Speakers Forum
Summary: You can’t make it to every lecture in town, but you can hear plenty here. From KUOW, Seattle’s public radio station, comes a collection of talks recorded all over the Puget Sound region.
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- Artist: John O'Brien
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One of the truisms about living in the Great Northwest is that wherever you are, it doesn’t take long to get out into the mountains. Whether we’re from here or migrated here, we crow about the natural beauty and adventure that surround us.
Journalist and author Naomi Klein is famous for her 2007 book, “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism.” The shock she explored there was the manipulation of international crisis situations to implement so-called neo-liberal, free market policies. On a recent stop in Seattle, Klein considered another kind of shock. She read from her new book, “No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump's Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need.”
It’s still a little hard to believe, but 17 years ago a comedian famous for his contributions to Saturday Night Live ran to become a U.S. Senator from Minnesota, and won, barely. At first it appeared he had lost, but after a recount and a protracted legal dispute, Senator Al Franken went to Washington. And not because he’s such a funny guy.
What value do we attribute to education? It is common to hear how it changes lives, promotes imagination and creativity and invites opportunity. It is often a social endeavor, and thus encourages the wide sharing of ideas and knowledge. The founders of Washington state clearly valued the concept of education. Article IX of our Constitution states: “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or
If you love radio theatre you may find yourself seeking out the classics — online, on AM radio, or at your local library. There’s something about how those stories were told that still fascinates. They draw folks into a reverie of imagination, suspense, drama and humor.
Dr. Martin Luther King’s phrase “the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice” is often spoken of with a sense of solace in America. We tell ourselves that progress is being made and patience is necessary.
Seeing as there’s not much going on down here in the States, perhaps it’s a good time to check in with one of our neighbors to the north. Toronto-based author Scaachi Koul was in town recently for a chat with Seattle writer Lindy West.
The idea of getting up on stage may terrify most of us, but actor Jeffrey Tambor knew from a very young age that was exactly what he wanted to do. As long as he can recall, he’s wanted to give people his autograph.
To say the least, the statistics surrounding gun violence in the United States are disturbing. On an average day, 93 Americans are killed with guns. Seven of those are children. For every person killed with guns, two more are injured.
Thirty-odd years ago Dr. Arne Rubinstein was a teenaged Australian embracing some risky behavior. Later on, he worked in emergency rooms where he saw more than enough of what happens when teenagers take risks.
Ten years ago, University of Washington professor David Montgomery published his influential book “Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations.” One year later, he received a MacArthur Genius fellowship, and continued his research in geomorphology: “the branch of geology that is concerned with the structure, origin, and development of the topographical features of the earth's surface.”
Yes, poetry month is over. But how about some more poetry anyway? We’ve collected readings from the Seattle Arts & Lectures poetry series over the last two months. You’ll hear the work of poets Ellen Bass, Ross Gay and Alice Notley. Each spoke at Seattle’s McCaw Hall.
Have you heard about Ignite Seattle? It’s a volunteer-powered event that started back in 2006. The concept is simple: People, most of them not public speakers, go on stage in front of 700 or so other people to share part of their life for five minutes.
In the newly-minted era of President Donald Trump, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee seems to be raring for a fight. He took a barrage of questions on a recent visit to Seattle University and seemed to relish the moment.
Author Thomas Frank made his mark on the book world by taking Republicans to task for the state of the nation. Last year, well before Donald Trump’s presidential win, Frank shifted his gaze to the Democrats. He didn’t like what he saw there, either.
