Arts & Culture

  • Directed By Women is Underway at Your Library

         – Posted by Nancy P The global viewing party Directed by Women is underway, and Seattle Public Library is part of it! Join the global party this September, as people across the United States and around the world in United Kingdom, Ireland, Turkey, India, Singapore, Spain, Italy, Canada and Australia celebrate women directors and… Continue reading

  • Directed by Women from Around the World

    We are participating in Directed By Women, a global celebration of women directors and their works this month. Here is the full schedule of our Directed by Women Film Series. For more contemporary international women directors, check out these films for a trip around the world! Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Big Stars, Little Movies

    ~posted by Frank For every blockbuster that makes hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office, there are dozens of small films that make a fraction of that. Many go unnoticed, even those that have star power attached to them. These films released in the past year may have flown under the radar, but… Continue reading

  • Directed by Women, Northwest edition.

        – posted by Ellen F. This September, Seattle Public Library will be joining in a global celebration of women directors with a series of free film screenings around the city. A US News and World Reports study estimated that women made up only 7% of Hollywood directors in 2014, but in Seattle the industry is dominated by women who have… Continue reading

  • Rock Operas and Concept Albums

    By Danielle J. You know Tommy and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, but what about contemporary rock operas or concept albums? One of my favorite bands, Titus Andronicus, just released a rock opera composed of twenty-nine songs performed in five acts called The Most Lamentable Tragedy. Titus Andronicus is no stranger to this… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: SNL stars get (mostly) serious

    ~posted by Frank Dozens of Saturday Night Live cast members have gone on to have movie careers (to varying success). While comedies are still king for SNL stars, they occasionally find their way in a drama – or at least a “dramedy” that gives each star the chance to be funny and exercise their acting… Continue reading

  • Last Chance to Hear: The Seventies

    By Daniel S. Welcome to part two of my very occasional series about great CDs in the Library collection which, sadly, have dwindled to only one remaining copy. This time, it’s the Seventies! It was the era of my childhood, and a time when you could actually hear an entire album played on the radio.… Continue reading

  • Freegal – Five for Free – Brainwave Radio Edition

    By Cameron M. She opened her laptop, waiting for that familiar chime and the home screen to load. Belinda’s mind began to wander, until it was just as blank as the screen in front of her, and she forgot the reason why she had picked the computer up entirely. Earth, Wind & Fire began playing… Continue reading

  • Art at the Library: the Public Works of Art Project

    ~posted by Jade D. You may have noticed a few pieces of art when visiting your local library branch, but did you know that the Seattle Public Library has a rich collection of artwork featuring more than 300 pieces from Pacific Northwest artists? The library was one of the first locations in Seattle to offer… Continue reading

  • Freegal – Five for Free – Spaced Out Edition

    By Cameron M. As the tag line for the movie Alien goes, “In space, no one can hear you scream.” I’ve always wanted to go to space. Maybe even attend a concert on the moon someday, and call it “Moonstock.” That would be super dope. Except, the absence of an atmosphere prevents sound from travelling… Continue reading

  • Take Me to Cuba

    By Richard C. Even with tourism to Cuba increasing and relations warming, my bank account says I’ll still be getting my taste of Cuban food, fiction, and history the vicarious way. My favorite lately is the instant documentary – Spanish or English anytime, right!? After that it’s fiction. Crime fiction. In Havana Blue, it’s a troubled past catching up to… Continue reading

  • The History Behind the Story, Part I

    ~posted by Emily You may not think of George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones (GoT) as historical fiction, but even if you take away the dragons and zombies, much of the drama of the novels and TV series is just as strange as the truth. Martin combines elements of fantasy and folklore with actual events from… Continue reading

  • Night of Disguise at SAM

    Join The Seattle Public Library’s social media team at The Seattle Art Museum for a ‘Night of Disguise‘ and have some incognito fun on Friday, June 19, from 7 to 11 p.m. Buy tickets here and use discount code twitterdisguise0619 to get $5 off. The Library has plenty of resources to help you prepare for the exhibition! Browse our African masks and art quick picks online,… Continue reading

  • All in the Boat

    By Di Z. Eddie Huang is a brash, early-30s restaurateur and TV personality who’s been making waves in pop culture for the last half decade, which in today’s world seems like a lifetime. Those who have followed Huang can instantly recognize his quasi New York accent which he acquired from years of listening to Biggie and… Continue reading

  • Mad Men is gone, but the Music lives on

    ~posted by Frank There’s so much to miss about Mad Men. Multi-dimensional characters. Deliberate pacing. Cryptic dialogue. Glamorous production. Perspectives on the 1960s. Smoking and drinking. And, the music. Although much of the music was limited to the closing credits, they often captured the essence of the episode, and introduced me to some great music from the 1960s… Continue reading

  • Read some comics: Avengers

    The release of the Avengers: Age of Ultron in theaters this Friday signals a great opportunity to peruse some of the library’s comics collections starring the World’s Mightiest Heroes. The recently-published Age of Ultron, Brian Michael Bendis’s capstone to a six-plus-year stint writing the series, imagines the team in an alternate universe overlorded by the archvillain… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Searching for Missing Persons

    ~posted by Frank People watch movies about lost or missing people because they want to see if they will be found. While there’s nothing greater than an emotional reunion, it’s often the journey and trials of those doing the searching that are so compelling. These four films are a testament to that. Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Director J.C. Chandor and Money

    ~posted by Frank Director J.C. Chandor has only made three films, but he has emerged as one of America’s most accomplished young directors. Two of his films are smart, thrilling, engaging dramas about money, and are ideal viewing during Money Smart Week. Continue reading