Hello again! So, I’m sorry to tell you that you missed Open Books’ Reading with Doyali Islam, Shankar Narayan, and Seattle’s 2018-19 Youth Poet Laureate Azura Tyabji this past Saturday (but here’s the link in case you want to look them up and go buy their poetry, which I strongly recommend). It was extremely hard to go inside on such a beautiful evening, but worth it to hear these three incredible poets read works about love, longing for home, fathers, justice, and cephalopods. It wasn’t even dark when we stepped back outside.
That’s all a set-up, of course, to let you know that Open Books’ (2414 N 45th St) next event will be on Wednesday, June 12th: at 7 pm: A Sand Book: An Evening with Ariana Reines and that they still have a couple seats open for Writing into the Catastrophic (as Scryers of the Possible) with Rusty Morrison on June 16th 4 pm – 8 pm. Go scry with Rusty!
The big news for Our Giant Neighbor, the UW, is that graduation’s just a week and a half away! On Saturday, June 15th, approximately 40,000 people will be descending on Husky Stadium for Commencement, and it’ll feel like approximately 20,000 of them are uncomfortably, joyously wobbling through Wallingford. If you hate crowds, might be a good time to head out of town. If you love them, like me, hang up your Congratulations Graduate! banner and wave at the graduating students and their super embarrassing families.
::wipes away proud tear::
Now, what’s coming up in the next few days…
FAMILY
Family Nature Classes (9:30 – 11:30 a.m., Friday/Saturday June 7-8)
This week’s Family Nature Class at the Arboretum is Birds on the Water for preschoolers age 2-5 and their caregivers. $19/class for 1 adult and 1 child. Additional child: $9.50/class.
Family Wild Walks: Wonderful Wetlands (1:30 – 3pm, Saturday, June 8)
Also at the Arboretum, this hour and a half walk explores Foster Island, which I’ve never even heard of so report back (wait, yes I have, it’s Kegger Island). There’ll be games and hands-on activities geared toward children (2-12 years old) and their caregivers. FREE
ARTS, MUSIC, AND PERFORMANCE
UW Symphony and Combined UW Choirs: Britten, War Requiem, Op. 66 (Friday, Jun 7, 7:30 p.m., Meany Mainstage; pre-concert talk, 6:30)
Benjamin Britten was a committed pacifist and wrote the War Requiem for the consecration of Coventry Cathedral, destroyed in an air raid in 1940. Event info here.
“Hundreds of musicians joining us on the Meany mainstage when Geoffrey Boers leads UW Symphony and UW Choirs: Britten, War Requiem, Op. 66. The UW musicians are joined in this performance by members of the Seattle Modern Orchestra, Seattle Girls Choir, Seattle Chamber Singers, and guest vocalists Kimberly Giordano, soprano; Brendan Tuohy, tenor; and Charles Robert Stephens, baritone. Choral conducting alum Gary Cannon delivers a pre-concert talk in the West Lobby at 6:30 pm.” $15, $10 students/seniors
LECTURES AND PRESENTATIONS
Tibetan Sand Mandala Exhibit: Prayer for the Earth (Thursday/Friday, Jun 6 – 7, Intellectual House)
This beautiful event will start at 9 a.m. Thursday morning with the creation of a sand mandala dedicated to World Peace, and ends with the dissolution (or destruction) of the sand mandala on Friday at about 1 p.m. This event is free and all are welcome.
I can guarantee you that if you follow this up by attending the Britten concert, you will have thought more about war and peace in one day than most people do in a year.
A terrific post, Jessica. Thank you.
Walter