David W.

  • 20 Essential Seattle Books, Part 2: Diversity

    Here at the library, we’re often asked by both locals and newcomers, “What books are must reads for Seattleites?” While we’re not much for ‘must’ or ‘should,’ we thought we’d list twenty titles that capture essential aspects of the history and culture of this place. Not a definitive list: a jumping off place. Our first post looked at Seattle’s history, and… Continue reading

  • The World Ends Today at 12:05

    We’ve had hundreds of murders, scores of heists and scams, repeated instances of paranormal activity, and even a bit of cannibalism. Yet is rare that we’ll destroy an entire planet. But during Thrilling Tales: A Storytime for Grown Ups starting at noon today, we just might manage it. In H.G. Wells’ 1897 story The Star, a mysterious mass from outer space… Continue reading

  • Drink and book pairings for the winter ahead

    Booktoberfest 2016, our month-long celebration of books and booze, has come to an end but fret not – the rest of winter is a great time to continue this thematic exploration on your own. To that end, here are some suggestions for book and drink pairings, initially presented by librarians Andrea Gough and David Wright as… Continue reading

  • Book Bingo: Written Over 100 Years Ago – Vintage Beach Reads!

    Join The Seattle Public Library and Seattle Arts & Lectures for our 2nd annual Summer Book Bingo for adults! Follow us throughout the summer for reading suggestions based on each category. Wait, we’ve got a Book Bingo square asking you to read a book written over one hundred years ago? This is Summer reading! What’s with Ye Olde musty dusty classics!? Not to… Continue reading

  • Book Bingo: Read Out Loud

    Join The Seattle Public Library and Seattle Arts & Lectures for our 2nd annual Summer Book Bingo for adults! Follow us throughout the summer for reading suggestions based on each category. It is no surprise to anyone around the library that I love to read out loud. They even let me do it in public, twice a month! My wife and I used to read… Continue reading

  • Suspenseful Summer Storytimes

    Remember gathering around the campfire on a warm summer night to listen to gripping stories? Recapture the magic during your lunch hour, twice each month this summer at Thrilling Tales, our Library’s much lauded story time for grown ups. Listen to inspired readings of a variety of strange, devious and wonderful tales at our Central Branch, Mondays at 1 2:05 –… Continue reading

  • It’s ALIVE! Celebrate Frankenstein’s 200th Birthday with us!

    This coming June 16 is a big deal. Astronomers have confirmed that it was some time between 2 and 3 a.m. on this date two hundred years ago that a girl of eighteen had a dream, under the influence of which she unleashed upon the world a ghastly and prophetic nightmare from which we have yet to awaken. Continue reading

  • Shakespeare’s Skull Found …in Brooklyn!

    As reported in Smithsonian and The New York Times, archaeologists using ground penetrating radar have recently discovered that despite its dire inscription of “Curst be he moves my bones,” William Shakespeare’s tomb was probably disturbed in the late 18th century by grave robbers out to steal the genius’s skull. In a startling turn of events reminiscent of… Continue reading

  • Upcoming Thrilling Tales from our Story Time for Grown Ups.

    For over a decade, every other Monday at noon listeners have flocked to Thrilling Tales, the Library’s story time for grownups, spending their lunch hour rapt in suspenseful narratives. Janice Leadingham, a local bookseller said in a recent article in City Arts: “Especially for impatient people, it’s good because it slows things down a bit. For one hour, you can… Continue reading

  • Missing Mad Men? Meet the Real Don Draper

    I miss Mad Men. Not any particular character or plot line: I miss the feel of it. That blend of humor and heartbreak, tinged with an uneasy dread that one might easily assume to be bygone innocence viewed through the lens of contemporary disillusionment and cynicism. Yet far more that the show’s meticulous period details and cultural conventions, the most authentically… Continue reading

  • 125th Anniversary Series: What We Were Reading in 1891

    2016 marks the 125th anniversary of The Seattle Public Library. After it was adopted as a department of the city in 1890, the Library opened its first reading room in Pioneer Square on April 8, 1891. To honor this milestone, we will be posting a series of articles here about the Library’s history and life in… Continue reading

  • Reading Race: Best Fiction of 2015

    When it comes to developing a better understanding of race in America, no tweet, speech or blog post can help us to explore complex realities or inspire empathy and understanding with anything like the thoroughness and subtlety of a good novel. 2015 saw the publication of a wealth of fiction exploring racial issues and realities… Continue reading

  • Reading Race: Best Non-Fiction of 2015

    The books we read reflect the interests and concerns of our times, so it is no surprise that 2015 was an important year for non-fiction that delved into race in America. As we struggle to reach better awareness and deeper understanding, few things are quite so helpful as a good book. Beyond merely informing our views, books provide… Continue reading

  • 20 Essential Seattle Books, Part 1: History.

    Here at the library, we’re often asked by old timers and newcomers alike, “What are must read books for people living in Seattle?” While others have offered intriguing suggestions, librarians aren’t really big on shoulds and musts, knowing how readers have such diverse tastes, moods and motivations. That said, we thought we’d venture a little list of titles… Continue reading

  • David Bowie’s Favorite Books, at your library.

    Music legend, movie star, icon, iconoclast, and yes – reader. As part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s 2013 exhibit “David Bowie Is,” Bowie shared an eclectic list of 100 favorite books. Here they are, in reverse chronological order, linked to the library catalog. Still looking for a reading challenge for the next year, or five? This… Continue reading

  • Seattle Repertory Theatre’s “Come from Away”: Beyond the Theater

         – Posted by David W. Most of us can remember where we were and what we were doing on September 11, 2001, but few outside the tragic loci of that day’s events can have as dramatic a memory of them than the residents of the small Newfoundland town of Gander. It was to Gander that 39… Continue reading

  • Seattle Repertory Theatre’s “Buyer & Cellar”: Beyond the Theatre

        – posted by David W. The Seattle Repertory Theater’s current production of Jonathan Tolins’ hilarious one-man show Buyer & Cellar has been getting great reviews. The show, which envisions the curious professional and personal life of a man hired to staff a quaint shopping mall that actually exists in the basement of Barbra Streisand’s palatial Malibu… Continue reading

  • Spooky Stories LIVE, all October long!

    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. This month we have extra spooky story times for grown ups in store, at the library and coming soon to a pub near you as a part of our celebration of… Continue reading