If you could use a heart-centered program right about now, go to the Library. Make a zine for someone special on an upcoming Saturday; watch multidisciplinary artist Miz Floes perform a neighborhood narrative in a fusion of spoken word and theater on Feb. 19; or take your beloved to the Red Floor for love poetry on Feb. 22.
More highlights: On Wednesday, Feb. 25, Michiko Aoyama, the bestselling author of “What You Are Looking for Is in the Library,” will discuss her latest “healing fiction” title: “Hot Chocolate on Thursday.” Haven’t heard of healing fiction but are intrigued? Check out our new book list and explanatory Instagram post.
Finally, be part of the club! Our new Book Talk series with KUOW kick offs on Thursday, Feb. 26 with historian and author Coll Thrush, followed by a March 23 event with Writer and artist Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe. Details for these events and more are below.
All Library events are free and open to the public. Many of these events are supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation. Registration is not required unless noted.
ZAPP Zine Collection Winter Open Hours and Zine-Making Drop-In. Saturdays, through March 14, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Central Library, Level 7 Zine Room. Browse one of the world’s largest collections of zines made in Seattle and beyond, and make one of your own with free zine-making supplies that we’ll have on hand. Originally part of Richard Hugo House, ZAPP (the Zine Archive & Publishing Project) is a library of over 30,000 zines, minicomics and other self-published and small press titles.
Miz Floes presents “Royalty Revisited.” Thursday, Feb. 19, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. Join multidisciplinary artist Miz Floes for an evening of spoken word fused with theater. Miss Barbara and Miss Rosa Lee reminisce about the neighborhood of their youth while seeking to restore the once-thriving community of their memories. Can they restore the neighborhood and change the narrative? Registration is required.
“Meet Cute at the Library.” Sunday, Feb. 22, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Central Library Level 4 (the Red Floor), Room 1. The second event in guest curator Amber Flame’s series was inspired by a cheap date suggestion by “The Stranger” to find a book of love poems and read together on the Central Library’s Red Floor. At our re-creation, local performers will share poems and short stories that celebrate all kinds of love, and participate in a panel on writing the heart. Registration is required.
Michiko Aoyama discusses “Hot Chocolate on Thursday.” Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. The bestselling author of “What You Are Looking For Is in the Library” will discuss her new Japanese cozy novel, a tapestry of slice-of-life moments that open and close with a woman ordering her regular hot chocolate at the mysterious Marble Cafe. Registration is required.
KUOW Book Talk with Author Coll Thrush. Thursday, Feb. 26, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. Join KUOW’s Katie Campbell in conversation with Indigenous Studies Professor Coll Thrush to explore the stories behind his new book, “Wrecked: Unsettling Histories from the Graveyard of the Pacific.” “Wrecked” is a haunting and deeply researched look at the Northwest Coast, where more than 2,000 shipwrecks reveal powerful histories of place, people, and survival. Registration is required.
“Peepless in Seattle” with Guest Curator Amber Flame.” Sunday, March 1, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Central Library, Level 4, Room 1. The third event in guest curator Flame’s series “We Belong Together” features creatives and community leaders whose work is grounded, formed and rooted in the Pacific Northwest, but hail from other parts (or countries). This panel will dive into belonging and how long it takes to call a place home.
KUOW Book Talk with Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe. Monday, March 23, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Central Library, Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium. Writer and artist Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe will discuss her celebrated essay collection, “Thunder Song,” with KUOW Book Club host Katie Campbell. “Thunder Song” explores Indigenous identity, resilience, and community, weaving together stories of trauma, healing, and creative expression. Register here.
Find all our book-related events, including a variety of book and writing programs, at our Books and Authors calendar.