The ’90s brought about a revolution in the human condition we’re still groping to understand. Beyond epiphenomena like “Cop Killer” and Titanic and Zima, there were wholesale shifts in how society was perceived: the rise of the Internet, pre-9/11 politics, and the paradoxical belief that nothing was more humiliating than trying too hard. Pop culture accelerated without the aid of a machine that remembered everything, generating an odd comfort in never being certain about anything. It was the last era that held to the idea of a true, hegemonic mainstream before it all began to fracture, whether you found a home in it or defined yourself against it. In The Nineties (Penguin Press), Chuck Klosterman makes a home in all of it: the film, the…
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Perhaps you snuck a peek at your grandma’s romance novels and giggled at the over-the-top metaphors. Maybe your writing group said you could use a sex scene but you’re mortified by putting it on the page. Maybe you write erotica and want to polish your craft. Sex can be one of the most exciting and emotionally resonant moments in a novel. It can also be cringe-worthy and awkward. Join author and sex-positivity advocate, Karelia Stetz-Waters, for a talk on writing fabulous sex scenes. This fun, unembarrassed look at sex scenes will cover plot and character elements as well as the physicality of sex on the page, Karelia will practical tips and tricks that any writer can use. All heat levels, sexual orientations, and gender identities…
Comments closedIn this memoir and craft talk, Lisa Jarnot reflects on her entanglement in the New York poetry scene over twenty-five years. Beginning with the proposition that deep gossip and urban mindfulness are sacred practices, she explores the places where the New York School’s feminine, marvelous, and tough irreverence opens into a deeper mystery that is passed down as a liturgy of ecstatic connectedness. The Bagley Wright Lecture Series on Poetry supports contemporary poets as they explore in-depth their own thinking on poetry and poetics, and give a series of lectures resulting from these investigations. Lectures are delivered publicly in partnership with institutions and organizations nationwide. Find out more about past, present, and future lecturers, and explore the archive at www.bagleywrightlectures.org. Charlie Wright, Publisher of Wave…
Comments closedA conversation on how the children’s publishing industry handles diversity and representation through their employees and authorship. With guest speaker Nakita Simpson, Designer and Art Director for Portland-based company A Kids Company About. Moderated by the publisher, author, and illustrator Brian Parker from Believe In Wonder. Nakita is an art director, designer, and illustrator—someone who draws words for a living. She’s a now Portland-based Creative by way of Georgia, Florida, and Toronto (her hometown) who works as an Art Director at A Kids Company About. She’s a lifelong learner who loves to explore creativity through work, travel, crafts, and cooking. The conversation will be moderated by PSU’s very own Brian Parker. Brian is the current adjunct instructor for Children’s Book Publishing. In 2015, Brian started an…
Comments closedJoin us for a pre-publication celebration of the diverse work of women of color in the craft community. Weaving together interviews, first-person essays, and artist profiles, THIS LONG THREAD explores the work and contributions of people of color across the fiber arts and crafts community, representing a wide spectrum of race, age, region, cultural identity, education, and economic class. Be inspired by the work and stories of innovative artists and artisans, such as Cynthia Alberto, Windy Chien, Naiomi Glasses, Sonya Philip, Latifah Saafir, and Lisa Woolfolk, who are making exceptional contributions to the world of craft. About Jen Hewett: Jen Hewett is a printmaker, surface designer, and teacher based in New York’s Hudson Valley. In addition to designing and selling her own products, Jen designs…
Comments closedGARY SHTEYNGART Gary Shteyngart is not afraid to get satirical when the situation calls for it. An American writer born in Leningrad, Shteyngart’s prose is filled with blistering humor and sharp societal observations powered by masterful storytelling. His work is acclaimed and awarded, best-selling and blurbed, read and translated into twenty-six languages. Our Country Friends is the story of eight friends, one country house, four romances, and six months in isolation to explore love, friendship, family, and betrayal. Twitter • Buy ‘Our Country Friends’ OMAR EL AKKAD Omar El Akkad is an author and journalist. He began his journalism career at the start of the war on terror, and, over the following decade, he reported from Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, and many other locations around the…
Comments closedCome and listen to stories from King County Explorer Search & Rescue Volunteer, Alexis Leader. Bring your questions! Alexis’ story: I first became involved in Search and Rescue back in 2014 when I was 18 years old, since then I have gone on over 85 missions and logged hundreds of training. I am now a member of three different units (Seattle Mountain Rescue, Everett Mountain Rescue and King County Explorer Search and Rescue). I am a board member for Everett Mountain Rescue and have been working hard in all three units to promote stress first aid as well as working with the Mountain Rescue Association to help promote diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout all Mountain Rescue organizations. I am thrilled to get to talk about…
Comments closedJoin author Peter Martin for a look into the untold story of China’s transformation from an isolated and impoverished communist state to a global superpower from the perspective of those on the front line: China’s diplomats. Little is known or understood about the inner workings of the Chinese government as the country bursts onto the world stage, as the world’s second largest economy and an emerging military superpower. China’s diplomats embody China’s battle between insecurity and self-confidence, internally and externally. To this day, Chinese diplomats work in pairs so that one can always watch the other for signs of ideological impurity. They’re often dubbed China’s “wolf warriors” for their combative approach to asserting Chinese interests. Drawing for the first time on the memoirs of more…
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