SAL/ON

A Blog of Seattle Arts & Lectures

WITS Interview: Rika Kurdyla-Smith

by Gabriela Denise Frank Throughout time, the powers of poets have been hailed as nothing short of mystical. Poets are seers and oracles. They treat with gods, muses, ghosts. Their carefully crafted lines conjure images that, to readers and listeners, incarnate ephemeral ideas into forms solid enough to see and touch—at least by the mind. […]

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Introductions: Billie Jean King

By Rebecca Hoogs, Interim Executive Director It is an honor to introduce Billie Jean King tonight! I was an avid tennis player in high school in the ’90s, and yet I had no idea that it was due in large part to the activism of Billie Jean King. Reading All In: An Autobiography was an […]

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“Words to Remember” by WITS Student Zia Agarwala

Remember to Read, To be in a different body, able to do anything, Remember to escape your worries, leaving your world behind you, Doing the impossible, Remember to fly through every dimension, having no limits, You can fight dragons, and do things you would never be able to do in your world of reality, Remember […]

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An Update on SAL’s Executive Director Search

Dear SAL Community, On behalf of SAL’s Executive Director Search Committee, we’re pleased to update you on our process. Our Search Committee of nine includes SAL Board members, a SAL staff member, a writer from our Writers in the Schools program, and a local arts sector leader. We’ve been working in close partnership with Koya Partners […]

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Introductions: Maggie Nelson

By Rebecca Hoogs, Interim Executive Director It is an honor to welcome Maggie Nelson back to SAL. Maggie Nelson last graced our stage 2012 in our Poetry Series after her book, Bluets, became an instant cult classic. In 2015 she published The Argonauts, a hybrid memoir which was a bestseller and a finalist for the […]

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“Womb” by Zinnia Hansen

Do you remember when that tickling in our stomachs had a name? It was called God. The flowers bloomed to God’s rhythm and we danced in our underwear. Our families burned weed and bras and incense and dollar bills. They used history as kindling and smoked out the stars. But we didn’t need to misinterpret […]

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Bookshop Superheroes: Estelita’s Library

In appreciation of our local indies who have reinvented their processes and protocols during the past year in the service of getting the just-right book into the just-right hands, our Bookshop Superheroes blog series features interviews with our partner bookstores. This week, we’re featuring Estelita’s Library, who is taking over our Instagram on Wednesday, September 15! […]

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Bookshop Superheroes: Third Place Books—Seward Park

In appreciation of our local indies who have reinvented their processes and protocols during the past year in the service of getting the just-right book into the just-right hands, our Bookshop Superheroes blog series features interviews with our partner bookstores.  This week, we’re featuring Third Place Books: Seward Park, who is taking over our Instagram […]

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Faces of SAL: Susan Long-Walsh

We have more new faces on the SAL Board of Directors to introduce you to! Most of our board members began their SAL journey the same way you did: as readers and event-goers. Learn about the moments that inspired them to become involved more deeply with SAL, what they do, where they come from, and […]

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Faces of SAL: Alicia Craven, Director of Education

by Gabriela Denise Frank “If you’re going to have to figure out new things, artists are a good group to be with,” Alicia Craven, SAL’s Director of Education, noted. “They’re inventive, creative, and open to seeing possibilities that a more linear thinking pattern might not allow for.” Alicia was speaking about her colleagues—the cohort of […]

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