Fall is a great time to sink into a riveting read. Even better: Read the book, and then see the author speak at one of these upcoming events with The Seattle Public Library.
From Tananarive Due’s new horror novel set in Jim Crow-era Florida to Lauren Groff’s 17th century survival story to new books by Timothy Egan, Jonathan Evison and Bryan Washington, the Library truly has something for everyone this autumn.
All library events are free and open to the public. Check the event descriptions at spl.org/Calendar for registration links. Find more upcoming programs at spl.org/Authors.
Graphic novelists Jillian and Mariko Tamaki discuss “Roaming” with Seattle arts writer Jas Keimig. From 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 18. Central Library, Microsoft Auditorium. The Tamakis’ acclaimed new graphic novel “Roaming” captures three young adults – two long-term friends and a newcomer who throws everything off-kilter – as they embark on a much-anticipated trip to New York City, with “pitch perfect dialogue” (The Guardian”) and “gloriously rendered images” (The New York Times). RSVPs requested but not required.
Good to know: Jillian and Mariko Tamaki are the collaborator/cousin team behind “Skim” and the Governor General’s Literary Award winning “This One Summer.”
Lauren Groff discusses “The Vaster Wilds.” From 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 19. Central Library, Microsoft Auditorium. The bestselling author (“Matrix,” “Fates and Furies”) reinvents the adventure novel with “The Vaster Wilds,” about a spirited 17th century girl surviving in the wilderness after escaping a colonial settlement. Groff will be in conversation with Daniel Tam-Claiborne, a multiracial essayist, multimedia producer and author of the short story collection “What Never Leaves.” Registration is required.
Good to know: Groff wrote an early draft of the novel in iambic pentameter, according to this New York Times feature.
“From Page to Stage: Adapting ‘No-No Boy’ for Today’s Theater.” From 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 24. Central Library, Microsoft Auditorium. For the second event in a series celebrating the centennial of John Okada’s birth, guest curator Frank Abe, Paul Adolphson and guests will discuss the process of adapting “No-No Boy,” Okada’s seminal Japanese- American novel, for the stage. Registration is required.
Good to know: Read the Seattle Times and Northwest Asian Weekly articles for fascinating background on Okada, Abe’s connection to Okada and how the series came about.
Bullitt Lecture in American History: Dr. Blair LM Kelley and “The Roots of the Black Working Class.” From 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25. Northwest African American Museum, 2300 South Massachusetts St. In her book “Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class,” award-winning historian Dr. Blair LM Kelley illuminates the adversities and joys of the Black working class in America through a stunning narrative centered on her forebears.
Good to know: Dr. Kelley’s first book, “Right to Ride,” won the Letitia Woods Brown Memorial Book Prize.
Chloe Fulton reads “What Are You?” From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28. Douglass-Truth Branch, meeting room. Award-winning local author Chloe Fulton reads her children’s book celebrating the experience of being mixed race and promoting self-love regardless of skin color. Registration not required.
Good to know: Fulton’s reading will be from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. including a Q&A with the author, followed by a guided self-love-inspired journal and art session and refreshments.
Bestselling horror author Tananarive Due discusses “The Reformatory” With Nisi Shawl. From 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1. Central Library Microsoft auditorium. Bestselling horror author Tananarive Due’s first full-length novel in 10 years is about a 12-year-old boy in Jim Crow-era Florida who journeys into the terrors of an infamous “school for boys.” Due, who based the story in part on her family’s history, will be in conversation with Seattle speculative fiction author Nisi Shawl. Registration is required.
Good to know: Due also has a story out in Jordan Peele’s new horror anthology, “Out There Screaming,” and was featured with Peele in this NPR story.
Bullitt Lecture in American History: Timothy Egan: “A Fever in the Heartland.” From 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. Central Library, Microsoft Auditorium. In “A Fever in the Heartland,” award-winning journalist and author Egan shares the riveting story of the Klan’s rise to power in the 1920s, the cunning con man who drove that rise, and the woman who stopped them. Registration is required.
Good to know: Egan, a Seattle-based author, won the 2006 National Book Award for his account of the Dust Bowl, “The Worst Hard Time.” Check out “A Fever in the Heartland” with no wait from the Library’s Peak Picks collection.
Jack Straw Writers Showcase. From 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 4. Central Library, Microsoft Auditorium. Come hear new work from the members of this year’s Jack Straw cohort of writers, curated by Priscilla Long. The Jack Straw Writers Program has included more than 250 Pacific Northwest writers who represent a diverse range of literary genres. Registration is required.
Good to know: Each year, the Jack Straw cohort of writers receive training in vocal presentation, performance and microphone technique to prepare them for studio recording and live readings. www.jackstraw.org.
Bryan Washington discusses “Family Meal.” From 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 9. Central Library, Microsoft Auditorium. Bestselling author Bryan Washington discusses his new novel, an intimate portrait of two men whose lives collide again after a loss, with Kim Fu, author of “Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century.” Registration required.
Good to know: Washington is the winner of a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Award, among many other honors. Check out “Family Meal” with no wait from the Library’s Peak Picks collection.
Jonathan Evison discusses “Again and Again.” From 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., Monday, Nov. 13. Central Library, Microsoft Auditorium. Beloved local author Jonathan Evison will talk about his newest book, a poignant and endlessly surprising story about love lost, found and redeemed. Registration required.
Good to know: The Bainbridge Island-based author is the author of many novels including “Lawn Boy,” “Small World,” and “The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving.” Check out “Again and Again” with no wait from the Library’s Peak Picks collection.
The Postwar Seattle Chinatown of John Okada. From 2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 19. Central Library, Microsoft Auditorium. The final program in the John Okada centennial series explores the sense of place in postwar Seattle Chinatown that imbues the pages of “No-No Boy.” Speakers include family historian Shox Tokita, former Seattle City Councilmember Dolores Sibonga, and Dr. Marie Rose Wong, author of “Building Tradition: Pan-Asian Seattle and Life in the Residential Hotels.” Registration required.
Good to know: Watch the Seattle Channel’s film of the first event in the series, where curator Frank Abe presents little-seen images and stories from Okada’s life and writer Shawn Wong share the story of republishing “No-No Boy” in the 1970s.
A number of these events were supported by The Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation and The Seattle Public Library Foundation.
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