May 2022 author events and community dialogues in person and online
release date: 04/29/2022
The Seattle Public Library’s author programs, book discussions and community dialogues this May feature a wide range of authors and topics.
Four May events will be held at the Central Library’s Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. The events at Central Library will also be livestreamed via Zoom. Registration is required for both in-person and online attendance; check the event description at spl.org/Calendar for registration and links. All events are free and open to the public.
EVENTS SCHEDULE
- From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday, May 3. Douglas Stuart discusses “Young Mungo” – Central Library and online. Douglas Stuart, the Booker Prize-winning writer of “Shuggie Bain,” will be at the Central Library to discuss his new novel “Young Mungo,” a story of queer love and working-class families, in conversation with Rick Simonson. “Shuggie Bain,” Stuart’s first book, was one of the most successful literary debuts of the century. The event is presented in partnership with Elliott Bay Book Company. It is supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation. “Young Mungo” is a Peak Picks title.
- From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, May 12. Virtual It's About Time Writers' Reading Series – online. Join us for this virtual event by the Ballard Branch, featuring authors Ann Spiers, Nicolas (Denny) Stern and Kathryn Thurber-Smith.
- From noon to 12:25 p.m., Monday, May 16. “Unspoken Truths" with Delbert Richardson – online. Join renowned historian Delbert Richardson for a virtual conversation about his groundbreaking work on African ancestors and their experiences with European slavers in the Americas. The program includes a short intro of Richardson’s closing virtual talk “1619: The Unspoken Truth Resistance/Resilience/Remembrance/Liberation,” for his exhibit at King Street Station in 2021.
- From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday, May 16. Putsata Reang and Susan Lieu discuss "Ma and Me" – Central Library and online. When Putsata “Put” Reang was 11 months old, her family fled war-torn Cambodia, spending 23 days on an overcrowded navy vessel before finding sanctuary at an American naval base in the Philippines. Holding what appeared to be a lifeless baby in her arms, Ma resisted the captain’s orders to throw her bundle overboard, ensuring that her daughter’s life was saved. Over the years, Put lived to please Ma and make her proud, but their bond is tested when she comes out and ultimately decides to marry a woman. With rare clarity and lyric wisdom, “Ma and Me” is a stunning, deeply moving memoir about inherited trauma and the crushing weight of cultural and filial duty. This event is supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation.
- From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 17. Angela Garbes and Melissa Miranda discuss "Essential Labor" – Central Library and online. Join us for a conversation about Garbes’ “Essential Labor,” which examines the power and potential of mothering to reshape society at a foundational level. During the COVID-19 pandemic Seattle writer and first-generation Filipino-American Angela Garbes found herself pondering a vital question: How, under circumstances that leave us lonely, exhausted, and financially strained, might we demand more from American family life? This event is supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation. “Essential Labor” is a Peak Picks title.
- From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 19. Claudia Castro Luna and Leticia Hernández-Linares – Central Library and online. Join us for a reading to celebrate the release of Seattle writer Claudia Castro Luna’s new poetry collection, “Cipota under the Moon,” an “ode to the Salvadoran immigrant experience in the United States.” The poems are wrought with memories of the 1980s civil war and rich with observations from the poet’s recent returns to her native country. This event is supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Limited in-person programming is now offered at the Central Library. Mask use is strongly encouraged and additional safety precautions are in place: Library staff are fully vaccinated and continue to wear masks; the Library offers free masks and hand sanitizer to patrons at sanitation stations; and all Library locations have high-quality ventilation and air filtration.
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.
Visit the Library's Road to Reopening page for more information on current Library services and programs.
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.