Library Podcasts
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.
Quick search for podcasts
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David B. Williams discusses Seattle Walks
David B. Williams weaves together the history, natural history, and architecture of Seattle to paint a complex, nuanced, and fascinating story, complete with walks of varying lengths and topographies. recorded on March 1, 2017.
Listen to Audio (mp3) [file size: 23.94MB] [Play time: 0 hr 52 min]
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Viet Thanh Nguyen discusses 'The Refugees'
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Sympathizer" comes a new collection of stories exploring questions of immigration, identity, love, and family, imbued with Nguyen's great gift for writing. Recorded on february 24, 2017.
Listen to Audio (mp3) [file size: 24.90MB] [Play time: 0 hr 54 min]
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Ian Rankin celebrates the 30 Years of Inspector Rebus with ‘Rather Be the Devil’
To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of his popular Inspector Rebus series, award-winning Scottish mystery writer Ian Rankin returns with ‘Rather Be the Devil." He is in conversation with Mary Ann Gwinn. Recorded on February 21, 2017.
Listen to Audio (mp3) [file size: 28.18MB] [Play time: 01 hr 01 min]
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Elan Mastai discusses 'All Our Wrong Todays'
Listen to Elan Mastai as he discusses his novel 'All Our Wrong Todays'. -- After a time travel mishap, screenwriter Elan Mastai's breezy debut novel journeys through alternate timelines and questions how we determine what makes a perfect future. You know the future that people in the 1950s imagined we'd have? Well, it happened. In Tom Barren's 2016, humanity thrives in a techno-utopian paradise of flying cars, moving sidewalks, and moon bases, where avocados never go bad and punk rock never existed . . . because it wasn't necessary.
Except Tom just can't seem to find his place in this dazzling, idealistic world, and that's before his life gets turned upside down. Utterly blindsided by an accident of fate, Tom makes a rash decision that drastically changes not only his own life but the very fabric of the universe itself. In a time-travel mishap, Tom finds himself stranded in our 2016, what we think of as the real world. For Tom, our normal reality seems like a dystopian wasteland.
'All Our Wrong Todays' is about the versions of ourselves that we shed and grow into over time. It is a story of friendship and family, of unexpected journeys and alternate paths, and of love in its multitude of forms. Filled with humor and heart, and saturated with insight and intelligence and a mind-bending talent for invention, this novel signals the arrival of a major talent. Elan Mastai was born in Vancouver and lives in Toronto with his wife and children. He writes movies. This is his first novel. recorded on february 12, 2017.
Listen to Audio (mp3) [file size: 2.40MB] [Play time: 0 hr 52 min]
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American Visionaries: Immigration Innovation & Freedom
Listen to an evening of personal talks celebrating the vital contributions of immigrants as they help shape a vibrant, plural vision of America. Recorded on Feruary 10, 2017.
Listen to Audio (mp3) [file size: 61.97MB] [Play time: 1 hr 06 min]
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Activist Poetics
The symposium Activist Poetics examines notions of activist poiesis and activist poetics to investigate the intersections between digital activism, contemporary experimental writing and performance, and new media practices. This symposium includes a public performance shaped by the engagements of our participants. Recorded on December 3, 2017.
Listen to Audio (mp3) [file size: 37.74MB] [Play time: 1 hr 22 min]
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Residencies Revealed: Writers and Programs Tell All
Retreat directors and writers share inside tips for applying for and attending writing residencies and retreats. Hear about what residencies offer writers. First, administrators from retreat and residency programs offer insight into the application process and answer some common questions. Then listen to local writers share from their experiences choosing, applying to, and attending residencies at regional and further-flung programs. recoeded om Jan 29, 2017.
Listen to Audio (mp3) [file size: 44.11MB] [Play time: 1 hr 36 min]
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Dr. Edwin Nichols: Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline & Beyond
Listen to a community talk by Dr. Edwin J. Nichols, renowned organizational psychologist and groundbreaking racial justice advocate. Dr. Nichols takes a deeper look at his pioneering work on racial relations, including a deeper dive into how we can address a pressing equity issue, like the school to prison pipeline and other forms of institutional racism. Recorded on Jan. 23, 2017.
Listen to Audio (mp3) [file size: 49.00MB] [Play time: 1 hr 46 min]
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Sarah Schulman discusses 'Conflict Is Not Abuse'
Listen to Sarah Schulman as she shares her recent book "Conflict Is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair" in conversation with queer author/activist Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore. Recorded on January 17, 2017.
Listen to Audio (mp3) [file size: 36.27MB] [Play time: 1 hr 19 min]