Speakers Forum

Back in 2005 Seattle announced a 10-year plan to end homelessness. That plan failed . The One Night Count of unsheltered homeless people in King County made in 2006 totaled 1,946. That total increased to 4,505 in 2016. What to do? Seattle’s Mayor Ed Murray and San Francisco’s Mayor Ed Lee grapple with that question on a daily basis. Both are keenly aware of the reality of homelessness, and serious about finding solutions.

For his 1967 speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote: "We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time.”

Author Jessica Bennett and a group of fellow female professionals were facing man’s world issues, like male colleagues taking credit for their ideas and work. The women started a monthly meeting to share stories and look for solutions. Their gatherings explored workplace discrimination and social research on how to combat it.

Author David France faced the fear and reality of AIDS first hand as a gay man, an investigative reporter and a New Yorker. He was there when word of the illness spread through the gay community and was largely ignored by politicians, religious figures and the press. He writes about that dark history and how a small group of activists forged a way out in “How To Survive A Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS.”

Last year KUOW teamed up with Seattle Asian Art Museum, Pratidhwani, South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) and Tasveer to launch the Storywallahs series. Theses events provide a stage for storytelling on a theme. This time around the stories concern first days: What was it like to arrive in the United States for the first time? This gathering of reflections will surprise and inspire you.

The writer Henry Fielding defined a rogue as a rich man without charity. Merriam-Webster describes a dishonest, worthless or mischievous person. This year, Seattle stage rogues Jean Sherrard, Paul Dorpat, Khanh Doan and Kurt Beattie shared their talents for the annual “Short Stories Live: A Rogue’s Christmas.”

When it comes to favorite things, Sandbox Radio should be high on any radio theatre lover’s list. The troupe brings talent and infectious enthusiasm to their one-night-only shows. This winter holiday episode, with musical help from the Cascadia Big Band, features the following performances: "Christmastown” adapted from the stage play by Wayne Rawley "Festival Of Lights - A Presentation" by Juliet Waller Pruzan "King John's Christmas" by A. A. Milne, adapted by Richard Ziman

It may come as no surprise to you to hear that Bernie Sanders is not done. He was on the post-campaign trail last week, with a stop in Seattle to promote his new book, “Our Revolution: A Future To Believe In.” Even after a bruising election season and outcome, Sanders says the majority of Americans agree with his vision of progress. He challenges us to “think big” about progressive change.

Seattle’s reputation as a vibrant, progressive, culturally relevant city is the product of decades of vision and growth. Many Seattleites participated in building that progress, but no one has done more to develop the arts culture of this city than Virginia Wright. Over the last 60 years of her adult life, Wright has helped transform what was once a cultural outlier into a world-class art destination.

The Ignite series brings locals together to share ideas, inspirations and understanding in a rapid-fire, accessible format. The program was invented here, and you’re invited. Ignite Seattle 31 took place on November 17 at Town Hall Seattle. Sonya Harris recorded the talks. Scott Berkun was the emcee.

Several years ago, poet Rachel Zucker was asked to write a lecture about poetry. That process led her, in part, to question what it is that poets do — and why. She recently presented that lecture, “The Poetics of Wrongness,” as part of the Seattle Arts & Lectures Poetry Series.

Ampersand Magazine is a production of Forterra, a Seattle-based conservation and community-building organization. Ampersand Live is a gathering of poets, artists and storytellers keen on preserving and celebrating the fragile bond between society and nature in the Pacific Northwest.

In this talk, activist Ralph Nader focuses on why we fail to make political progress, even when a majority of citizens passionately support an issue. He argues that left-right coalitions focused on Congress are one key to breaking gridlock in Washington, D.C. He calls on Seattleites especially to gear their tech savvy towards political participation.

You may have heard the term “white fragility.” Dr. Robin DiAngelo coined the expression to describe the defensive positions white people often take when confronted with the facts of racism. This talk details the realities of our racist society today and points towards possible remedies.

The accolade "local treasure" is not easily awarded. Poet Lucia Perillo earned that and many other awards, including a MacArthur Genius Grant. Perillo died in Olympia on October 16 at the age of 58. She had lived with multiple sclerosis since her diagnosis in 1988.