Each year the Library hosts readings, lectures, and discussions by authors and other public figures. You may watch video recordings of recent programs on our YouTube channel. Our archive of audio recordings goes back more than 10 years and includes thousands of memorable Library events.
Bushwick Book Club - Original music inspired by 'A Christmas Carol'
Join us for a performance of original music inspired by Charles Dickens' Christmas classic. The program features the Bushwick Book Club Seattle's band, Read and Destroy, whose members are longtime Bushwick performers Wes Weddell, Moe Provencher, Aimee Zoe, and Geoff Larson.
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(00:43:43)
Robert Schenkkan talks about his experience writing 'All the Way' and 'The Great Society'
Robert Schenkkan talks about his experience writing 'All the Way' and 'The Great Society' and the plays' journey from pen to stage.
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(01:00:12)
Richard Ford reads from his new novel 'Let Me Be Frank With You'
Richard Ford returns readers to the world of iconic character Frank Bascombe, reinventing him in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
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(01:00:45)
McLellan/O’Donnell Living History Series with Clay Jenkinson as Thomas Jefferson with the Saint Michael Trio
Watch history come alive in an afternoon with Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, and the Saint Michael Trio.
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(02:01:50)
Guardians of the Gaylaxy: Exploring LGBTQ Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fiction
Join us and five Washington State writers who boldly explore star systems and fantasy realms while spotlighting LGBTQ main characters and relationships. Recorded on Nov. 17, 2014.
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(01:26:31)
| View transcription (pdf)
Seattle Writes: Successful Self-Publishing
Are you working on a book? Have you considered independent publishing? Join us for a panel discussion with publishing professionals, who will share how to successfully navigate the self-publishing world. Recorded on Nov. 15, 2014.
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(01:22:02)
| View transcription (pdf)
2014 Jack Straw Writers Program
Join the Washington Center for the Book and Jack Straw Productions for readings by 12 literary artists who were selected for the program, including Laurel Albina, Claudia Castro Luna, Margot Kahn, Loreen Lilyn Lee, Susan Meyers, John Mullen, Michelle Peñaloza, Gigi Rosenberg, Raúl Sánchez, Anastacia Tolbert, Jane Wong, and Kristen Millares Young.
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(01:06:44)
Storytelling with Fresh Ground Stories
Everyone's got a story. What's yours? Join Paul Currington and Fresh Ground Stories for an afternoon celebrating true, first-person storytelling inspired by The Moth Radio Hour.
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(00:34:12)
Polio Then and Now: From Salk’s Game-Changing Vaccine to Today’s Resurgence
Kathleen Murray, a colleague of Salk's, discusses the legacy of vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk, and Rob Lin, an expert on current polio eradication efforts worldwide discusses the challenges that still face us in eliminating polio.
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(01:17:02)
Azar Nafisi reads from 'The Republic of Imagination: America in Three Books'
"The Republic of Imagination" is about the power of fiction to change people's lives, by the bestselling author of "Reading Lolita in Tehran."
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(00:32:35)