festival is sponsored by the… Continue reading

  • Cold War Graphic Novels

    The Cold War and the post-Cold War era gave authors and artists a lot of grist to mill.  While the novels and plays are famous and plentiful, there isn’t much in the way of graphic art that conveys the history of the time while also telling a great story.  Here are four graphic novels that tackle… Continue reading

  • Cozy up with a Northwest mystery author

    Seattle author Mary Daheim’s “Alpine” mystery series takes place in a gorgeous town in the Cascade Mountains where newspaper editor Emma Lord solves murders and still meets her weekly deadlines. Wondering where to start with this series? Daheim brilliantly titles these in alphabetical order, starting with The Alpine Advocate, The Alpine Betrayal and so on… Continue reading

  • When you can’t get enough … a trio of literary trilogies

    What if you love a book so much you can’t bear for it to end? There may be a solution: Read books that have a sequel or — even better — read a trilogy. One of the best known general fiction trilogies is Robertson Davies’ famous “Deptford Trilogy,” which focuses on Deptford, Ontario, and its inhabitants and… Continue reading

  • Family photo sparks information quest

    I was looking through some old photographs recently and came across this one, taken in 1950, of my father with his mother and sisters standing in front of a Totem Pole. Dad tells me the family had driven over from Chewelah to visit his grandparents, and while they were in Seattle, they stopped at the… Continue reading

  • Comics 101

    As you may know, comics are a big deal in Seattle. We’re home to a number of nationally recognized cartoonists (Ellen Forney, Pete Bagge and Jim Woodring to name just a few), Fantagraphics Books and The Comics Journal. In honor of all the great cartoonists in our midst, The Seattle Public Library threw a Comixtravaganza… Continue reading

  • Parallel stories

    When Possession (A.S. Byatt) came out in 1990, readers of literary fiction swarmed libraries and bookstores to get copies of this story-within-a-story relating the modern day characters to famous people in the past. In Byatt’s tale, a scholar finds an old letter written by Randolph Ash, which leads him into delicious research that in turn… Continue reading

  • King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

    I thought the days of video gaming on console machines were over, but it is not a lost art. King of Kong: a Fistful of Quarters is a truly entertaining documentary about an underdog challenger to the Donkey Kong high score title.  After being laid off from Boeing, Redmond resident Steve Wiebe hones his Kong skills with… Continue reading

  • Hike Seattle

    Happy Earth Day! All over Seattle, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, the sun is peeking out from behind the clouds – spring is finally here! What better time to get out on the trails and explore the beautiful landscapes of the Pacific Northwest? Whether you are a seasoned hiker or novice, there… Continue reading

  • Strangeness in the Stacks

    One of the best things about working in a big library that has been around for a century or so is all the odd and curious old titles one stumbles over in our own vast collection. If you want a sense of what I’m talking about, check out Russell Ash & Brian Lake’s Bizarre Books: A Compendium of… Continue reading

  • Demons Are a Ghouls Best Friend by Victoria Laurie

    When professional medium MJ Holliday hears that a boarding school in Upstate New York is being haunted by a terrifying phantom, she and her business partners rush out to banish the bad guy. With the help of the Lake Placid townsfolk and a friendly specter named Eric, MJ attempts to learn the truth about the… Continue reading

  • April Question of the Month: An irregular series

    The reference librarians at Seattle Public Library are pretty darn amazing.  They don’t know everything, instead they know where to find everything.   As part of an irregular series of posts we salute the talented and dedicated reference staff at your local library.   Names and other identifying information have been removed from the questions we showcase. … Continue reading

  • Earth Day: How about no trash in Seattle?

    It’s Earth Day again! Break out the recycled-paper banners and … well, what does one do to honor Earth Day? This year I would like to highlight the work of one Seattle-based website that’s doing its part towards sustainability by offering an event called No Trash Week. The goal of this event is not to… Continue reading

  • The Triggering Town by Richard Hugo

    One of my favorite books in our poetry section isn’t a book of poetry at all. Richard Hugo’s The Triggering Town gathers nine brief lectures, essays and “sentimental reminiscences” by the beloved Seattle writer. I’m not a poet and I don’t plan to become one, but Hugo’s ideas are so wise and clear, and his humor and candor… Continue reading

  • The Making of a Museum

    With the opening of the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) on March 8, 2008, Seattle’s cultural map expands to include one more unique and interesting destination. Through interactive exhibits, programs and events the museum promises to “document the unique historical and cultural experiences of African Americans in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.” NAAM is, clearly,… Continue reading

  • Want to Write?

    Are you an aspiring writer? Maybe, like me, you used to do a lot of creative writing when you were younger but somehow don’t find the time now. Well, there are a number of aids to help you get into (or back into) the writing habit. First of all, free creative writing classes are popping… Continue reading

  • Cherry blossoms bloom herald the spring

    The appearance of cherry blossoms marks the arrival of spring in Japan, sending revelers of all ages outdoors to enjoy wine and picnic lunches under flowery pink canopies in the nation’s parks and orchards. One cannot delay cherry blossom viewing, or “hanami,” because the cherry blossom is like life: beautiful and tragically fleeting. In Seattle,… Continue reading

  • You know the author, Neil G-A-I-M-A-N. Guyman? Gayman?

    If you like to talk about books with your friends, you’ve probably discovered how many fantastic authors have puzzling, exotic names that it’s unclear how to pronounce. I have discovered in myself an almost superstitious preoccupation with the correct pronunciation of author names. The more I love the author, the more compelled I feel to… Continue reading