January/February 2026
The Councilmember: Alexis Mercedes Rinck
Seattle’s youngest councilmember leads with a boots-on-the-ground approach.
Crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Standing on Medgar Evers’ driveway. Looking over the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. At 16, Alexis Mercedes Rinck had heard stories of these Civil Rights Movement landmarks from her politically engaged grandmother, who was raising her, but in 2012, Rinck was there. And she was meeting the people—sung and unsung—of…
The Literary Leader: Christopher Frizzelle
The former Stranger editor launching a community-funded publishing company that puts its authors first.
The path to FrizzLit Editions began in the fraught days of March 2020. Christopher Frizzelle, then an editor at the Stranger, was searching for new ways to reach readers in a city that had all but shut down. “My brilliant idea is, we’ll do a book club,” he remembers. That first book club—a quarantine edition…
The Big Giver: Shari D. Behnke
The philanthropist pouring resources into the arts, hoping to inspire others to do the same.
Like almost everyone who has spent time at On the Boards, Shari D. Behnke has memories of shows that have deeply moved her. And then there are the performances she found so jarring that she walked out part-way through—few and far between, but still a hazard of frequenting contemporary performing arts. “That’s one of the…
Fave Five: Little Winter Escapes
Places to go when the weather turns cold.
Winter is a time to reset. The holidays vanish overnight, leaving frigid mornings and fewer lights in the windows. And it’s almost as if the sun has a lampshade over it—which I don’t mind. We all need a break from the bright overheads. Still, we are fighting the urge to hibernate. Maybe that means tea…
Nord-West Connection
Food for thought.
There has always been a strong connection between Seattle and the Nordic countries, and the National Nordic Museum’s current exhibition, New Nordic: Cuisine, Aesthetics and Place, is a visual reinforcement straight from Norway. A cross-disciplinary show exploring how New Nordic Cuisine—a culinary movement that developed in Scandinavia in the early 2000s that focuses on using…
The Explorer: Tessa Hulls
Her graphic novel won a prestigious Pulitzer Prize.
People who know Tessa Hulls won’t be surprised by her initial reaction to learning she’d won a Pulitzer Prize for her first book, the graphic memoir, Feeding Ghosts (Macmillan, 2024). “I think I was in shock for a couple of months,” Hulls says. “I went into the backcountry for as long as I needed until…
The Jazz Man: Thomas Marriott
The musician inspiring the next generation of jazz aficionados.
When Thomas Marriott was 15 years old and a student at Garfield High School, he would sneak into the now-defunct New Orleans Creole Restaurant in Pioneer Square to catch a glimpse of some of the local jazz legends. Over 40 years later, Marriott, a longtime trumpeter and composer, is reinvigorating the scene with Seattle Jazz…
To Market, To Market
Start small.
Known as a hotspot for independent businesses and one-off boutiques, Ballard recently doubled down on the “Shop Local” mantra with a new collective shopping experience. “Smål Market was created to help small retailers overcome the financial and logistical barriers of opening a business in Ballard’s competitive commercial district,” says Mike Stewart, executive director at Ballard…
The Connector: Kiesha B. Free
A former tech star using her skills—and her voice—to connect the region’s Black community.
In 2021, Kiesha B. Free was at a crossroads in her life. She had left her job at Microsoft to pursue public speaking and was finding her way as a mother after a divorce—all while navigating a world emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was nowhere near my family,” says Free, who grew up in…
Industry Entrées
Seattle’s newest spots to eat, drink, and gather with friends.
Gao Lhao Bangkok Noodle Shop Green Lake Gao Lhao is bringing Bangkok’s colorful Chinatown scene to Green Lake, channeling the vibrancy of the Yaowarat district via neon-lit murals, street vendor motifs, playful cocktails, and flashy Thai-Chinese fare. The dynamic menu showcases the best of the fusion genre: chewy wok-charred noodles with scrambled egg and shiitakes,…
The Helping Hand: Nikki Gane
The nonprofit leader using her life experiences to help other women.
Nikki Gane wasn’t trying to start a nonprofit that winter day in 2011. She was just trying to buy a pair of shoes. But when she saw a woman standing alone outside the store, she recognized someone in need—and she knew just how to help. Gane went into a drugstore, bought some essentials, and handed…
Serving Holistically
Suzana Sakay leads the Washington Athletic Club into its 95th year.
From answering phones to overseeing more than $1 million in fundraising, there’s no job at the Washington Athletic Club that’s too big—or small—for Suzana Sakay. Fourteen years ago, she began her journey with the organization as a merchandising manager in the spa, and has since moved through the ranks, helping improve membership experience and club…
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