This week, I wanted to focus on honoring the Native American Tribes who originally lived on and took care of the land I occupy. After spending my Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Day weekend visiting the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, I knew I wanted to review a book that furthered my goal to honor and educate myself about Indigenous peoples.

And Seattle happens to be home to one of the most coveted LGBTQ+ places: the city’s first, and only, lesbian bar—The Wildrose. Located in Capitol Hill, Wildrose opened on New Year’s Eve in 1984 and still remains open today. I had the pleasure of speaking with one of the owners, Martha Manning. We delved into topics ranging from troubles staying open during COVID to what the Wildrose means to lesbians today.

In early November, On the Boards unveiled a briefly-run but awe-inspiring performance: Indian School by ritualist Timothy White Eagle (he/him) and co-created with Hatlo (they/them) White Eagle. White Eagle is quick to confirm that Indian School is a collaborative effort, and not a solo show.

How far can symbolism go in a poem? 

Throughout my college career, I don’t think a poem has ever split my colleagues as much as William Carlos Williams’s “The Red Wheelbarrow”. Initially published in 1923 in Spring and All, it has remained one of Williams’s most referenced poems. 

The SAM VSO Union consists of a group of 54 Visitor Service Officers, or VSOs. On Black Friday, they started their strike. Strikes are typically one of the last options a union will exercise to make clear to their employer and the general public that their working conditions are unacceptable and their concerns up until this point have been largely ignored. Before the formation of the SAM VSO Union, there were a series of escalations in organized action against Seattle Art Museum (SAM) leadership and policies.

Shoes & Pants Productions and Theatre Off Jackson presents the return of their LGBTQ+ holiday show, Scott Shoemaker’s War on Christmas! Co-written by the talented Freddy Molitch and Shott Shoemaker, this variety show promises to bring a little cheer to those of us who feel outcasted by the Xmas season. With a self-proclaimed group of “queerdos,” you can surely expect a warm and inclusive welcome as Scott Shoemaker explores various holiday traditions with a new—and sometimes naughty—eye.

“Almost Live!” and “Portlandia”: two sketch comedy shows which expertly skewered Pacific Northwest stereotypes and culture, made national acclaim, and proved to the masses that there are more jokes to be made about Seattle and Portland than “we like coffee!” and “oh look, there’s rain”.  

Loyal fans love these shows for depicting a heightened yet accurate look at living here, such as in sketches like “How Seattle Are You?”, “Colin the Chicken”, “Ballard Driving School”, and “Battle of the Gentle Bands”. Avid binge-watchers of these shows, however, might find themselves wondering…Where are all the Black people?

Whether banning or restricting gender-affirming care for transgender minors and adults, banning or restricting transgender people from using public restrooms that align with their gender identity, or stopping trans athletes from joining sports teams, transgender youth and adults are facing an uphill battle to equal rights. Now, post-election, the possibility of facing more anti-trans legislation under the Trump administration has become a very real threat to transgender individuals all over the country. 

Local filmmaker Tim Lightell has released a Manbaby into the world. The film is about Sal and Dana, a married couple who encounter a snag in their relationship when Dana reveals she doesn't want kids. Sal comes up with a harebrained scheme, he pretends he's been transformed into a baby, to try and trick Dana into getting on board with the idea of children. Yet, his plan doesn't work out exactly as he hoped.

Why do poets write about love? 

Elizabeth Barrett Browning, an English poet and wife of fellow poet Robert Browning, has been a pioneer for authors and poets. Browning is responsible for respected works like Sonnets from the Portuguese, Casa Guidi Windows, Aurora Leigh, as well as a plethora of other works.

Seattle’s Trans and Nonbinary Choral Ensemble (STANCE) was back again for Trans Day of Remembrance (November 20, 2024), offering a touching choir experience and space to remember those in the trans and nonbinary community who have been lost. In “The Power of Me,” STANCE honored the trans community with gorgeous choral arrangements, touching stories, and powerful words of resistance, healing, and power. 

 I was at the Center to attend the opening reception for the exhibition of Boliglaboratorium: A Danish Housing Lab. As I entered the space carrying the aforementioned mental baggage, I found myself surrounded by action words that were at odds with how I was feeling—words like develop, transform, promote, support, and build. I then found myself embraced by concepts that were contrary to how I felt about our nation’s current political situation—words like diversity, multi-generational, non-profit, mixed housing, social life, synergy, and interaction. I actually relaxed…took a breath…shook off the cold…and immersed myself in the warm world of Scandinavian design. 

Armored with little more than a trusty tote bag and too much caffeine, I entered Third Place Books on Ravenna, searching for a local author to write my first book review about. I found an armful of wonderful tomes and settled on beginning with a novel called Lake City (2019), a fascinating fiction by Thomas Kohnstamm, a born-and-raised Seattleite. 

At the checkout stand, a bookseller promised me that Lake City was a fantastic read, that Kohnstamm’s next novel would be out soon, and that Thomas was a terrific guy and regular at Third Place Books. I was so excited by the enthusiasm from the bookseller that I rushed home to read it that night. 

I Watched Her Grow was filmed entirely in Seattle with a homegrown crew. Filmmaker Shea Formanes was kind enough to chat with me about the film and her process.

The story is about Ada (Michelle Colman Padron), a botanist struggling with grief over her mother Mirren's (Eloisa Cardona) death. Ada takes in the mysterious teenager Wren (Taylor Freeman), who seems to be struggling from the same affliction as Mirren did. 

Co-hosted by the dancers Auto and Orb, these monthly battles are created by HeadSpin Productions and DJ’d by DJ Fever One. The battles are open to all styles, meaning contestants might be paired up against someone who does a totally different street style than them, though they will have the same song. The contestants compete 1v1 for a cash prize. Whoever wins in each battle progresses until there are two contestants left. 

I discovered The Pomegranate Tree by a fleeting chance. I was discussing the potential of immersive theater in large scale productions when one of my cohorts told me I must see a Dacha show if I hadn’t already. I followed Dacha on Instagram and admittedly forgot about the suggestion shortly after—until a post of theirs crossed my feed.

What is the final threshold between adolescence and adulthood?

After discussing three modern poets, I wanted to choose a traditional poet for discussion this week. William Blake, a Romantic, is most known for Songs of Innocence and Experience where he tackles the duality of childhood innocence and real-world experience. 

Ah, the open mic. All comedy babies’ first step. The watering hole where veteran amateurs and “I’ve always wanted to try” newbies gather to throw cold wet spaghetti (jokes) at a wall (their friends, and bar patrons who did not know this was going on tonight) to see what sticks!

At its core, the open mic is a place for everyone—yes everyone—to come in and try new (stand-up only) material. But traditional open mics have a reputation;it’s become synonymous now with dive bars, pool balls clacking over your tight five, and comedians performing sets comprised of hate speech scantily veiled as “just a joke”.

Hosts Morgue Anne and Evan J. Peterson discuss that night’s feature presentation, providing insights from behind the scenes as well as more nuanced critiques of the subject matter. If you’re active in Seattle’s horror scene, those names may seem familiar to you. Morgue Anne is literal goth royalty, elected Ms./Mx. Gothic Seattle 2020 and dubbed “The Plague Queen.” She is a burlesque performer, DJ, panelist, and more. Evan J. Peterson is a horror/game writer whose work has appeared in Weird Tales, Nightmare Magazine, and PseudoPod, to name a few.

Meghan Trainor’s work has always had spiritual connections. With a practice firmly rooted in her own ancestral Irish Catholic imagery and iconography in her early art-making days, Trainor found new inspiration via Mexican folk art when she was exposed to the work of Frida Kahlo and later from a nearby shop when she worked at Pike Place Market in the 1990s. Importantly, a 1980s show at Seattle Art Museum about African spiritual objects left a significant impression.