posts about books, literature, storytelling, stories, story slams, poetry slams, word performances, readings, etc.
by Bryan Willis for OLY ARTS Two of the Northwest’s most well-known novelists will be featured in events April 12 and 13 in Olympia. Jess Walter, the National Book Award nominee and winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award, will join Olympia’s own Jim Lynch as featured literary artists at the Washington Center Salon. They’ll …
By Christian Caravajal and Ned Hayes for OLY ARTS For over 20 years, “This American Life” has given public-radio airwaves an unusual perspective on current events, offering insightful commentary from such writers as John Hodgman, David Rakoff, David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell and of course, the inimitable Ira Glass. Recently, “This American Life” has taken steps …
by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Few people associate bookstores with intimate potluck dinners, food blogging or local food critics. Yet Browsers Bookshop has been quietly building a reputation for just that with its seasonal Cookbook Club: an intimate dinner event where lovers of the culinary craft gather to share delicious food, recipes and insightful …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS Gather three dozen creative people. Give them a prompt and some help with props. The following day, they’ll serve six fresh bite-size plays, each 10 minutes or less and suitable for all ages. That’s the recipe for Olympia Family Theater’s Tales Told in Ten, the theater’s second annual festival …
by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS In November, YWCA Olympia is welcoming back nationally known slam poet Nikkita Oliver to Olympia. Last spring, Oliver was keynote speaker at the YWCA’s inaugural Racial Justice Summit. This fall, Oliver returns for the Annual Women of Achievement Celebration at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. The event will …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS For those wanting to find an escape from mainstream media, zines provide a type of oasis. Olympia Zine Fest celebrates its third year this October, and everyone is invited. What are zines? They’re little, self-published pieces of literature, with topics ranging from short-story collections to activist manifestos to lists …
by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Olympia poet Laureate Amy Solomon-Minarchi is doing everything she can to change the perception of poetry as a stuffy, elitist art form. “Poetry is accessible,” says Solomon-Minarchi. “We do not need to be in a fancy school, have advanced equipment and technology or have a small window of opportunity …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS Olympia actor, teacher and writer Keith Eisner has won an O. Henry Award. His short story “Blue Dot” was one of 20 chosen for publication in the anthology The O. Henry Prize Stories 2017, published this month. Past winners of the prestigious award — named for the late O. …
by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Were there really mob bosses in the sleepy city of Des Moines, Iowa? According to Matthew Randazzo V, a true-crime author and leading authority on American mob history, there absolutely used to be, and their stories are meant to be told. Randazzo’s readers will be delighted to learn the …
by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Bus stops are not very interesting places. Because of that, most of us spend our time at bus stops with our heads buried in a book, looking down at our phones, or staring off into the distance to avoid contact with strangers. But this Fall, Olympia’s inaugural poet laureate, …