• February 22
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• Winthrop

Civil Conversation in an Angry Age

At what point does a conversation become a battle? Why do some opinions inflame our emotions, leading to anger, fights, and even the end of relationships with family and friends? Philosopher David E. Smith takes a deep look at those moments when civility breaks down. By mapping the structure of how we converse, and digging […]

• February 22
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• Seattle

The Poetic Apothecary: Poems for Healing and Comfort

Just as a cup of tea can settle and sooth us, the right poem at the right time can be a powerful sustaining remedy. Poet and performer Judith Adams explores poetry’s restorative powers by reciting and exploring poems that help us understand grief, fear, sadness, loss, and much more. By sharing her love of poetry, […]

• February 21
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• Kennewick

Four-Color Reality: How Comic Books and the Real World Shape Each Other

Since their debut in the 1930s, comic books have been a regular part of our pop-culture landscape. While often dismissed as escapist entertainment, these pulp treasures also provide a fascinating lens through which to view our nation’s past, present and potential future. In this interactive presentation, journalist and educator T. Andrew Wahl explores how everything […]

• February 21
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• Cashmere

Civil Conversation in an Angry Age

At what point does a conversation become a battle? Why do some opinions inflame our emotions, leading to anger, fights, and even the end of relationships with family and friends? Philosopher David E. Smith takes a deep look at those moments when civility breaks down. By mapping the structure of how we converse, and digging […]

• February 20
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• Okanogan

Are Salmon Doomed? Hatching a Plan to Save a Northwest Icon

An environmental necessity, a vital economic resource, and a cultural symbol, salmon play a fundamental role in the Pacific Northwest—but they are in trouble. With warming oceans, environmental degradation, and lowering genetic variability, wild salmon populations are dwindling. Climatologist Nick Bond explores the past, present, and possible future conditions for salmon in our state, and […]

• February 20
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• Des Moines

Washington on Wheels: Odd and Innovative Transportation Ideas from the Pacific Northwest

Though Boeing is the best-known innovator in travel to have emerged from Washington State, there are many others. From canoe journeys to flying cars (that actually worked!), explore the history and culture of travel in Washington State. Author and broadcaster Harriet Baskas takes audiences on a tour of notable highlights of state transportation history, examining […]

• February 19
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• Yakima

Let It Not Happen Again: Lessons of the Japanese American Exclusion

In March of 1942, 227 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes on Bainbridge Island by the US Army. Starting with this small community, a national strategy began, with more than 120,000 Japanese American men, women, and children forcibly removed and incarcerated during World War II. Clarence Moriwaki shares the story of Bainbridge Island—the […]

• February 17
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• Everett

Are Salmon Doomed? Hatching a Plan to Save a Northwest Icon

An environmental necessity, a vital economic resource, and a cultural symbol, salmon play a fundamental role in the Pacific Northwest—but they are in trouble. With warming oceans, environmental degradation, and lowering genetic variability, wild salmon populations are dwindling. Climatologist Nick Bond explores the past, present, and possible future conditions for salmon in our state, and […]

• February 16
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• Kirkland

Who Was Chief Seattle?

Chief Seattle wrote nothing down during his life, yet his words—both real and imagined—are known throughout the world. The result is a man made up of both historical and fictional aspects, from which conflicting messages can be gleaned. David M. Buerge, a biographer and a historian to the Duwamish Tribe, Seattle’s mother’s people, spent more […]

• February 15
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• Tacoma

From Crime to the Classroom: How Education Changes Lives

According to statistics, Omari Amili’s story should have turned out much differently. His parents suffered from addiction which led to him growing up in poverty and struggling in school. Eventually, he ended up serving prison time—which was no surprise considering the combination of life factors that would suggest a lifetime of struggles with the criminal […]