A Blog of Seattle Arts & Lectures
In the nine years since AWP (the Association of Writers & Writing Programs) last came to Seattle, we’ve seen a host of new shops and eateries open and many well-loved businesses and restaurants relocate within the city. Whether you live local or want to live like a local, we’ve compiled a list of our staff’s […]
Plato once asserted that justice, in the scheme of morality and goodness, ultimately comes down to compromise. We discussed it in class, so it must be true, but tell me, philosopher, if perhaps I could arrange for a meeting with your dust and bones— Is it a just compromise, every time the story plays […]
From here I see nothing There is nothing here There is not sky, or soft curling clouds There is no place where the sand becomes sea From here I hear nothing There is not gentle conversation There is no snapping of branches What a thing to be To be standing at a window and seeing […]
At the peak of my anxiety, consumed by emotion, overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts, I’m at a standstill. I don’t know when my home got bigger or I when I simply shrunk, but my house is far too big for me, and lately I feel so small. At a standstill of uncertainty, I’ve found that lately […]
every few centuries, when the carp gathered at the base of the 龙门 lóngmén in thunderclouds, riled with legend and youth, we waded into the brinks of the waterfall and waited. that night we would feast upon 清蒸龙 qīngzhēng lóng. 1. check for freshness its scales should be taut – a bowstring still drawn long […]
This essay is part of a series in which Seattle Arts & Lectures partners with Poetry Northwest to present reflections on visiting writers from the SAL Poetry Series. On Tuesday, January 17, Jenny Xie will read and discuss her work in conversation with Jane Wong at Rainier Arts Center, at 7:30 pm (PT). Tickets to this in-person and […]
In this holiday edition of SAL Staff Reads, we asked nine of our staff the most difficult and pressing question of them all: what’s the best book you read in 2022? If you’re looking for which to books to cozy up with this winter, look no further than this list! Rebecca Hoogs, Executive Director The […]
If you’ve been following us for a while, you may know Tessa Hulls, the “SAL Official Doodler” and author of the forthcoming graphic novel Feeding Ghosts (MCD Books, 2023). We were so lucky that Tessa attended Patti Smith’s SAL Presents event on December 2, 2022, and captured the evening in doodle form! Take a peek at some […]
He sits at the desk beside Teacher, scribbling words on the back of the coloring sheet while the rest of the class enjoys the playground and each other. His mom asks her maternal comrades what to do, if he’s okay, but he knows better. “Don’t worry, ma,” he says. “This is what I have to […]
Pesto She dances Whirs and grinds and her arms rise To ragged rocks of sea salt Where she sleeps She puckers up for a kiss Feels lemon when there is bitterness Goes dark when left alone A moldy solitude She duets with the plush Heel toe tapping Kitten heels staunch in their desire to step […]