This Week in Lit: Feathered Friends, Flailing Fish and Communism

This week we have some discussion of fish, some history on feathers, and some farming talk (even in the smallest of apartments). No one can say that we don’t offer you variety—enjoy your week in Seattle Lit events!

Paul Greenberg at Elliott Bay Book Co.:
Sometimes we try to avoid thinking about where our food actually comes from—but isn’t it our responsibility to protect the very things that allow us to shove our faces? Such is the thought in Paul Greenberg’s James Bear Award-winning book, Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food. Greenberg takes a closer look at what we’re consuming from the sea, and the reasons why and how—and because the talk is co-presented with Long Live the Kings, you’re guaranteed information about their mission of restoring wild salmon to the waters of the Pacific Northwest.

Monday, 7 p.m. // Elliott Bay Book Co. // Free

Brooke Gladstone with David Boardman at Microsoft Auditorium, Seattle Public Central Library:
NPR’s Brooke Gladstone, co-host of “On the Media”, and Seattle Times executive editor David Boardman are joining forces for a media focused evening (shocking I know).
With the help of Josh Neufeld’s vibrant illustrations, her new book The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media covers the long, twisted life of the media landscape with wit and style. The evening is co-presented with the Washington Center for the Book, and with support from the Seattle Public Library Foundation.

Wednesday, 7 p.m. // Microsoft Auditorium, Seattle Public Central Library // Free

Thor Hanson at Town Hall Seattle:
I’m just really impressed that an entire talk can center on feathers. That those little pieces of fluff can be enough fodder for a whole evening of discussion and dissection. But I guess once you start thinking about their use for everything from royal decoration to the very pens that wrote the greatest novels…they become a bit more intriguing. And in Feather: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle biologist Thor Hanson expounds on this colorful history through research done by paleontologists, ornithologist and even art historians. This talk is presented as part of Seattle Science Lectures, with Pacific Science Center and University Book Store—better grab a ticket while you can!

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. // Town Hall // $5 at door or brownpapertickets.org

Lisa See at Microsoft Auditorium, Seattle Public Central Library, co-presented with Washington Center for the Book:
Lisa See has been a busy lady with numerous bestselling novels (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, and Shanghai Girls) all set in China and focused on a rich and complex culture. Her latest novel, Dreams of Joy, revisits the Shanghai Girls sisters Pearl and May—focusing now on Pearl’s daughter who explores the Communist cause as she struggles to understand her family’s past.

Thursday, 7 p.m. // Microsoft Auditorium, Seattle Public Central Library // Free

or

Friday, 12 p.m. // Lake Forest Park Third Place Books // Free

Shani Raviv at Elliott Bay Book Co.:
Though we’re dealing with some darker material here, Shani manages to stun and amaze with her memoir, Being Ana: A Memoir of Anorexia Nervosa. A Foreword Reviews finalist for “Book of the Year” in the Memoir and Women’s Issues categories, Raviv delves into her struggles with drugs, alcohol, anorexia, and cutting—along with other experiences in her South African household. Though things have turned around for the local writer, it’ll be an absorbing talk from a woman who has truly been through the wringer.

Saturday, 5 p.m. // Elliott Bay Book Co. // Free

Renee Wilkinson at Elliott Bay Book Co.:
Though I may not be one of the lucky ones with an actual yard in this urban world of ours, I do have a couple of windows, a tiny patio, and a cozy kitchen. And according to Renee Wilkinson…that’s all I need. In her book Modern Homestead: Grow, Raise, Create, Renee covers the basics of creating your own garden, even in the smallest spaces, even on the smallest budget. She’ll even get into raising chickens, making jam, and being all around crafty and creative. Her website HipChickDigs covers the same territory, but see the lady in person and fire away with your urban gardening questions.

Sunday, 2 p.m. // Elliott Bay Book Co. // Free