Author Readings & Community Dialogues Hosted By The Seattle Public Library Beginning May 3
release date: April 30, 2021
Attend author events, book discussions and community dialogues, expert conversations and literary programs from the comfort of your own living room this spring. The Seattle Public has a wide variety of online readings and discussions coming up in May, on topics from the histories of Puget Sound to the burning of Greenwood in Tulsa, and from Black speculative fiction publishers and zine creators to the Library’s annual A. Scott Bullitt American History lecture.
Library events are free and everyone is welcome. Registration is required for each event, visit the Library's calendar to sign up.
READING & DISCUSSION SCHEDULE
- 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, May 3 - David B. Williams and Mary Ann Gwinn discuss "Homewaters." Join us for a conversation about the human and natural histories in, on and around Puget Sound.
- 10:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, May 6 - Close to Home: Virtual Stories of Health, Tech and Resilience. Join us for a live, online conversation in honor of Better Hearing Month. Speakers will include: Diana Thompson, Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services for Seattle-King County; Cheri Perazzoli, WA chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America; and Brad Ingrao, Audiology, Hearing, Speech & Deaf Center.
- 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 6 - Grow[ing] Up: A Literary Series About Growing Pains. Join us for the third in a five-part series of events, curated by local writer D.A. Navoti, which examines the highs and lows of growing up.
- 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 12 - Jewell Parker Rhodes discusses "Magic City." Join us for a conversation reflecting on the 100th anniversary of one of the most heinous tragedies in American history — the 1921 burning of Greenwood, an affluent black section of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 13 - Words, Writers and Southwest Stories. Naturalist, author, and educator David Williams discusses his latest book, “Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of Puget Sound.
- 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 13 - It's About Time Writers' Reading Series. The Ballard Branch welcomes the 378th meeting of the It's About Time Writers' Reading Series, featuring author readings and open mics. This month’s online presentation will include Sylvia Byrne Pollack, Allison Green and E. Lily Yu.
- 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 16 - Clarion West & Seattle Writes presents Beyond Afrofuturism: Power in Publishing - Publisher’s Roundtable. With major publishers stuck in a cycle of selling the same mainstream stories or tightening their belts when it comes to the work of marginalized communities, how are Black publishers shaping opportunities for BIPOC writers to have their voices heard? Speakers will include: Bill Campbell (Rosarium), Milton Davis (MVmedia), Zelda Knight (AURELIA LEO), and Nicole Givens Kurtz (Mocha Memoirs).
- 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, May 17 - Clarion West & Seattle Writes presents Beyond Afrofuturism: Zines and Magazines - Expanding Worlds in Speculative Fiction. Join prominent Black editors of online zines and magazines as they discuss their journeys into editing and the role editors play in creating space for the voices of BIPOC communities in the speculative fiction field. The event will be moderated by Arley Sorg of Locus and Fantasy Magazine, and speakers will include: Eboni Dunbar (FIYAH Magazine), Craig Laurance Gidney (Baffling Magazine), Brent Lambert (FIYAH Magazine), Chinelo Onwualu (Omenana/Anathema) and LaShawn Wanak (Giganotosaurus).
- 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, May 20 - Age Friendly Seattle Virtual Civic Coffee Hour. Join us for a live, online conversation with Andrea Yip, Planning Unit Manager, Aging & Disability Services, City of Seattle Human Services Department; and Dick Woo, Chair of Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services for Seattle—King County.
- 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 25 - The A. Scott Bullitt Lecture in American History presents Michelle Duster. In 1862, Ida B. Wells was born enslaved in Holly Springs, Mississippi. In 2020, she won a Pulitzer Prize. Join us to hear Michelle Duster discuss the impact of this iconic woman.
The A. Scott Bullitt Lecture in American History is made possible by a generous gift from the late Priscilla Bullitt Collins in honor of her father, A. Scott Bullitt. This event is supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation, author series sponsor Gary Kunis, and media sponsor The Seattle Times, and presented in partnership with The Elliott Bay Book Co.
MORE INFORMATION
The Library believes that the power of knowledge improves people's lives. We promote literacy and a love of reading as we bring people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community.
Limited in-building services are now available at the Beacon Hill, Lake City and Southwest branches. Visit the Library's Road to Reopening page for more information on Curbside Service, book returns and other services.
Contact the Library’s Ask Us service by phone at 206-386-4636 or by email or chat at www.spl.org/Ask. Staff are ready to answer questions and direct you to helpful resources and information during this challenging time.