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‘BirdNote’ Answers All Your Questions About Our Avian Friends

The new book from Ellen Blackstone and Emily Poole follows the NPR segment of the same name

1-Herring

This article originally appeared in the March 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.

This article appears in print in the March 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.

Have you ever wondered what that little red dot on a seagull’s bill is for? Or why geese fly in a V formation? Answers to such questions—and more illuminating insights into avian species, such as the bird who grows its own snowshoes in winter, and the one who calls “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?”—are neatly compiled in BirdNote (Sasquatch, March 20, $22.95), a collection of vignettes about birds gathered from the popular, two-minute NPR segment of the same name (on KPLU-FM: 8:58 a.m., Monday–Friday; 9:30 a.m., Saturday–Sunday).

Alongside Eugene, Oregon, artist Emily Poole’s enchanting illustrations, Seattle bird expert and longtime BirdNote series editor Ellen Blackstone worked with a team of writers on the compilation, touching on interesting bird behavior, biology, songs and more. It’s a trove of trivia for anyone who’s ever wondered, “Why is that bird doing that?” 

 

SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction

SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction

Dance, drag, and immersive art collide in an eight-week exploration of our phone-obsessed lives, with a few surprises along the way. 

What do drag queens, smartphone addiction, art installations, and an old luggage shop have in common?  According to longtime Seattle choreographer Alana O’Farrell Rogers, a lot.  “There’s no dead time anymore,” says Rogers, explaining how the proliferation of smartphones fills the empty spaces that once served as time for rest or connection. Where we snuggled…

Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power

Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power

Ahead of their performance at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture gala, the hip-hop pioneers talk about creative ownership, connecting with new generations, and the songs that still resonate.

The Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP) will host its annual ICONS of Pop Culture Gala in Seattle on October 22, honoring five artists and institutions whose work has helped shape entertainment and culture.  This year’s honorees are martial arts and film legend Bruce Lee, fashion designer Jeremy Scott, the video game franchise Halo, hip-hop pioneers…

Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan

Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan

Drawing on childhood memories, neighborhood history, and salvaged materials, Christopher Paul Jordan’s latest show at Cornish’s Behnke Family Gallery explores how the past stays with us.

Start in the middle. It’s good advice for telling a story, and a way into Christopher Paul Jordan’s paintings. By the time you encounter them, their materials have already been something else, and who knows what they might move on to become. The Tacoma interdisciplinary artist works with salvaged objects, including screens, picture frames, canvas,…

Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look 

Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look 

Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).

WEDDING BELLS I’ve been a bit absent from this column lately, but I think I have a pretty good excuse: I got married! It’s already been three weeks since my September 19 wedding, but I’m still reflecting on the magic of the day. My fiancé, well husband now (I can’t get used to saying it!),…