October 2017

  • Playing With Your Words

    Patient parents, have you put up with perpetual puns and palindromes? Troubled teachers, are you tired of tolerating tongue twisters?  Sometimes growing literacy skills and an emerging sense of humor collide in a dazzling display of fondness for word play.  It’s a good thing!  It means that the left and right brain hemispheres are communicating. … Continue reading

  • A Tale of Two Comix Celebrations: ICAF and Short Run Comix

    During the first weekend in November, Seattle will be hosting both the International Comic Arts Forum Conference, and the Short Run Comix & Arts Festival, both free to attend! Continue reading

  • The Spy Who Loved Me

    What is it about spies that make them such fantastic romance heroes? Is it the air of danger? The ability to write in code? Or maybe it’s that, when a hero is a spy, you know that eventually they’ll have to let down their guard and expose their secrets to the woman they love, proof… Continue reading

  • Talkin’ Turkey

    What do you call it when it rains turkeys?  Fowl Weather (of course!) Most times, these ungainly strutting birds get no respect, not even as dinner’s main course. Take the Butterball Turkey Helpline—most new cooks are baffled by such a huge rotund bird for which large roasting pans and big ovens are required—as their many… Continue reading

  • Evolution of a Sustainable City

    This September, I set up a display on the Central Library’s 7th floor called “Sustainable Cities” to complement a traveling exhibition we were showing at the time elsewhere in the building. The display featured books and documentaries about how to design and build an urban environment that would offer more economic and energy security, better… Continue reading

  • Lovecraft Revisited

    Confession: I have never read anything by legendary horror/fantasy writer H.P. Lovecraft. And I am unlikely to do so going forward. What I have been doing is reading a bunch of books inspired by Lovecraft. I’m sure that there are references and nuances I’m missing, but I’ve really been enjoying these books on their own… Continue reading

  • Read Local: 2017 Washington Book Award winners

    Read Local: 2017 Washington Book Award winners

    Here’s to the finalists and winners of the 2017 Washington State Book Awards, celebrating books and their creators that speak to the creative talent and literary legacy of our state. More than 200 books were considered for this year’s awards. Taking home the top awards on October 14, 2017, in eight categories were: Continue reading

  • THE CRUCIBLE: Beyond the Theatre

    ACT (A Contemporary Theatre) presents THE CRUCIBLE by Arthur Miller from October 13 to November 12, 2017. THE CRUCIBLE is Miller’s powerful, classic play about the Salem witch trials and a compelling allegory for the political repression of the McCarthy era. Librarians at Seattle Public Library created this list of books and films to enhance… Continue reading

  • You Can Judge a Book by Its Cover!

    By blind jury, fifty iconic books were selected for inclusion into the OPEN●SET exhibition now on view at the Central Library until October 28. This exhibit showcases finely crafted bookbinding. Unlike mass produced books, these handbound books will last for centuries! The title of the show is a clue to the kinds of covers that… Continue reading

  • Where It’s At: Science Fiction & Fantasy Novellas

    Some of the most exciting and fresh voices in science fiction and fantasy are coming out in short form. While short stories have long been where authors develop their craft and where innovation happens in the genre, novellas are currently a hot commodity for authors who are challenging the status quo. Novellas are where women,… Continue reading

  • How to Evaluate and Select a Franchise

    Today’s guest post is by Jeff Levy. Levy is a nationally recognized consultant and coach to individuals interested in exploring self-employment. Jeff shares from his wealth of business experience as a founding member of Windswept Capital, President and COO of Spider Staging Corporation, an officer at Flow International, and Executive VP and principal of SafeWorks… Continue reading

  • Freedom Through Franchising

    Today’s guest post is by Jeff Levy. Levy is a nationally recognized consultant and coach to individuals interested in exploring self-employment. Jeff shares from his wealth of business experience as a founding member of Windswept Capital, President and COO of Spider Staging Corporation, an officer at Flow International, and Executive VP and principal of SafeWorks… Continue reading

  • Tears and Fears: Making Sense of Emotions with Kids

    Helping your little one recognize and respond to the tumult of emotions they may be experiencing at any given time is no easy task, especially during the full wrath of a grocery-store tantrum! Taking time to name your child’s feelings or, better yet, providing them the space to name their feelings themselves, is just one… Continue reading

  • Know Your Rights: Intellectual Freedom & Libraries

    The public library as an institution is charged with providing access to information, regardless of content. In doing so, the library stands firm in upholding the First Amendment and the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights. This is why, as Jo Godwin famously stated, “A truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone.”… Continue reading

  • New nonfiction roundup – October 2017

    There is so much good nonfiction coming out in October, we had to split it up into categories! Continue reading

  • New fiction roundup – October 2017

    October sees a new releases by big name authors as well as a selection of debuts. Continue reading

  • Spooky Stories in Libraries and Bars, all October!

    Turn down the lights, get yourself a drink and gather round while we take you on a little trip down a dark and twisted road to the place where your fears like buried. This month we have extra spooky story times for grown ups in store, at the library and coming soon to a pub near… Continue reading