This week we’ve got our hands full with everything from young Spanish language novelists skyrocketing to fame, to graphic novels about hookers, to a culture of violence. I don’t know how you’re feeling, but I’m sort of revved up for lit events this week. more ›

PRET-A-PORTER: The Art Institute of Seattle's fashion and design students take over the Showbox SoDo tonight for "Peace, Love, Fashion," their eleventh annual psychedelic-themed fashion show/student portfolio exhibition. There are two chances to see it, at 5 and 7 p.m. High school students can get into the earlier show for free with their student IDs. more ›

The documentary Rem Koolhaas: A kind of architect (at NWFF through March 12, tickets $9) is supposed to be okay with puffy-eyed, jug-eared Koolhaas, a former film critic. It's difficult to make sense of at first viewing, full of art-school horseshit like introduced video and audio distortions, which no doubt have some intellectual justification but mainly serve as reminders of the film's creators' existence, like that TV show's producer's credit where the little kid V.O. says, triumphantly, "I made this!" more ›

In support and sincere sympathy for all the King County employees who will be forced to take an extra week and a half off without pay next year, Seattlest has compiled a short list of our favorite "playing hooky" activities around town--a menu of action items, if you will, for the victims of budget cuts to consider on their extra time off. Thus far, we have: people-watch at Pike Place Market, read for a few hours at the Central Library, see the latest trashy movie, order Thai food and sit at home watching The Wire for five hours, take the bus to Golden Gardens and contemplate bird poop. Suggestions? more ›

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Some people complained about how hot and overcrowded the caucuses were yesterday; others took advantage of the high turnout to make politically simpatico acquaintances. A quick review of CL's Missed Connections reveals that pre-Valentine's caucus love is in the air:

Feb 10 - Yellow pantsuit at the caucus - w4m - 60 - more ›

The Friends of the Seattle Public Library are trying to get people to write to members of the City Council in support of funding collections before the council meets to discuss the budget Tuesday, October, 30. Seriously, a $2.5 million shortfall this year, and a shortfall every year since 2000 when Libraries For All funded a bunch of building upgrades (including the Central Library)? That's really lame, particularly here where we get all proud whenever some list ranks us as the most literate city in the world. The most literate city in the world shouldn't have budget shortfalls at the library, and unless it's all a big show we need to fix SPL funding. We've got a bunch of cool new branch libraries, and the Central Library is great (or not, but whatever, we've got it) but If we're going to take the time to burrow through the rat maze it would help if we could be reasonably certain of actually going home with the book we're after. It has to be fixed. more ›

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It seems every blogger in the Pacific Northwest is singing the praises of the Seattle Art Museum after their reopening. It'd be fun to be the contrary voice that slams the whole affair but really, we don't have it in us - we loved the SAM this weekend as well, so chalk this one up in the "yay" column. more ›

We're going to spoil the end of Jonathan Raban's Surveillance. If you haven't read it yet and don't want to know, stop reading now. more ›

It's like a painting, see? From far away, it's OK, but up close, it's a big old mess. more ›

BOOKS: Suze Orman, Seattlest's unofficial accountant from television is at the Central Library tonight. Mrs. Seattlest refuses to acknowledge that her name is pronounced "Susy." more ›

WOMEN & MONEY: Personal finance expert and author, Suze Orman talks about the complicated and dysfunctional relationship that women have with money in her book, Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny. more ›

BENEFIT: The Clif Bar Save Our Snow Tour, featuring DJ Sabzi from the Blue Scholars, stops by Fremont to help start global cooling. First they came for the snow, but we said nothing, because we follow the sun. more ›

Back in October we posted about not being able to get our grubby little eyes on Jonathan Raban's new novel until January. The month has come and, now, gone, and the book is available at all your favorite retail outlets - Tonight Jonathan's reading from it at Queen Anne Books. If you've never heard Jonathan Raban speak you're nearly as impoverished as if you'd never read any of his books. He seems to write out loud like he just can't turn it off. He can't stop this volume and density of ideas and observations from flowing out of himself, and then there's a way about his voice that's so conspiratorial, so peculiarly British, so charmingly agile in tone and inflection that... Uhm, we're fans. more ›

THEATER: The Brown Derby Series, which debilitated audiences last year with their staged production of Trapped in the Closet, is back, this time they're doing Total Recall. With Seattlest favorite Dusty Warren! more ›

KARAOKE: Wednesday night is always karaoke night at the Little Red Hen, an outpost of country music that's inexplicably smack dab in the middle of Volvo-driving, NPR-listening, holiday-tree-owning Green Lake. The crowd veers toward the early-20s spectrum, so if you need a break from parties where people discuss mortgages, the new Whole Foods, and their fucking jobs, this is the place to go. Tip: Bring cash so you can buy beer from the guy with the cooler instead of standing in a long line at the bar. more ›

>>>Hugo House, 7:30pm. Screenwriters Salon: Geoff Miller and Mark Handley invite you to bring your questions about format, technique, structure, dialogue, writing characters, and how to use your catering gig to hand your script to celebs. $5 general/$2 students. Free to members. more ›

>>>DORKBOT, 7:30pm. We love the name, but saying that they plan to "discuss their innovative approach to immersive, participatory entertainment" doesn't hide the fact that this will be geeks talking about videogames. Free, but only if you know the secret code: 'Knock knock, who's there?' 'Um, dorks?' 'Come in!' more ›

>>>UW iSchool at Kane Hall, 7:00-9:00pm. "Voices in an Empty Room: Five Apologies for the Narrative": Children's author Richard Peck discusses his writing and teaching careers, and his experiences with the kids today. He'll read from On The Wings Of Heroes, his new novel about a World War II childhood. Free with RSVP. Kane Hall, Rm. 220. more ›

>>>UW Forum for Science and Ethics Policy, 5:30pm. Dr. Dennis Schatz, VP for Education at the Pacific Science Center, cheerleads for “Making Science as Pervasive as Sports in Society.” His ulterior motive? It can only be to pack the Sonics off to Oklahoma and build our very own Exploratorium right here in Seattle, to which we say “Be Aggressive, Be Be Aggressive!” Free. UW Health Sciences Building, T-478. more ›

>>>Benaroya Hall, 7:30pm. Seattle Arts and Lectures brings prolific big shot and errant van survivor Stephen King by. Maybe you’ve heard of him? For the Constant Reader, it’s an event not to be missed. He'll talk about Lisey’s Story, his latest novel. Tickets $25 and $35. But, like many things in King’s Dark Tower world, they’ve already moved on. more ›

>>>University Temple United Methodist Church, 7:30pm. Religious believers can be co-opted, argues distinguished biologist and secular humanist E.O. Wilson in his talk "The Creation: A Meeting of Science and Religion." Blah blah salvation of biodiversity blah glory of nature blah work together. We dislike this automatic Religion-and-Science connection ("Ballet and Groundskeeping: A New Unity"), but he's a smartie. Could be worth it. . more ›

RSVP is req'd. more ›

Seattlest thinks the Seattle Central Library is gorgeous. But in every conversation we've had about the building, someone always points out the elephant in the room: it's a bitch finding your way around. more ›

This week Seattlest invites you to get your hand out of your pants and join us for some shows... more ›

Yeah, we know -- out-of-town guests are the only reason you visit the Space Needle in the first place. But there's more to this city than really tall spires with Galileo-inspiring drops. Got friends or family coming from out of town? Here's 43 suggestions for things to do with them. more ›

The 32nd annual Seattle International Film Festival kicks things off this evening with their opening night film at the Paramount and associated party at the new MOHAI space (the erstwhile interim Central Library at 8th & Pike). Wanna go as a VIP? Sorry, that's sold out. Already have a ticket and just want a VIP upgrade so you can get valet parking and reserved seating? You're SOL, 'cause that's sold out too. However, tickets are still available for the screening and gala, if you're willing to pay $50 ($40 for SIFF members) for some hors d'oeuvres and a so-so film. more ›

Hate the library's new one-week checkout period for DVDs? more ›

Last year, while Seattlest was enjoying the "free" part of "freelancing," we packed up our PowerBook and set off to visit our local library -- the Seattle Public Library's North East Branch. We figured we'd relax among the stacks and search the Web. more ›