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Mini Free Libraries Around Seattle

With neighborhoods spilling over with books, Seattle aims to raise its literary profile

0314littlelibrary

This article originally appeared in the March 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.

!–paging_filter–pMarch may be National Reading Month, but in hyper-literary Seattle that’s the case every month. We boast outstanding bookstores img src=”/sites/default/files/newfiles/0314_library_2.jpg” style=”float: left; margin: 10px;” height=”266″ width=”400″(Elliott Bay), niche shops for poetry (Open Books), math/science (Ada’s Books) and mysteries (Mystery Bookshop), several publishers, packed reading series and one of the largest and busiest library systems in the country. And still, this city of ravenous bookworms isn’t sated! Over the last couple years, little free libraries have been popping up on side streets in increasing numbers, thanks to neighbors eager to share their favorite tomes (often leaving notes explaining why books are “must-reads”). Novelist Ryan Boudinot, one of the sea of prominent local writers, is working to make our predilection for reading official—as a UNESCO City of Literature, joining seven cities worldwide, including Dublin, Melbourne and Reykjavic. Having gathered support and application assistance from Seattle literary organizations, and a City Council resolution in favor of the effort, this month Boudinot submits the official bid. In November, we hope to receive the global stamp of approval on what locals already know to be true. a href=”http://www.seattlecityofliterature.wordpress.com” target=”_blank”seattlecityofliterature.wordpress.com /aem(Photo: Little library in Wallingford)/embrbrimg src=”/sites/default/files/newfiles/0314_library3.jpg” style=”vertical-align: middle; margin: 10px;” height=”266″ width=”400″/p
pWest Seattle/p
pimg src=”/sites/default/files/newfiles/0314_library7.jpg” style=”vertical-align: middle; margin: 10px;” height=”266″ width=”400″/p
pGreenwood/p
pimg src=”/sites/default/files/newfiles/0314_library8.jpg” style=”vertical-align: middle; margin: 10px;” height=”266″ width=”400″/p
pMadrona/p
pimg src=”/sites/default/files/newfiles/0314_library9.jpg” style=”vertical-align: middle; margin: 10px;” height=”600″ width=”400″/p
pMagnolia/p

 

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!),…