Inquiring Mind speakers John Salicco, Tames Alan and Karen Haas with Speaker of the House Rep. Frank Chopp at the Inquiring Mind Legislators reception.

Inquiring Mind / Community Conversations     Inquiring Mind speakers and Humanities Washington board and staff held a reception for Legislators in Olympia to thank them for their support of our first-ever State funding. The $90,000 for the 2008 - 09 biennium will help us expand our Inquiring Mind speakers bureau and make it easier for libraries, civic groups, museums and schools to bring Community Conversations to their communities. Presentations on a wide range of topics are available. Inquiring Mind homepage  |  Inquiring Mind Events

Family Reading Programs     19 literacy professionals recently completed a 3-day Motheread / Fatheread facilitators training in Seattle. Participants came from schools, social service agencies and libraries throughout Western Washington and Oregon. They represented several new program partners including the Seattle Denise Louie Education Center, Tacoma Urban League, Educational Service District 189, and Skagit County Community Action.     The new facilitators are ready and eager to lead Motheread / Fatheread programs in their communities. The classes will reach as many as 400 families and distribute thousands of award winning children's books supplied by Humanities Washington and the generous support of foundations and individuals. Family Reading Programs homepage  |  Book List

Training participants act out a story from "Abiyoyo", one of the children's books used in the Motheread / Fatheread Program.      If you are interested in attending a training or would like to bring this resource to your community, please contact Liv Woodstrom.

Oliver de la Paz reads with Lorna Crozier as part of the "Whatcom Poetry Series: The Poet as Art" in April.

Grants     Former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass (pictured at top) read to a crowd of over 550 as part of the Gonzaga Visiting Writers series in Spokane. The series, funded through a Humanities Washington Project Grant, also hosted Bharati Mukherjee and Joy Harjo. Poet Dan Butterworth will complete the successful season with a reading on March 26.     Other upcoming grant funded events include Sherman Alexie at Town Hall in Seattle as part of the Hugo Literary Series on March 28, the Latino Cultural Film Series throughout March in Yakima, and Poets Lorna Crozier and Oliver de la Paz read in Bellingham in April. Grants Homepage  |  Grant Events     Photo of Robert Hass by Margaretta Mitchell

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