September 2022 Author Events and Community Dialogues Hosted In-Person and Online by the Seattle Public Library
release date: September 8, 2022
The Seattle Public Library’s author programs, book discussions and community dialogues this September include a celebration of Alice Wong’s memoir; a panel discussion for Banned Books Week; a “Business of Books” literary entrepreneurship series; and Bibliophilia, a four-day festival that mixes poetry and prose with improvisational theater.
EVENTS SCHEDULE
- “Year of the Tiger” by Alice Wong. From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 15. Online. Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha and Elsa Sjunneson celebrate the release of disability rights activist Alice Wong’s memoir “Year of the Tiger” on her behalf. Presented in partnership with Seattle Arts & Lectures and Estelita’s Library. ASL and live captioning will be provided.
- Banned: Censorship and Intellectual Freedom. From 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.,
Monday, Sept. 19. Online. In partnership with Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum, join us for a discussion about banned and challenged books, featuring local writers Jewell Parker Rhodes (“Ghost Boys) and Jonathan Evison (“Lawn Boy”) and moderated by Folio Seattle’s Lillian Dabney. The panel will share first-hand accounts from challenged authors about their experiences, and offer the audience an opportunity to share and gain insights into their own attitudes towards censorship. - The Business of Books: Session 1 - How to Start a Book-Related Business. From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 22. Beacon Hill Branch. Want to start a book-related business but don’t know where to start? This four-part workshop series kicks off with an overview of the industry, “The Life of a Book,” presented by Gary Luke; and a roundtable discussion about “Things I Wish I Knew” with publisher Christina Vega, author and festival founder Jeffrey Cheatham II, and longtime bookseller Karen Maeda Allman. Save the rest of the workshop dates: Oct. 8, Nov. 12, and Dec. 6. Partners include African American Writers’ Alliance, Business Impact Northwest, Hugo House, Indigenous People’s Institute, Langston Seattle, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, Seattle Credit Union, Seattle Office of Economic Development and Seattle Urban Book Expo.
- Bibliophilia, a four-day festival. From 7 to 8 p.m., Tuesday to Friday, Sept. 27, 28, 29, 30. Microsoft Auditorium, Central Library. For Bibliophilia, guest curator Jekeva Phillips brings the page to the stage combining poetry and prose with improvisational theater. Themes will include “Heathcliff Letters” (Sept. 27, everything you ever need to know about great literature without cracking a book), “Bestsellers” (Sept. 28, with audience and cast improvising together on what comes next); “Vonnegut” (Sept. 29, creating Kurt Vonnegut-style play based on audience suggestions); and a “Quiz Show” finale (Sept. 30, with games, prize packages and live reading and performance).
All these events are supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Mask use is strongly encouraged and additional safety precautions are in place: Library staff are fully vaccinated, 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.
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.