Books
Todd Miller He discusses his new book, Border Patrol Nation: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Homeland Security in Thomson Hall. University of Washington Campus, 15th Ave. N.E. and N.E. 41st St., Seattle, WA 98105 Free Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 5pm
Courtney Maum While British painter Richard may not seem all that different from the multitudes of cheating, caught-in-the-throes-of-midlife-crisis protagonists of so much fiction, the misadventures he has in trying to save his marriage are. In Maum’s debut novel I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You (Touchstone, $16), Richard’s young mistress leaves him behind in Paris, returning to America to marry. His French wife Anne-Laure has forgiven him his trespass, until she uncovers a cache of letters documenting the intense affair. Meanwhile, Richard has finally found a gallery willing to let him return to his past pop-culture/political style, something he’s been desperate to do since painting a series of conventional, pricey works. When one of those paintings-created for Anne-Laure when she was pregnant with their now-5-year-old daughter-sells, he becomes fixated on buying it back from its mysterious new owners, certain that the gesture will help him reunite with his wife. Though Richard is the novel’s main character, it’s Anne-Laure who steals its pages with her elegance, French stoicism, and ultimate revelation of fragility. This finally makes Richard realize that he’s idolized, rather than taken care of, his wife for too long. In one of the book’s best and most heart-wrenching parts, Richard, kicked out of his home, holes up with his traditional parents in London, there videotaping a series of interviews about their own enduring marriage. The tapes become part of his groundbreaking new gallery show, where the fate of his own marriage will be decided. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105 Free Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 7pm
Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl
Rad American Women A-Z features forthright females including A is for Angela Davis and B is for Billie Jean King. Ravenna Third Place Books, 6504 20th Ave. N.E., Seattle, WA 98115 Free Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 7pm
Matt Kepnes Author of travel blog NomadicMatt.com offers new tips in the updated edition of How to Travel the World on $50 a Day. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105 Free Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 7pm
Patrice Vecchione She discusses her new book, Step Into Nature: Nurturing Imagination and Spirit in Everyday Life. Elliott Bay Book Co., 1521 10th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 Free Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 7pm
Joseph Gaydos
The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest includes beautiful photos, stories, and scientific details. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 $5 Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 7:30pm
Seattle Poetry Slam Local poets share their verse and spoken word compositions. 21 and over. Rebar, 1114 Howell StreetSeattle, WA $5 Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 8 – 11:30pm
Atticus Lish Paul Constant talks to him about his debut novel, Preparation for the Next Life. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105 Free Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 7pm
Jack Bishop He discusses The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook: A Fresh Guide to Eating Well with 700 Foolproof Recipes. Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way N.E., Seattle, 98115 Free Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 7pm
Michael Schein His new book John Surratt: The Lincoln Assassin Who Got Away explores the life of John Wilkes Booth’s closest associate. Seattle Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle, WA 98104 Free Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 7pm
Bruce Barcott After our 2012 vote for Initiative 502, former SW writer Barcott spent two years following the sudden gold rush toward legal pot sales, from Washington state to Colorado and beyond. His journey, related in Weed the People (Time Books, $30), brought him into contact with slick venture capitalists, dubious medical-pot merchants, naive would-be businessmen, seriously ill people for whom THC is necessary medicine, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes, I-502 author Alison Holcomb, and of course Tommy Chong. Barcott is polite with the latter figure, visiting Tacoma to explore a licensing deal, but his disdain for the old hippie-countercultural cult of cannabis is clear. Though no memoir (leave that to his wife, SW alumnus Claire Dederer, of Poser), Weed the People is very much a personal odyssey that begins with Barcott’s avowed “personal loathing of marijuana.” It turns out the author toked a bit at the UW, became disgusted with his loss of focus, then applied himself rigorously to a successful writing career (which includes The Measure of a Mountain and The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw).
In engaging, well-reported vignettes, Barcott undergoes with the reader a kind of parallel self-education. Most of those incarcerated in the past for pot, he learns, were poor and people of color. Yet he also finds that those now profiting from the weed bonanza are, like him, mostly white and privileged. (That disconnect is amusingly brought home at a Bainbridge citizens’ meeting where everyone smokes pot and wants a store on the island-just not in their backyard. The stigma of illegality and those kind of people persists.) By the end of his persuasive and surprisingly inspirational account, Barcott is again an occasional smoker who can separate his bourgeois habit from the unwashed hordes at Hempfest. BRIAN MILLER Elliott Bay Book Co., 1521 10th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 Free Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 7:30pm
Shawn Lawrence Otto
Sins of Our Fathers is a new novel from the screenwriter House of Sand and Fog. Ravenna Third Place Books, 6504 20th Ave. N.E., Seattle, WA 98115 Free Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 7:30pm
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T.C. Boyle In a New York Times By the Book column last month, Boyle was asked, “If you were hosting a dinner party, which three authors would you invite?” He answered, “I would wait till I had a severe case of laryngitis and invite one only: Ernest Hemingway.” Fitting, considering that Big Papa defined the art of fiction as something that gave the reader emotion, excitement, and, above all else, action. Few writers today are better are penning gripping, tense, and sharp-edged action than the veteran California novelist. The Harder They Come (Ecco, $35) is his 15th novel, and what a blast of a read it is. Again, Boyle turns to the thematic ambition that has fueled much of his writing, whether in The Tortilla Curtain or When the Killing’s Done: trying to “dissect America’s love affair with violence,” as Spokane novelist Jess Walter put it so well. The Harder They Come, one of Boyle’s best creations, is a blood-raising tale that begins at a breathtaking gallop with the story of Sten Stensen, a 70-year-old former teacher and ex-Marine who, on a Central America cruise with his wife, Carolee, kills with his bare hands an armed robber holding captive a busload of tourists. ELLIS CONKLIN Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 $5 Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 7:30pm
David Kannas
Still Life with Badge is a new series inspired by the author’s career in law enforcement. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105 Free Thursday, April 16, 2015, 7pm
David Shields He discusses the concept of collage in his co-written book, Life Is Short-Art Is Shorter.
Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 $12 Thursday, April 16, 2015, 7pm
Helen MacDonald Her memoir, H is for Hawk, won the 2014 Costa Book of the Year award. Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way N.E., Seattle, 98115 Free Thursday, April 16, 2015, 7pm
Jeannine Hall Gailey Her new fantasy book, The Robot Scientist’s Daughter, comments on the nuclear family. Jack Straw Cultural Center, 4261 Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105 Free Thursday, April 16, 2015, 7pm
Peter Coyote
The Rainman’s Third Cure: An Irregular Education is his new memoir. Seattle Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle, WA 98104 Free Thursday, April 16, 2015, 7pm
Robin Oliveira
I Always Loved You is a historical novel about two artists in Paris. ParkPlace Books, 348 Parkplace CenterKirkland, WA 98033 Free Thursday, April 16, 2015, 7pm
Cedric Villani
Birth of a Theorem is about mathematical discovery. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 $5 Thursday, April 16, 2015, 7:30pm
Robert D. Putnam The author of Bowling Alone and American Grace reads from his latest book, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 $5 Thursday, April 16, 2015, 7:30pm
Mara Grunbaum
WTF, Evolution?! is a new book from the funny science writer. Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way N.E., Seattle, 98115 Free Friday, April 17, 2015, 6:30pm
Marian Palaia Her new novel The Given World takes readers to Montana, San Francisco, and Vietnam. Elliott Bay Book Co., 1521 10th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 Free Friday, April 17, 2015, 7pm
Neil Gaiman Fantasy author of Coraline, Sandman, Stardust, etc., discusses his work. University of Washington Campus, 15th Ave. N.E. and N.E. 41st St., Seattle, WA 98105 $18-$35 Friday, April 17, 2015, 7pm
Joe Wenke He is joined by guests to discuss The Human Agenda: Conversations about Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, which started out as a podcast. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 $5 Friday, April 17, 2015, 7:30pm
Kate Dyer-Seeley Kate Dyer-Seeley signs her new book Slayed on the Slopes. Seattle Mystery Bookshop, 117 Cherry St., Seattle, WA 98104 Free Saturday, April 18, 2015, 12pm
Dan Clowes The creator of Ghost World tours to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Eightball. Get there early if you want your copy signed. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, 1201 S. Vale St. Free Saturday, April 18, 2015, 6pm
Anthony Alvarado The author offers his advice to creatives in D.I.Y. Magic: a Strange and Whimsical Guide to Creativity. Elliott Bay Book Co., 1521 10th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 Free Saturday, April 18, 2015, 7pm
Ruth Kirk The writer and photographer offers an account of the Makah whaling village excavation in Ozette: Excavating a Makah Whaling Village. Seattle Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle, WA 98104 Free Sunday, April 19, 2015, 2pm
Jennifer Teege “Is there such a thing as fate?” Teege asks in her first chapter of My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me (The Experiment, $25). The degree to which unlikely circumstances play in her nearly incredible memoir almost makes it sound like a work of fiction. One day, while the German-Nigerian author was browsing in a Hamburg library, she stumbled upon I Have to Love My Father, Don’t I?: The Life Story of Monika Goeth, Daughter of the Concentration Camp Commandant From Schindler’s List. Goeth was Teege’s estranged mother, who gave her up for adoption at age 7; 30 years later she abruptly learned she was the granddaughter of Amon Goeth, the sadistic Nazi SS officer played by Ralph Fiennes in Schindler’s List. Teege’s discovery first became a sensational story in the pages of Stern, then a bestseller in Germany (with journalist Nikola Sellmair as her co-author). In her book, Teege follows her grandfather’s lethal footsteps to Krakow, guiltily revisits Israel (where she studied Hebrew during her 20s), and sinks into a deep depression. Never mind fate; her message is an important one-that we have the power to decide who we are. DIANA M. LE Elliott Bay Book Co., 1521 10th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 Free Sunday, April 19, 2015, 3pm
Amber Tamblyn The Actress (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and poet reads from her new poetry collection, Dark Sparkler, with artwork commissioned by David Lynch, Marilyn Manson and more. Elliott Bay Book Co., 1521 10th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 Free Monday, April 20, 2015, 7pm
Sarah LaChance Adams Maternal love is explored in Mad Mothers, Bad Mothers, and What a “Good” Mother Would Do. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105 Free Monday, April 20, 2015, 7pm
Ann Packer She discusses her new novel, The Children’s Crusade, with Nancy Pearl. Elliott Bay Book Co., 1521 10th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 Free Tuesday, April 21, 2015, 7pm
Viet Thanh Nguyen His debut novel, The Sympathizer, is told through the voice of a double agent in 1970s America amongst Vietnamese refugees. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105 Free Tuesday, April 21, 2015, 7pm
Bruce Barcott and Christian Hageseth The two authors discuss their books Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America and Big Weed: An Entrepreneur’s High-Stakes Adventures in the Budding Legal Marijuana Business. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 $5 Tuesday, April 21, 2015, 7:30pm
Seattle Poetry Slam Local poets share their verse and spoken word compositions. 21 and over. Rebar, 1114 Howell StreetSeattle, WA $5 Tuesday, April 21, 2015, 8 – 11:30pm
Caroline Allen
Earth is the first in a four-part book series about Pearl Swinton, a young girl who experiences mystical visions in a rural town in the 1970s. Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way N.E., Seattle, 98115 Free Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 7pm
Django Wexler In the Forbidden Library series, Alice can read herself into enchanted library books. The Mad Apprentice is his latest installment. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105 Free Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 7pm
Erin Malone The Seattle poet reads from her debut book, Hover. Elliott Bay Book Co., 1521 10th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 Free Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 7pm
Saul Weisberg The North Cascades Institute Founder and Executive reads from his book of poetry, Headwaters: Poems & Field Notes. Eagle Harbor Books, 157 Winslow Way E., Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 Free Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 7pm
Julie Shayne and Kristy Leissle
Taking Risks: Feminist Activism and Research in the Americas is a collection of essays edited by the UW Bothell lecturer. University of Washington Campus, 15th Ave. N.E. and N.E. 41st St., Seattle, WA 98105 Free Thursday, April 23, 2015, 4pm
Arthur Stayton He discusses his new book, Power Shift: From Fossil Energy to Dynamic Solar Power. Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way N.E., Seattle, 98115 Free Thursday, April 23, 2015, 7pm
Fredrik Eklund
The Sell is the top real-estate broker and star of Million Dollar Listing New York’s book of advice. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105 Free Thursday, April 23, 2015, 7pm
Jennifer Jacquet The NYU Clinical Assistant Professor discusses her book, Is Shame Necessary?: New Uses for an Old Tool. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 Free Thursday, April 23, 2015, 7:30pm
Chris Scofield
The Shark Curtain is about a young girl living in 1960s suburban Oregon. Elliott Bay Book Co., 1521 10th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 Free Friday, April 24, 2015, 7pm
Sandy Tolan The USC Communication and Journalism associate professor discusses his new book, Children of the Stone: The Power of Music in a Hard Land. (Also at Eagle Harbor Books, 3 p.m. Sat., April 25.) Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 $5 Friday, April 24, 2015, 7:30pm
Seattle Poetry Slam Local poets share their verse and spoken word compositions. 21 and over. Rebar, 1114 Howell StreetSeattle, WA $5 Tuesday, April 28, 2015, 8 – 11:30pm
Seattle Poetry Slam Local poets share their verse and spoken word compositions. 21 and over. Rebar, 1114 Howell StreetSeattle, WA $5 Tuesday, May 5, 2015, 8 – 11:30pm
