Speakers Forum

Bill Gates is bullish on climate change mitigation, but warns ‘We don’t have time to waste’ Apr 03, 2021

How to unmake a man-made global disaster

Becoming Rebecca Solnit: a room and a life of her own Mar 26, 2021

‘I was trying not to be the subject of someone else’s poetry and not to get killed.’

Lawrence Wright looks for America through the lens of Covid-19 Mar 19, 2021

How the acclaimed writer and investigative journalist saw it coming

Seattle leaders talk gender inequality, and the ‘glass cliff’ problem Mar 12, 2021

On suffering and surviving the slings and arrows of a woman leader’s fortune

Essays on life, lineage, and the inheritance of whiteness Mar 05, 2021

White women explore epistemic injustice and healing wisdom

White advantage. Racialized trauma. Paths forward Feb 25, 2021

‘America doesn’t have a race problem. It has a racism problem.’

Re: Building Democracy explores ways to mend our political, social, and cultural divides Feb 19, 2021

‘Class blindness is the tendency for people with social class privilege to be unaware or blind to their advantages.’ -Professor Jennifer Sherman

Lyric World: You Don’t Have to Go to Mars for Love Feb 17, 2021

Poet Yona Harvey on arrivals, departures, and renewals

Re: Building Democracy explores the state of civic discourse, east of the mountains Feb 11, 2021

‘I think both of us realize that you don’t get anywhere by staying in your corners and being completely polarized. We just know that the more we communicate and talk about things the better it will be, even if we’re not on the same page.’

Scott Turow reflects on his dual roles as a best-selling fiction author and practicing attorney Feb 10, 2021

‘Some speak of the nobility of the law. Stern has not always found that to be true. Too much of the grubby bone shop, the odor of the abattoir, emanates from every criminal courtroom.’

Liberty’s white roots and the racial history of that idea Feb 05, 2021

White Freedom: ‘The belief (and practice) that freedom is central to white racial identity, and that only white people can or should be free.’

Bridging the American divide: A search for civic responsibility Jan 26, 2021

An exploration of unsettling shifts and signs of hope in word and song

Race, reckoning, and redemption: Michael Eric Dyson’s message to White America Jan 21, 2021

“How far are we willing to go? Are we prepared to sacrifice tradition and convention for genuine transformation?”

How a UW course captured the impact of an unprecedented year Jan 08, 2021

Reflections on 2020 help point to bridges forward

2020 Hugo House Fellows share works of ‘Luminosity’ for the new year Dec 31, 2020

Poets and essayists conjure post-holiday light

Neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett discusses ‘that big grey blob’ between your ears Dec 25, 2020

If you’ve ever found yourself wishing you could better understand how the human brain works, then this talk is just for you.

Gather ‘round for a roguish, timeless Christmas tale Dec 18, 2020

A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas

Jill Lepore on the ethically challenged birth of the computer age Dec 04, 2020

'These men are going out to build a machine to understand how humans think and feel and would behave, and they don’t understand their wives and they don’t understand their children.'

Where a booming oil market meets wind and solar alternatives, geopolitics happens Nov 27, 2020

‘Peak oil, at this point, it looks like it’s around 2030, which used to sound far away, but it isn’t anymore.’

The 'Seattle Process' in 2020. Are we becoming ungovernable? Nov 20, 2020

‘Seattle is not silent. Seattle is not submissive. Seattle is not unthinking. Seattle will not be exploited, and Seattle is not obedient.’

Connection and restoration in the PNW, Ampersand-style Nov 13, 2020

‘If you want to take up space, first see how small you are.’

Dare to Speak. Discourse amid difference Nov 06, 2020

‘We’re in an extremely polarized moment as a country, and we have to find ways to talk about these things.’

'Seismic' literature inspires and changes Seattle through story Oct 23, 2020

“Literature is an unopened umbrella in the rain ... literature is a cathedral.”

Pandemic parenting. It gets better? A tool kit Oct 16, 2020

‘Kids need to feel safe, they need to feel secure, they need to be seen, and they need to be soothed. Talk to them about what make them feel safer, or what makes them feel soothed.’

Claudia Rankine on the unbearable lightness of whiteness in America Oct 09, 2020

‘The indifference is impenetrable and reliable and distributed across centuries, and I am stupidly hurt when my friends can’t see that.’

Margaret Atwood revisits totalitarian fears in her new book ‘The Testaments' Sep 24, 2020

As we approach a spooky time of the year (No, I’m not referring to the US election season) we may be finding ourselves slowly drawn towards unnerving but entertaining cautionary tales. One of those stories just may be the award-winning TV show The Handmaid’s tale based on the best-selling novel by author Margaret Atwood.

It was an economic theory with little traction, then the pandemic hit Sep 11, 2020

Stephanie Kelton is a professor of economics and public policy at Stony Brook University. She served as a senior economic adviser to Bernie Sanders in his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns. Her most recent book is The Deficit Myth: Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth of the People’s Economy. She gave this talk, presented by Town Hall Seattle, on June 15.

Erica Barnett shakes-up and stirs the conversation around alcoholism and addiction Sep 02, 2020

When Seattle based reporter Erica Barnett took her first sip of alcohol as a young teen, she had no idea just how impactful that moment would later become. Nor did she realize how inadequate rehabilitation centers, inspirational self-help mottos, and truisms about a “rock bottom” (something Barnett never truly felt) would be for her.

Eve Ensler’s journey to recovery from an unconscionable abuse Aug 28, 2020

Author Eve Ensler was the victim of prolonged sexual, physical and mental abuse at the hands of her father.

How to break the ice with boys and girls on the 'birds and bees' Aug 21, 2020

Peggy Orenstein helps us have ‘the sex talk(s)’

How’s our country's health care? Not the worst, or the best Aug 13, 2020

Dr. Ezekiel (Zeke) Emanuel is an oncologist, a medical ethicist, and the author of Which Country Has the World's Best Healthcare? One simple answer to the question his book poses is, not the world’s two superpowers.

Lyric World presents poetry of loss and collective grief Aug 06, 2020

‘Elegies ceased being / elegant.’

Race and justice in journalism, with Nikole Hannah-Jones Jul 30, 2020

In this conversation, journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones discusses how reporters and editors of color are underrepresented in newsrooms. She addresses the idea of objectivity in journalism, which she refers to as the “objectivity fallacy,” and how it impacts journalists of color. The question of reparations for descendants of enslaved people is also explored, with reference to Hannah-Jones’ recent essay What Is Owed.

Ijeoma Oluo on Seattle: ‘We are NOT a liberal city’ Jul 26, 2020

More than talk, Ijeoma Oluo wants action and what is owed to people of color

Speakers Forum: Jayapal and the politics of empathy and advocacy Jul 16, 2020

Representative Pramila Jayapalread from her new book and was interviewed by Seattle Times columnist Naomi Ishisaka on July 1. Town Hall Seattle presented the livestreamed event.

‘A crisis of welcome.’ Sonia Shah on The Next Great Migration Jul 09, 2020

Sonia Shah’s latest book is The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move. She talked about her book in this Town Hall Seattle live streaming event on June 29.

What’s in store in the coming election? NPR reporters help us look ahead Jul 03, 2020

Excerpts from KUOW's YouTube series Inside 2020, concerning the November elections.

Solastalgia and you. ‘The pain was necessary to know the truth.’ Jun 25, 2020

Dr. Jennifer Atkinson shares strategies for handling existential distress caused by environmental change

A friendship today could keep the doctor away Jun 17, 2020

Before you delete that friend or family member off your social media, you might want to consider your health.

‘I know it’s going to sound crazy:’ How one man exposed government surveillance Jun 11, 2020

“I’m a member of the intelligence community… I have an explosive story about a threat to democracy."

Barack Obama calls for action on police brutality and killings, with focus on youth and mayors Jun 05, 2020

In this event livestreamed on June 3rd, President Obama was joined by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder; Rashad Robinson of Color of Change; Minneapolis City Council Representative Phillipe Cunningham, and youth leader Playon Patrick. Campaign Zero co-founder Brittany Packnett Cunningham moderated the event. My Brother's Keeper Alliance Executive Director Michael Smith introduced the program.

Have we reached ‘the beginning of the great change?’ This professor is hopeful we have May 28, 2020

Have we reached ‘the beginning of the great change?’ Professor Rebecca Henderson is hopeful we have

Author Casey Schwartz on distraction, stimulants, and her love of paying attention May 21, 2020

Focus, people! On paying attention

What are you smoking? Clearing the air about cannabis May 14, 2020

These chemists are cutting through the haze to analyze our pot habits.

Death with dignity: A conversation with NPR’s Diane Rehm May 07, 2020

According to longtime NPR host Diane Rehm, “talking about death in the U.S. is the last taboo.” And its something she says needs to change.

Clifford Thompson confronts race and indifference in the Trump era Apr 30, 2020

Writer Clifford Thompson had made a sort of peace with being a black man in America. Then white people, and the Electoral College, made Donald Trump president.

Perplexed by that turn of events, Thompson looked for a way to fathom what had happened. He was inspired by the example of writer Joan Didion to employ memoir and reportage. He started by interviewing three Trump supporters at length. He compared what he learned from them to the experience and writing of other black Americans.

The result is his collection of essays What It Is: Race, Family, and One Thinking Black Man's Blues. In it, Thompson comes to the partial conclusion that the main problem isn’t ignorance and bigotry, but indifference.

The system: It’s about class and power Apr 23, 2020

Robert Reich joins us from his home office

Drop that cheese puff! Food sustains us, and we live more sustainably, if we make good food choices Apr 16, 2020

Author Sophie Egan talks about her new book How to Be a Conscious Eater: Making Food Choices That Are Good for You, Others, and the Planet, at Town Hall Seattle.

Ignite Seattle enlightens us, and they make it quick! Apr 09, 2020

At this sold out Ignite Seattle 41, we hear stories about bicycles and the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment; why you might want a goat as a pet; the time Willie Weir lived in a billboard; one family’s experience of worldschooling, and much more.

Violence, suffering, survival, and metamorphosis in Paisley Rekdal’s ‘Nightingale’ Apr 07, 2020

Paisley Rekdal read from and discussed her work in this Seattle Arts & Lectures event at Hugo House on February 6. WITS poet Zoë Mertz read “A Poem For My Future Child” to open the program. Kym Tuvim’s performance of the opening song has been moved to the end of the program. KUOW’s Sonya Harris provided our recording.

Respect for horses a path to healing at recovery ranch Apr 02, 2020

Equine animals have roamed the earth for over 40 million years. Homo sapiens, a scant 300 thousand.

The image of power, pride, and soulfulness horses represent has deep meaning. They hold a unique place in our history, stories and myths. Yet, it has only been 6 thousand years since we began domesticating them. How they think and behave is still a legendary mystery to us. Most of us.

Ginger Gaffney is a respected horse trainer, and the author of Half Broke: A Memoir. It’s the story of her time working with horses and residents at an alternative prison facility-- a New Mexico ranch run by the Delancey Street Foundation.

Gaffney says she is shy: “I grew up an extreme introvert, and like many introverts, I felt an early comfort and kinship with animals. As far back as I can remember the language of movement has been my native language. Whether I am in a round pen or a crowded room, I’m scanning the intimacies of bodily movement.”

Here, she tells the story of “the most dangerous horse situation I had ever encountered” and the chance at redemption the ranch embodies.

The story of what the people and horses who find themselves at this ranch can achieve serves as a remarkable lesson of recovery.

Gaffney was joined by former Delancey Street resident Ayla Jarvis.

Ginger Gaffney and Ayla Jarvis spoke at the Seattle Public Library Central Library on February 25. Elliott Bay Book Company co-presented the event. KUOW’s Sonya Harris provided our recording.

Please note: This recording contains brief language of an adult nature.

E.J. Dionne to liberal and moderate anti-Trumpers: Pick a lane Mar 26, 2020

Americans congregate philosophically and politically to the left, right and center. Author and commentator E.J. Dionne has been thinking about what those divisions foretell for opponents of President Trump.

Dionne’s latest book is Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite to Save Our Country. As the subtitle suggests, he’s urging anti-Trumpers to come together or risk re-electing him.

Mr. Dionne is a Washington Post columnist and a professor at Georgetown and Harvard. If you enjoy hearing his Week In Politics analysis on NPR most Fridays, you’ll appreciate hearing him at length. This talk is an informative time capsule in this fast-changing political and public health landscape.

E.J. Dionne had this conversation with KUOW’s Ross Reynolds at Town Hall Seattle on February 26. Jennie Cecil Moore recorded the event.

As usual, when things were usual, Town Hall’s Weir Harmon introduced the event. We wish our friends at Town Hall and at other venues in the area as quick a return to regular programming as possible.

Feminism v. Patriarchy (Psst! It’s not Women versus Men) Mar 19, 2020

As the COVID-19 crisis plays out and we all take a mandated break from each other — no sexist pun intended — it may be an opportune time to consider another kind of social distancing: sexism.

To women who ask, “What’s wrong with us?” and men who don’t feel personally responsible for the sexist culture we inhabit, Joanne Bagshaw says “It’s not you, it’s the patriarchy.” Furthermore, she offers solutions we all can use to confront sexism.

Bagshaw is a professor of psychology and women’s studies and the author of The Feminist Handbook: Practical Tools to Resist Sexism and Dismantle the Patriarchy.

As the title suggests, Bagshaw’s book is a primer of sorts on how to change the status quo. Our society is marked by high rates of rape, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence. In turn, that reality results in high rates of depression, anxiety, PTSD and eating disorders. This conversation offers a path out of a dynamic that hurts everyone in our society.

Joanne Bagshaw teaches at Montgomery College and writes the popular feminist blog, The Third Wave for Psychology Today. She had this conversation with former Seattle City Council member and current interim Executive Director of NARAL Pro-choice Washington Kirsten Harris-Talley at Town Hall Seattle on March 3.

KUOW’s Sonya Harris recorded the event.

Drawing the line on progress, for certain citizens Mar 12, 2020

Seattle Rep theater presented a production of August Wilson's play Jitney this spring. Unfortunately, the run was just cancelled due to Coronavirus concerns.

Wilson wrote a series of 10 plays about the African-American experience. Each is set in a specific decade of the twentieth century.

Wilson won the Pulitzer Prize for Fences, set in 1950’s, and The Piano Lesson, set in the 1930’s.

August Wilson had a connection to Seattle. He moved here in 1990 and finished the last half of his cycle here. He was diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer in 2005 and died that year at Swedish Hospital.

Wilson is considered one of the great playwrights of the twentieth century, on par with Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller.

Set in 1970’s Pittsburgh, Jitney is the story of a rideshare service run by Jim Becker. His business emerged in response to redlining practices. It is being forced to close due to gentrification.

Redlining was devised by the federal government, theoretically to help banks in the wake of the Great Depression. The practice, steeped in racism, was embraced by local governments. The story of Jitney resonates for us in Seattle, a place which, like cities around the country, is still grappling with the legacy of targeted discrimination and disenfranchisement.

In a collaboration with Seattle Rep, we invited a number of local leaders to join a discussion on the history and legacy of redlining and gentrification. We hope that through this discussion, framed by personal experience and the lens of the play, we can reflect on what we want for our city in the coming decades.

This recording took place on March 8 in the KUOW studios. KUOW’s Zaki Hamid spoke with Diane Sugimura, former director of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development; Inye Wokoma, co-founder of Wa Na Wari, the center for Black art, stories and social connection in the Central District; and Vivian Phillips, a communications and arts advocacy consultant and a member of KUOW’s board of directors.

Excerpts from Jitney were read by Ronnie Hill, Brandon Jones Mooney, Malcolm J West and Alex Lee Reed.

Please note: This recording contains an unedited racial slur.

Indigenous Reparation and Recognition in Seattle Mar 09, 2020

When we’re out at public speaking venues in Seattle these days-- if we’re out in public at all —we’re likely to hear some version of this statement:

“We acknowledge that we are on the traditional land of the Coast Salish people, including the Duwamish People past and present.”

It has become de rigueur for organizations to make such acknowledgements, but they are just words. They seek to honor the people who lived here before us, people who live here still, but is that enough?

This past January, reporter Marcus Harrison Green wrote an article titled “Does a Wealthy City Owe Its First Residents Reparations?” This panel discussion addresses that question and explores ways we might better recognize the legacy and current reality of the people we displaced.

Bitterroot Magazine managing editor Maggie Mertens moderated the conversation, which included the following participants:

Russell Brooks (Southern Cheyenne): Executive director of Red Eagle Soaring Native Youth Theatre in Seattle.
Marcus Harrison Green: Publisher of the South Seattle Emerald.
Rachel Heaton (Muckleshoot): Co-founder of Mazaska Talks, a tool that supports community divestment from banks that finance fossil fuel development.
Fern Renville (Dakota): CEO of SNAG Productions.
Robin Little Wing Sigo: Director of the Suquamish Research & Strategic Development Department and a member of the Suquamish Tribal Council.

Town Hall Seattle, the South Seattle Emerald and Bitterroot presented this discussion at Town Hall on January 22.

Ampersand Magazine live show: Edgy and nerdy Mar 08, 2020

Once a year, Ampersand Magazine puts on a live show. The event culls ideas, artists and initiatives the Ampersand staff found swirling up in another spin around the sun.

The hope is to put on “a somewhat edgy, somewhat nerdy, always engaging showcase for a dozen diverse voices.” As you’ll hear, they more than succeeded. The mix of music and truth and storytelling is just what we need this time of year.

Ampersand Magazine is a production of Forterra, a powerhouse land conservation non-profit with a broad mission to promote sustainability in our natural, built and social realms. This year’s program was curated by Seattle musician Tomo Nakayama. The full program includes the following participants:

Michelle Connor | CEO & President, Forterra
Ken Workman | 4th generation grandson of Chief Sealth
Paul Chiyokten Wagner | Musician
Anna Brones | Illustrator/Author
Whitney Mongé | Singer/Songwriter
Natalie Mutter | Dancer
Stefan Gruber | Animator
Neil Welch | Saxophonist
Greg Lundgren | Museum of Museums
Dakota Camacho | Multi-Disciplinary Artist
Tamara Power-Drutis | Storyteller
Black Stax | Musical Duo
Inye Wokoma | Visual Artist
Shin Yu Pai | Poet
Sera Cahoone | Singer/Songwriter
Judy Twedt | Climate Scientist
House Band: Tomo Nakayama, Alina To and Chris Icasiano

Ampersand Live 2019 took place on November 7 at The Moore Theatre. Seattle Channel provided our recording.

Let’s do the Entropic 2-step again! Feb 29, 2020

Here’s a Leap Day treat for you: an exploration of the nature of the universe from the acclaimed physicist Brian Greene.

Look forward to a wide-ranging discussion that touches on The Second Law of Thermodynamics, human consciousness, materialism, how evolution equipped us to survive, quantum mechanics, the future of artificial intelligence and an argument for why you don’t have free will, among other things.

Brian Greene is a professor of physics and mathematics, and the director of The Center for Theoretical Physics at Columbia University. The Washington Post called him “the single best explainer of abstruse concepts in the world today.”

Greene’s new book is Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe. He spoke with KUOW’s Ross Reynolds on February 27 at the University Temple United Methodist Church. University Book Store presented the event.

In the Dream House: A writer’s journey through and past abuse Feb 28, 2020

“What kind of relationship did you have to have with who you used to be, who you are and who you are becoming?”

The writer Carmen Maria Machado floated that question on her recent visit to Seattle. It represents the kind of depth she braves in her work.

Speakers Forum featured Machado two years ago, reading from her acclaimed short story collection Her Body and Other Parties. She’s out now with a memoir, In the Dream House. It tells the story of an abusive romantic relationship that marked her past, and the silence around domestic violence in queer relationships. The work weaves between the depths of her personal experience and the cultural landscape that shaped and allowed it.

“I am proud of this book. I think it’s a good book. Time and other people will tell of it’s an important book, and if it’s meaningful to even one person then I’d like to think this has all been worth it, but I hate this book. I know that’s a shocking thing to say. It’s like saying you hate your own child. But I don’t know what else to say about a book that reminds me, often, of a terrible past, of the hamster wheel of pain that some younger version of me ran around until she collapsed. I want to run to her, hold her, tell her it’s gonna be okay, but I can’t, and this book reminds me of that fact.”

Much of this talk and conversation steers toward Machado’s writing process, an artistic life, and how, with difficulty, she came to write about her abuse.

Carmen Maria Machado is the Writer in Residence at the University of Pennsylvania. Seattle Arts & Lectures presented her talk as part of their Women You Need to Know (WYNK) series at Town Hall Seattle on January 24. Seattle author Kristen Millares Young moderated the discussion. Marina Chen read her poem Valentine to open the program. KUOW’s Sonya Harris recorded the event.

Please note: This recording contains unedited language of an adult nature.

The rule of law according to Preet Feb 26, 2020

Preet Bharara sums himself up this way on Twitter: Patriotic American & proud immigrant. @Springsteen fan. Banned by Putin, fired by Trump. Former US Attorney, SDNY. Host of "Stay Tuned."

Bharara came to national attention as a highly successful federal prosecutor who refused to resign from his post in the Southern District of New York. As noted, President Trump dumped him.

Mr. Bharara is the author of Doing Justice: A Prosecutor’s Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law. His book has earned praise for its thorough, jargon-free exploration of the workings of our justice system.

“You will not find God or grace in legal concepts, in formal notions of criminal justice. Certain values and ideals are beyond justice. These include mercy, forgiveness, redemption, dignity. Also love.” –Preet Bharara in Doing Justice

He spends his free time now as a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at New York University’s School of Law, a Senior Legal Analyst on CNN, and the host of "Stay Tuned with Preet," a podcast about justice and fairness.

Preet Bharara was interviewed by King County Executive Dow Constantine at Town Hall Seattle on February 7. KUOW’s Sonya Harris recorded their conversation.

A world where poetry meets magic and wonder Feb 19, 2020

When we edit audio these days, we have the option of marking voice or sound clips in various colors. I did that for this episode. The effect is quite beautiful.

In this case, the colors represent a seemingly simple tableau: a variety of poetry, music and conversation. The event was the first in a new series, Lyric World, curated by the poet Shin Yu Pai:

“…a series that could focus on the social role of poetry, how poetry can be relevant to our everyday lives and its power to provoke deeper conversations on matters of being human together.”

In this first iteration, you’ll hear from and about the poetry, music and magic of Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma. His most recent collection of poems is The Safety of Edges.

“Pruiksma touches upon the similarities between poetry, magic, and music to explore the boundaries and edges of what’s visible and to gaze more deeply into the nature of wonder.”

You’ll also hear pieces by the kora player and griot-trained jeli Ibrahim Arsalan. “In West African society, the jeli preserved ancient stories and traditions through song, throughout the generations. They are believed to have deep connections to spiritual, social, and political powers.”

Then Seattle-based poet Melanie Noel joins Pruiksma in conversation about his work. We can’t provide you with scenes of the visual magic that took place at this event, but here’s hoping you’ll feel it.

Shin Yu Pai is the author of ten books of poetry. Her next collection, Ensō, comes out in April. This first Lyric World event took place at Town Hall Seattle on January 30. The next event in the series is coming up on March 19. It will feature the work of poet Koon Woon.

Speakers forum: Black voices, origins, and futures Feb 18, 2020

There has been a series of conversations happening in Seattle recently. They seek to answer questions around who people are, and where they came from. Or how they view their relation to Africa.

Artist Natasha Marin gathered small groups of people to make community and share origin stories.

We were invited to hear this session, which started with the question: What does it sound like when you claim yourself -- who I am; where and who I came from; what I’m here to do?

The conversation flows on, prompted by more questions. When do you feel most indigenous, or at home? What is your relation, real or imagined, to Africa? Then it finishes with lullabies.

The gathering is casual and caring, but Marin invokes a sense of presence. It has the import of an honest moment, of both weight and lightness.

Natasha Marin is a poet and interdisciplinary artist: “The creative work I produce takes on many forms: poetry, video, sound, performance, and immersive and interactive installation. This multiplicity defines my work and functions like a native tongue. I use this language of multiplicity to communicate most profoundly who I am and what I believe about the world we are living in.”

Marin is the curator of the new book Black Imagination: Black Voices on Black Futures. She led this conversation with guests Syreeta Bernal, Hasaan Kirkland and Nii Okaidja at the Jack Straw Cultural Center studios on December 13, 2019. Ayesha Ubayatilaka engineered the session.

Please note: This recording contains unedited language of an adult nature.

Telling fact from fiction in the information age Feb 16, 2020

Who and what can you trust?

No ‘public school’ left behind: Diane Ravitch confronts school privatization Feb 13, 2020

Diane Ravitch was once an avid supporter of charter schools, affiliated with various right wing think tanks. She came to a turning point when she could no longer stay quiet about the fact that charter schools were floundering. A former Assistant Secretary of Education, Ravitch took a bold step. She reversed her previous position and began a journey toward defending public schools and educators

The real deep state issue, according to Ezra Klein Feb 11, 2020

‘It’s working exactly as designed’

American Oligarchs: Inside Trump, Kushner family histories Feb 04, 2020

Andrea Bernstein’s saga of ‘relentless corruption’

It’s a train, on a bridge, that floats. It’s complicated Feb 03, 2020

An engineering first: answering the challenge of East Link

NPR’s Daniel Estrin pulls back the curtain on his reporting from the Middle East Jan 31, 2020

'Come on the bus. Why aren't you coming?' -Grandson to Granpa

What is the point of an oath? Jan 28, 2020

Civic engagement: A responsibility of citizenship

Tricia Rose on ‘hoping in the context of hopelessness’ Jan 27, 2020

A cautionary tale: ‘Fighting for justice is not easy work’

Go west, young man, but elope with the Senator’s daughter first Jan 22, 2020

Steve Inskeep explores the life and times of Jessie and John Frémont

Author tackles workplace sexism women face: ‘You belong at the table’ Jan 21, 2020

Mikaela Kiner discusses responding to bias and being an advocate for women in the work setting.

Fretting about your kids not reading enough? These NYT editors offer their counsel Jan 17, 2020

Raising children in a time when technological advances skew traditional modes of learning can be challenging. But many children prefer screen technology to books. Before you’re tempted to take away the tech to boost a young child’s vocabulary, you might want to listen to what New York Time’s editors Maria Russo and Pamela Paul have to say.

Everyday superheroes tell their stories Jan 08, 2020

Ignite Seattle always inspires

Migrants: Locked up and forgotten? How U.S. citizens hold the key Jan 03, 2020

According to immigration lawyer César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, the dissolving of immigration prisons in the US is a good first step towards mending our immigration system.

One last holiday hit before the new year arrives Dec 31, 2019

Brad Craft reads Truman Capote’s ‘A Christmas Memory’

Tradition is the key to progress for these Native storytellers Dec 27, 2019

In an age of technology and speedy progress, traditions can even be seen as a roadblock towards change and societal growth. But according to the speakers of this talk, traditional storytelling is a key asset to forward, progressive thinking.

Seattle storytellers share seasonal spirit Dec 22, 2019

You’ll have to make your own Stargazy Pie

‘Tis the season for rascally tales from Short Stories Live Dec 19, 2019

A seasonal rogue by any other name wouldn’t sound as sweet

Listen in on Seattle's civic version of church Dec 18, 2019

Civic Saturday celebrates active citizenship

Here we are. But where is here? Terry Tempest Williams holds space for anger and healing Dec 13, 2019

On the living earth, erosion, death and following the light