Past Events

Bedtime Stories 2009: In Your Dreams

Humanities Washington hosted its 11th annual Bedtime Stories with emcee Nancy Pearl in Seattle on October 2. Nancy Pearl is the author of Book Lust and More Book Lust earning her the moniker “lusty librarian” from the Los Angeles Times. She’s the former Executive Director of the Washington Center for the Book and helps bibliophiles in Washington and across the country figure out what to read next.

The Authors

Charles Johnson is a former board member of Humanities Washington, a 1998 MacArthur Fellow and a Professor of English at the University of Washington. He is the author of several books, including Faith and the Good Thing, and winner of the 1990 National Book Award for Middle Passage. He has read at every Bedtime Stories event and has a collection of his works composed for the event entitled Dr. King's Refrigerator.

Margot Kahn - The story of a Wyoming cowboy and the transformation of his American West is the subject of Margot Kahn's first book, Horses That Buck, a finalist for the 2009 Spur Award and a nominee for the PNBA, MPIBA, Lyon, Jackson and High Plains awards. Margot received her MFA from Columbia University where she was a Hertog Fellow, and in 2005 received the Ohioana Library Association’s Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant for a promising writer under 30. She has worked professionally as a local journalist, financial editor and political speechwriter. She currently curates creative writing programs for kids and teens at Richard Hugo House.

Samuel Green is the first Poet Laureate of Washington State. He is a native of Washington and resides on remote Waldron Island. A distinguished poet and author of ten poetry collections, including The Grace of Necessity (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2008), his work has appeared in numerous publications. For more than thirty years, he has served as editor of a small press focusing on the work of Washington poets. Green has served as a visiting poet in a wide range of settings, including universities, public schools, libraries, mental health centers, correctional facilities and poetry festivals. He has been a visiting poet and poetry teacher at Seattle University for several years and has been active with the Skagit River Poetry Festivals.

Bharti Kirchner is the author of eight books, four of which are critically acclaimed novels. Her first novel, Shiva Dancing, was chosen by Seattle Weekly to be among the top 18 books by Seattle authors in the last 25 years. Her fourth novel, Pastries: A Novel of Desserts and Discoveries, was selected for the Summer Washington Reads program. Her most recent publication is a short story in Seattle Noir, a just released anthology of mystery short stories set in Seattle. Bharti’s work has been translated into German, Dutch, Spanish, Thai, and other languages. Twice she has won Seattle Arts Commission’s literature grants. An award winning cook, Bharti is also the author of four popular cookbooks. She has written numerous articles and essays for various magazines and anthologies, and book reviews for newspapers.

2008: Nighthawks

At Bedtime Stories 2008, held on October 24, we raised $46,000 for our family reading program Motheread/Fatheread and for the purchase of children's books for families throughout Washington. This support enables us to place our programs in economically under-served and geographically remote populations throughout the state and to continue to enhance Motheread/Fatheread. The evening’s theme was Nighthawks.

The Authors

Charles Johnson is a former board member of Humanities Washington, a 1998 MacArthur Fellow and a Professor of English at the University of Washington. He is the author of several books, including Faith and the Good Thing, and winner of the 1990 National Book Award for Middle Passage. He has read at every Bedtime Stories event and has a collection of his works composed for the event entitled Dr. King's Refrigerator.

Daniel Orozco's work has appeared in the Best American Essays, Best American Short Stories, Best American Mystery Stories and Pushcart Prize anthologies, and in Harper’s Magazine, McSweeney’s, Zoetrope and other magazines. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship. He teaches in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Idaho.

Teri Hein is the Founding Executive Director of 826 Seattle, a writing lab for children in Seattle. Her memoir, Atomic Farmgirl, was on the Booksense 76 list. Her work has appeared in such places as A Road of Her Own, a book of women’s travel essays, Seattle Metropolitan Magazine and on NPR’s "All Things Considered." She is currently working on a book about chickens.

Keri Healey is a playwright, director, and actor living in Seattle. Her work includes the plays One Twelve, Cherry Cherry Lemon, and Penetralia. Cherry Cherry Lemon was cited as Best Production in Seattle’s The Stranger’s “Best Seattle Theatre” list of 2001. In 2004, she was chosen by Seattle Dramatists as one of its five inaugural Principal Playwrights. In 2005, she was selected by The Stranger as “One to Watch” in their annual Genius Awards issue.

And Master of Ceremonies...
Jess Walter is the author of four novels, including The Zero, a finalist for the 2006 National Book Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Pen USA Fiction Award and winner of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award. His previous novel, Citizen Vince, was a Washington Post best book of the year and winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel.

2007: Nightlight

Bedtime Stories 2007 was held on October 19 at the Rainier Club. Authors Charles Johnson, Jess Walter, Jana Harris & Kathleen Alcala shared their original short stories written on the theme Nightlight. Johnson hailed Bedtime Stories as "the region's premier literary event." Dale Smith was the emcee. The event raised $50,000 for our Family Reading Programs.


Charles Johnson	Jess Walter	Jana Harris	Kathleen Alcala

2006: Night Watch

Bedtime Stories 2006 took place October 27th at the Palace Ballroom in Seattle. Emceed by Frances McCue, co-founder and former Artistic Director of Richard Hugo House, the 2006 event featured original short stories on the theme Night Watch by Northwest writers Karen Fisher, author of A Sudden Country, Mary Guterson, author of We Are All Fine Here and Bedtime Stories favorite Dr. Charles Johnson. Also, tribute was paid to August Wilson, a great friend of Bedtime Stories.

2006 BTS Authors

2005: Moonstruck

Bedtime Stories 2005 was a delightful success. We are grateful to authors Deb Caletti, David Guterson and Charles Johnson for sharing with us their original stories on the theme Moonstruck. Our thanks are also extended to performers Andrea Alhadeff and Gillian Durkee for their original musical composition Moonstruck and to Roger Fernandes for his creation stories of the Salish tribes. Laura Kalpakian served as emcee.