I'm really excited for Seattle Reads this year - I love that they've been bringing in authors who write fiction about immigration and ways in which the world is connected (Jhumpa Lahiri, Marjane Satrapi). I read Mengestu's book ('The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears') for my book club - intense, but worth it.

Quoted: Dinaw Mengestu was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1978. He immigrated to the United States in 1980 with his mother and sister, joining his father, who had fled Ethiopia during the Red Terror two years before.

Yay, the renovated University Branch of the Seattle Public Library is reopening today!

Quoted: The newly renovated University Branch of The Seattle Public Library will reopen to the public with a festive community celebration beginning at noon Saturday, Oct. 13.

Definitely want to check out Bill Bradley when he's in town April 12th. He gave a great interview in the NY Times Magazine this week and insightfully outlines some major problems the Democratic party has created for itself (and he also provides some solutions).

Quoted: A former pro basketball player, Bill Bradley served three terms in the NJ Senate, and is also an accomplished author. He recently wrote "The New American Story" (Random House). He doesn't have an exploratory committee, but the former Democratic senator and one-time presidential hopeful certainly has a platform in this thoughtful policy agenda.

Some great Seattle Reads events coming up! In addition to Jhumpa Lahiri's visit May 14-15, there are a number of S. Asian films showing around the city!

Quoted: All Seattle Public Library programs are free and open to the public. Tickets are not required. Doors open 30 minutes before the program begins. Parking in the Central Library garage will be available for the $5 special event rate.

Art Spiegelman is speaking on Monday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Benaroya Hall. The cheapest tix are $10 - anyone interested in going if we can get those?

Quoted: Art Spiegelman probably did more than any other single person to help popularize and put graphic novels and nonfiction narratives into the cultural mainstream. His Maus and Maus II present a harrowing memoir of the Holocaust and its effects on his family. It received the Pulitzer Prize.

This month there are some pretty awesome speakers at Elliott Bay. Aside from David Lynch, Barbara Ehrenreich is coming to speak - Nickel and Dimed is one of my favorite journalistic books. Anyone interested in this one too? (Tix are available at the door...)

Quoted: Monday, January 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Avenue

In addition to seeing Jim McGreevey on Tuesday, it might also be nice to listen to a non-scandalized politician talk about his book. Barack Obama's a great orator, so I'd be interested in checking him out if anyone would like to come with!

Quoted: Co-presented with TOWN HALL SEATTLE, with special thanks for assistance to MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH. We are honored and thrilled to present this special evening, featuring a talk and booksigning, with U.S. Senator Barack Obama, for his greatly anticipated new book, The Audacity of Hope (Crown).

I'm totally going to see Jim McGreevey at Elliott Bay on Tuesday. I feel like it's my duty as a New Jerseyan... He'll be reading from his book The Confession, which caused quite a stir on Oprah...

Quoted: In August 2004, New Jersey governor James McGreevey made headlines, if not history, by making the pronouncement that he is gay ("My truth is that I am a gay American"), and by announcing his resignation from office.