Theater, Music and Film: February 2023 Events at The Seattle Public Library

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We’ve got some amazing author programs and community events planned for February, from Lambda Award-winning novelist Annalee Newitz to Bonnie Garmus, author of the bestselling novel “Lessons in Chemistry”. The Fifth Avenue Theatre is also back with a Sondheim show talk and the South Park Branch is hosting a movie screening with former Washington State poet Claudia Castro Luna.

Many events require registration, but all Library events are free and open to the public. Find information and registration through the event links below or at spl.org/Calendar.

EVENTS SCHEDULE

Annalee Newitz With Misha Stone — “The Terraformers”: From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m, Friday, Feb. 3, at Third Place Books, Ravenna. Science journalist, podcaster and Lambda Award-winning novelist Annalee Newitz will discuss their highly anticipated sci-fi epic, “The Terraformers,” a science fiction epic for our times — and a love letter to our future. Newitz will be in conversation with Misha Stone, Reader Services librarian and Vice-Chair of the Clarion West Writers Workshop board.

Ladies Musical Club Concert: From noon to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 8 at the Central Library. The Ladies Musical Club concert this month features solo piano works and songs for soprano, including performances by Tiina Ritalahti (soprano), Joan Lundquist (piano) and Joyce Gibb (piano).

Virtual It’s About Time Writers’ Reading Series: From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9. Online. Join us for this virtual event hosted by the Ballard Branch, featuring Amanda Hartzell, Sylvia Pollack, and Jared Leising. New and experienced writers are always welcome to read for a three-minute open mic.

Show Talks With the 5th Avenue Theatre – The Genius of Sondheim: From 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11. Central Library, Level 1 – Microsoft Auditorium. In this special musical tribute to one of “the most revered and influential composer-lyricists” in Broadway history, artistic director Emeritus of the Fifth Avenue Theatre David Armstrong will share fascinating insights into Sondheim’s life, times, and career. This event will also include musical performances by guest artists.

Virtual Writers Read: From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12. Online. Presented in partnership with the African-American Writers’ Alliance, this monthly reading series features an open mic and selected author readings from local writers who read from their diverse repertoires of poetry, short stories, novels and essays.

Write with Hugo House: Seattle Writes: From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 14 at the Fremont Branch and from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15 at the Douglass-Truth Branch. Attend this free multi-genre drop-in writing circle facilitated by an established local writer from Hugo House!

“Pelo Malo” with Claudia Castro Luna and Milvia Berenice Pacheco Salvatierra: From 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., Friday, Feb. 17 at the South Park Branch. Join us for a Spanish-language screening and discussion of the film“Pelo Malo,” facilitated by guest curator and former Washington State poet Claudia Castro Luna and Milvia Berenice Pacheco Salvatierra of Movimiento Afrolatino Seattle. This event is supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation. Ven a ver la proyección y discusión de la película en español “Pelo Malo”, facilitada por la curadora invitada Claudia Castro Luna y Milvia Berenice Pacheco Salvatierra del Movimiento Afrolatino Seattle.

Bonnie Garmus presents “Lessons in Chemistry”: From 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 23. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. Bonnie Garmus will discuss her national bestselling debut novel “Lessons in Chemistry,” which tells the story of Elizabeth Zott, “a formidable, unapologetic and inspiring” (Parade Magazine) scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show. The event will include a public signing and audience Q&A.

Lily Yu discusses “On Fragile Waves”: From 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, February 25 at the Central Library. Join us for a reading and conversation with E. Lily Yu, winner of the 2022 Washington State Book Award for Fiction. “Devastating and perfect” is how the New York Times Book Review described “On Fragile Waves,”the haunting story of a family of dreamers and tale-tellers looking for home in an unwelcoming world. Yu will be in conversation with Jenna Zarzycki, a librarian with the King County Library System and a Washington State Book Award judge.

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.

The Library offers a range of other free events and workshops in February, including services such as Tax Help (back this year at eight locations) and phone and service enrollment; and business workshops and consults. See all events at www.spl.org/Calendar.

Poetry, Pictures, Architecture and Orcas: January 2023 Events and Author Readings

Courtesy Rodion Kutsaiev with Unsplash

Want something to look forward to after the holidays? The Seattle Public Library’s author programs and community events in January 2023 include a Lunar New Year celebration, the Seattle Times’ annual Pictures of the Year event, and author events highlighting Lynda Mapes’ award-winning book about orcas and a picture book about Pacific Science Center architect Minoru Yamasaki.

Many of these events require registration. Find information and registration through the event links below or at spl.org/Calendar. All Library events are free and open to the public.

December 2022 Events: Authors, Art, Holly, a Concert and More

Photo courtesy of Alex Padurariu, Unsplash

Brrr! Get cozy with The Seattle Public Library in December with engaging author programs, an art exhibit, a concert, fun events at the South Park Branch, a monthly movie and more.

Many of these events require registration. Find information and registration at event links or spl.org/Calendar. All Library events are free and open to the public.

Year of Wonder art by Kellie Kawahara-Niimi

Artist Exhibition 2022: First Thursday Artist Reception, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 1, Central Library (Level 8 Gallery). Join us today for a reception celebrating the opening of an exhibition of local artists who collaborated with the Library in 2022 to highlight programs such as the Year of Wonder and Summer of Learning. The exhibition is on view until Jan. 15, 2023.

Megan Asaka Discusses “Seattle from the Margins.” from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3, Central Library (Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium). Seattle Times columnist Naomi Ishisaka will lead a discussion of Megan Asaka’s new book “Seattle from the Margins: Exclusion, Erasure, and the Making of a Pacific Coast City,” which recognizes the marginalized communities who made Seattle what it is today.

 

Holly Days: Creating holiday décor out of invasive plants. From 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 6, South Park Branch. Join community naturalist Nicolasa Hernandez in creating beautiful wreaths, garlands, and sprays using invasive plants. Basic materials provided. Please bring any special items to add a personal touch. For teens and adults, this workshop will be offered in English and Spanish.

10 Things to Do in November Through The Seattle Public Library

It’s almost November, a good time to rediscover the joys of the great indoors. Here is a sampler of interesting and useful things to do through The Seattle Public Library  as we sink deeper into fall and the daylight hours wane. All are free, of course, but some programs do require registration.

For much more, see our giant list of 50+ things to do through the Library, which we recently updated at www.spl.org/50things.

1. 

   Author Kwame Alexander celebrates the release of his new book at the Hugo House on Friday, Nov. 4.

   Get inspired at an author event. The first week of November brings amazing authors and creators to the Library. On Friday, Nov. 4, Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman, who has won several James Beard awards, will talk about the revolution of Indigenous foods at the Central Library. On that same night, Newbery Award-winning author Kwame Alexander will celebrate the release of his latest book, “The Door of No Return” at the Hugo House. And on Monday, Nov. 7, Pulizer Prize winning author and historian Ada Ferrer will give the annual Bullitt Lecture on American History about Cuba.

2. See live music, watch a movie: The Central Library is once again hosting monthly movies and concerts. On Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., enjoy a free screening of two documentaries from the Tasveer South Asian Film Festival. And on Wednesday, Nov. 9, the Ladies Musical Club returns with a noontime concert featuring solo works for piano and cello.
3. Browse the ZAPP zine collection. In conjunction with the Short Run Comix & Arts Festival this weekend, the Library is opening its ZAPP zine collection for the first time in three years this Saturday, Nov. 5, from 3 to 5 p.m. Located on Level 7 in the Central Library, ZAPP contains more 30,000 zines, minicomics, self-published and small press titles. Tip: Combine a visit to ZAPP with an event at 1 p.m. with local cartoonist Megan Kelso. (P.S.: Shout-out to The Seattle Public Library Foundation for supporting ZAPP.)

   

   ZAPP Zine collection

4. Write on with #NaNoWriMo2022. Get support with your National Novel Writing Month goals with inspiring lectures from local writers on Seattle Writes – YouTube channel. Or join a Virtual Writes session with the Richard Hugo House, which happens on Nov. 9 and Nov. 15 this month. (Note you have to preregister with Hugo House to get the link to the class.)
5. Play a role-playing game: Learn Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder and Call of Cthulhu and other games by checking out one of the Library’s small collection of tabletop role-playing game books. Browse this BiblioCommons list to get started or go to the catalogue to search. Tip: You can print out character sheets with your 10 free weekly black and white pages at the Library.

6. Get your ducks in a row: Need to get started on a will? Our “Ducks in a Row” series for older adults is a series of virtual events that shares the nuts and bolts of difficult end-of-life topics, including advanced care directives (Nov.2), funeral planning (Nov. 9), estate planning (Nov. 16) and more.
7. Improve your personal credit: Our Library to Business program is offering a three-part series in November with all kinds of practical credit tips. Learn how to check your credit, clean up your credit, dispel common myths about credit, and more. Tierra Bonds, CEO of Take Charge Credit Consulting will facilitate free virtual workshops on 15, Nov. 22 and Nov. 29. Tip: The workshops will be live interpreted in Spanish.
8. Brush up your resume. Want to start a job search in the new year? You can use Tutor.com’s services for adult learners to connect to their career center and get help with resume writing, practice interviews and more. Sign up for a Your Next Job appointment for one-on-one help with your resume, job applications and much more.

50+ Free Things You Can Do Through The Seattle Public Library

Want to learn a language, improve your job skills, find free one-on-one tutoring, download new songs, learn web design, or find a read-aloud for your child?

You can do all of these things and much more through The Seattle Public Library. A dozen or so of the activities in this list do not even require a Library card.

Happy exploring, escaping and learning! And yes, this is just a sampling. Find many more programs, services, and, of course, our collections, at spl.org and at our 27 locations. (Note: We will regularly update this list, so check back. Add your favorite thing that we missed in the comments!)