Meet Me Here

This summer, the KUOW Book Club read Seattle author Kim Fu's surreal story collection, "Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century." It was the winner of the 2023 Pacific Northwest Book Prize among many other accolades.

In it, Fu takes average, even mundane human experiences and makes them utterly bizarre and delightfully weird. The collection dives into modern-day anxieties, turning them into the titular monsters. It's one of book club curator Katie Campbell's favorite books she's chosen yet. So, on July 30, Campbell sat down with Fu in front of a live audience at the Seattle Public Library. We talked about the creative process, the importance of writers being true to themselves, and the inspirations behind this collection.

This is the second of three conversations the KUOW Book Club hosted in partnership with the Seattle Public Library this summer. Come back next Sunday for the third interview with Lynda V. Mapes, environmental journalist and author of "The Trees are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forests."And if you need help filling that void after listening, here's another edition of Recommended If You Liked (RIYL): "Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century."

Novels and short stories by...

• Kevin Brockmeier
• Elizabeth McCracken
• Karen Russell
• George Saunders
• Yōko Ogawa
• Sayaka Murata

• Erase and Rewind by Meghan Bell
• Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
• I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
• The Vegetarian by Han Kang
• A Cage Went in Search of a Bird: Ten Kafkaesque Stories

• The Devil's Plan (TV Show/Netflix)
• By Design (Film)

Where’s your favorite place to meet up around arts and culture in the region? Drop us a line at [email protected]. Got an arts idea you want to pitch KUOW? Email us at [email protected] 

Your support helps create shows like Seattle Now, Soundside, and Meet Me Here! 

Become a KUOW member today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet Me Here listeners, if you still don't have any plans for this weekend, fear not. The Weekend Warmup is here to help with a whole bunch of ideas for fun things to do around the region this weekend. Hosted by KUOW's Jason Megatron Burrows. 

LINKS: 

• West End Beer Fest - Spokane
• Oktoberfest | Rotary Club of Edmonds
• Fremont Oktoberfest
• Whidbey Island Cider Festival | PRI
• Saint Demetrios Greek Festival
• The Seattle Pancakes & Booze Art Show
• Seattle's Art Walk Marathon
• Seattle Iranian Festival
• GOT SOLE - Sneaker Swap Meet
• Ice Cube - Climate Pledge Arena
• Billy Idol - Climate Pledge Arena
• Kraken vs Canucks - Pre-Season
• Seahawks vs NO Saints
• Savannah Bananas vs The Firefighters
• The Spitfire Grill - Black Box Theatre | Edmonds College

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/meet 

Meet Me Here is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when friendship becomes a form of possession? A hive mind so alluring, so consuming you forget yourself along the way.

This week we’re hitting the books with Author Mona Awad. Her books “Bunny” and the upcoming “We Love You Bunny” expose the sinister and surreal undercurrents of female friendship… and MFA programs!

We’ll take a look into the twisted psychology of trying to fit in and dig into the books, movies, and music that will help you fill the void when you finish the book… or the episode.

If you need some help filling that book shaped void, here’s Mona’s and Katie’s Recommended If You Liked (RIYL): Mona Awad’s sinister, surrealist take on making friends in grad school!

• Wet Leg
• Kate Bush
• Heathers
• The Craft
• Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson 
• The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
• Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes
• Spending time alone (seriously... take yourself on a date)

Event recommendations from this week’s episode:

Enshittification and the Rot Economy: A Deep Dives Conversation with Cory Doctorow and Ed Zitron on October 22 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Where’s your favorite place to meet up around arts and culture in the region? Drop us a line at [email protected]. Got an arts idea you want to pitch KUOW? Email us at [email protected] 

Your support helps create shows like Seattle Now, Soundside, and Meet Me Here! 

Become a KUOW member today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This summer, one of our KUOW Book Club selections was Seattle author Ijeoma Oluo’s 2024 bestseller, "Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World – and How You Can, Too."

In it, Oluo shows how people across the nation are creating positive change for racial equity within our most important systems – like the media, policing, education, and many more. The aim of the book is educational, but also to inspire direct action from its readers.

On June 26, Meet Me Here co-host Katie Campbell sat down with Oluo in front of some of those readers at the Seattle Public Library for an in-depth conversation about her life and work, which we’re bringing to you now in its entirety. This is one of three conversations the KUOW Book Club hosted in partnership with the Seattle Public Library this summer. Come back next Sunday for the second interview in the series with Kim Fu, author of the surreal short story collection "Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century."

It's KUOW's Fall Fundraising Drive! Keep the future of public media strong with a monthly gift. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet Me Here listeners, if you still don't have any plans for this weekend, fear not. The Weekend Warmup is here to help with a whole bunch of ideas for fun things to do around the region this weekend. Hosted by KUOW's Jason Megatron Burrows. 

Links: 

• SPORTS
  • Mariners - LA Angels - 9/11-14
  • Sounders - LA Galaxy - 9/13
  • Reign - Racing Louisville FC - 9/14
  • Seahawks - AWAY vs Pittsburgh 10am 9/14
• Wallingford Bratwurst Festival
• The Chehalis Flying Saucer Party
• Seattle — Cider Summit
• Hops & Crops Music and Beer Festival - Kent
• Sip Suds & Si - North Bend
• Autumn Sip & Stroll - Gig Harbor
• Historic Downtown Snohomish Wine Walk
• Vino in the Village – Magnolia
• Black & Loud Fest at The Crocodile
• Bite of PhinneyWood | The PNA
• Local Sightings 2025 – Not One Drop of Blood - Northwest Film Forum

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/meet 

Meet Me Here is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Judith Rinehart owns J. Rinehart Gallery in Pioneer Square. And she wants everyone in Seattle to know: art galleries are for all of us. "They are one of the few spaces anybody is allowed to come in", says Judith. "You can look at what's on the wall. You can like it or not. You can have an opinion about it or not… maybe you just want to come in and take a look, see what's even out there, and find the thing you like.” Also - Judith says some of the most innovative artists in the country are working here in Seattle, and the best place to see their current work is your local art gallery. 

She believes so deeply in the richness of Seattle’s arts and culture scenes that she helped create Art + Culture Week. It’s a week full of art events and performance collaborations - mostly free, and mostly in locally owned art galleries like hers -  from September 20-27. 

If you’re looking to spend some more time in local galleries, Judith and host Jeannie Yandel have some suggestions for events to check out. 

Judith Rinehart's suggestions: 

• First Thursday Art Walk in Pioneer Square - it's the oldest art walk in the country! You can learn more by listening to our episode on how to art walk with artist and Port of Seattle art administrator Tommy Gregory.
• Art + Culture Week Kick-off Party, Friday September 19th 4:30-7:30 pm 
  King Street Station 
• Whim W'Him Fall '25 Choreography Shindig, Saturday September 20th 8:00-11:00 pm
• Erickson Theatre
• Campfire Tales with artist Chris Sheridan, Tuesday September 23rd 6:00-8:00 pm 
  J. Rinehart Gallery 
• Resonant Light, a collaboration by neon sculptor Kelsey Fernkopf and Baroque violinist Tekla Cunningham, Friday September 26 3:00-6:00 pm 
  Foster/White Gallery 

Jeannie's suggestions: 

• walk don't run 3k (free ticket required), Saturday September 20th 12:00-6:00 pm 
  Pioneer Square to Belltown
• Discounted tickets to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Asian Art Museum, and George Balanchine's Jewels at Pacific Northwest Ballet - see the Art + Culture Week calendar for specific dates and times 

Other mentions in the episode: 
Greg Kucera Gallery
Past Perfect Future Tense, Holly Ballard Martz 
Costume Sale At Seattle Opera, Saturday September 27th from 9:30 am-4:30 pm

It's KUOW's Fall Fundraising Drive! Keep the future of public media strong with a monthly gift. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Jaipur Literature Festival in India is one of the biggest lit festivals on the planet. Hundreds of thousands of people attend to hear writers and artists talk about the rich, multilingual literary traditions of South Asia. 

JLF is big in another way too. Since its beginning in 2006, the festival has expanded to cities around the globe. And Seattle is one of them. The Jaipur Literature Festival will be here from September 18th to the 21st. 

Books host Katie Campbell went to the very first JLF here in Seattle last year - and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. The whole weekend felt like she was discovering new things. One standout was an art historian who discussed famous Indian paintings and the hidden messages he’d found in them after decades of study. In one of the paintings, he’d noticed how a prince was saluting his father, the king. The prince’s hand was open to the sky, and the historian explained how this was a sign of great deference and respect. Katie thinks about that talk a lot – about all the little things we can miss in art if we don’t know how to look for them. 

Katie is super excited to go to this year's JLF and she wants you to get excited too, so she decided to give us all a sneak peek into what to expect with UW Bothell professor and JLF Seattle Executive Director Alka Kurian. 

If you need even more help filling that book shaped void, here’s Alka and Katie’s Recommended If You Liked (RIYL): JLF Seattle. 

• JLF Seattle 2025: Sept. 18-21 

• Exquisite Cadavers by Meena Kandasamy 

• Too Good To Be True by Prajakta Koli 

• Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree 

• Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq 

• The Nutmeg's Curse by Amitav Ghosh 

• Translating Myself and Others by Jhumpa Lahiri 

• Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi 

• Victory City and Knife by Salman Rushdie 

• Bombay Begums (Netflix)  

• Farzi Café (Bellevue) 

• Mint Progressive Indian (Downtown Seattle) 

• Taste of India (U District) 

• Cafe Turko (Fremont) 

• Chili's South Indian Cuisine (U District) 

• Chili's Deli & Mart (U District) 

Your financial support makes podcasts like Meet Me Here possible. Help us make all the local shows you rely on at kuow.org/meet. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re digging our teeth into the Northwest and its relationship with vampires. In this episode, I’m bringing in my two co-hosts Jeannie Yandel and Katie Campbell to talk NW and vampires – so let me ask you, do you like monstrous vampires? What about metaphorical vampires? Of course, can’t forget the sensitive, sparkly, brooding vampires that just want you to love them … despite their desire to drain you. With Katie and Jeannie here, we’re going to talk about all this, and cover some non-Twilight vampire recommendations, just in case you’re interested. 

Where’s your favorite place to meet up around arts and culture in the region? Drop us a line at [email protected]. 

Got an arts idea you want to pitch KUOW? Email us at [email protected] 

Your support helps create shows like Seattle Now, Soundside, and Meet Me Here! 

Become a KUOW member today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you devour 50 books a year or haven’t picked one up in months, we all get into reading ruts. So, let’s fix that. 

Seattle Readers, it’s time to get into that reading groove and we’ve got you covered with tips, tricks, and a whole bunch of empathy. Seattle Public Library’s Stesha Brandon joins us for some literary hot takes, tips for getting out of a reading rut, and she explains why walking your cat is a perfect time to listen to audiobooks.

And… if you need even more help filling that book shaped void, here’s Stesha and Katie’s Recommended If You Liked (RIYL): getting into your reading groove

• The River Has Roots Amal El-Mohtar
• The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
• The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
  
• Jane Austen (anything)
•  In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
• Mapping the Interior Stephen Graham Jones
• Hell Is A World Without You by Jason Kirk
• Out There Screaming by Jordan Peele
• Your Next Five via The Seattle Public Library
• Welcome to Night Vale, a podcast

Featured Book-ish Event from this week’s episode: Seattle Arts & Lectures \ A Conversation with R.F. Kuang 

Where’s your favorite place to meet up around arts and culture in the region? Drop us a line at [email protected]. 

Got an arts idea you want to pitch KUOW? Email us at [email protected] 

Your support helps create shows like Seattle Now, Soundside, and Meet Me Here! 

Become a KUOW member today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dance artist and instructor Alethea Alexander feels lucky to live in Seattle - in large part because the city offers so many venues and opportunities to dance. Alethea teaches dance at UW and Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University, and is the director of training at Dance Church, a free-form and all-levels movement class / dance party.

But if the thought of dancing next to other people makes you anxious, Alethea has a suggestion. Just dip a toe in. Try a class that interests you and see how it feels. She says the rewards are worth pushing through the discomfort. 

Here are some of the places Alethea suggests checking out - all are welcoming to anxious and first-time dancers. 

Afrodance Seattle

PNW Afro Dance Camp 2025 

Dance Church Seattle

Velocity Dance Center 

Drop Zone Dance

The Beacon Studio 

Salsa Con Todo

OmCulture 

More links from this episode:

Cannonball Arts

“Dance Yourself Free”, NPR’s Throughline episode about Chicago house music

Where’s your favorite place to meet up around arts and culture in the region? Leave us a message at 206-221-6100. Drop us a line at [email protected]. 

Your support helps create shows like Seattle Now, Soundside, and Meet Me Here! 

Become a KUOW member today. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.