The premier of David Wagoner's one-act play First Class opened last night at Seattle's A Contemporary Theatre (ACT).For Wagoner the play is a "remembrance of his friend and mentor, the legendary poet Theodore Roethke. In this world premiere, you’re a student in Roethke’s classroom. Why does art matter? When does genius become madness? And what does it mean to live a passionate life? Please discuss."Seattle actor John Aylward plays the lead and does so so convincingly that Wagoner says "he's absolutely channeling Roethke in many instances."Roethke is a legend around these parts. His time here in Seattle raised the literary...
The Seattle Central Library: The Perfect Public Space?
Linnie Rawlinson has a piece on CNN titled Seattle Central Library: Creating the Perfect Public Space in which she urges people looking for ways to make "public spaces outstanding" to look to Seattle and how it pulled off and executed the Libraries For All campaign in which it raised over $200 million to create and remodel 27 library branches. The crown jewel of the campaign being the Rem Koolhaas-designed Central Library."Seattle is a city of readers, but our library buildings were getting tired...they were not working, not big enough, not functional for the change in the way information is being...
Potterpalooza
The University Bookstore here in Seattle launched its contribution to Pottermania. A week long tribute to the upcoming release of HP7.The festivities include a full slate of WizRockStock Concerts where "Hogwarts disciples have created their own genre of indie rock to ease the stress of battling magical and social corruption, and promote literacy," featuring bands like the The Remus Lupins, The Parselmouths, The Weird Sisters, Firenze and the Centaurs of the Forbidden Forest and Harry and the Potters.There will be events like these going on in every nook and cranny of this country. The good part is that this is...
Hovering Over New Arrivals
University of Washington Bookstore employee "preparing for the 2008 Shelving Olympics."Via Shelf Life
The Library Asylum
Chip Ward just retired after 29 years at the Salt Lake City Public Library. He left as the assistant director and might be the highest ranking library administrator to let the "dirty little secret" out.What's the secret?"Public libraries have become de facto daytime shelters for the nation's street people while librarians are increasingly our unofficial social workers for the homeless and mentally disturbed."Of course this is not news to anyone who frequents the downtown library in any city. We all have our homeless stories.Some of Chip's homeless highlights:Overheard:-"Don't mind me, I'm dead. It's okay. I've been dead for some time...