Adam Hochschild’s new book 'Spain in Our Hearts: Americans in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939' tells a history of the war through the lens of the U.S. involvement in it. The Spanish Civil War was a war between fascism, communism, and democracy that preceded World War II -- a tale of idealism and a noble cause that failed. Hochschild recounts the personal narratives of some of the participants: Americans in the Lincoln Brigade, Ernest Hemingway and George Orwell. He explores why they went and what, in retrospect, they felt about the conflict and their participation in it. -- “Few writers grapple so powerfully with the painful moral and ethical choices of past actors as does Hochschild, who brings to ‘Spain in Our Hearts’" his exceptional talents and his moral seriousness as a reporter, as a historian, and as a writer (Jill Lepore, professor of American History, Harvard University). -- Adam Hochschild is the author of seven books. 'King Leopold's Ghost' was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, as was his recent 'To End All Wars.' 'Bury the Chains' was a finalist for the National Book Award and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the PEN Center USA Literary Award.

LGBTQ immigrants, refugees and undocumented individuals living in King County helped Seattle Counseling Service uncover the barriers they face to accessing behavioral health care in King County. Join us in a celebration of their courage, learn what we uncovered and how we can create services for everyone in our community!

Through the rhythms and musicality of McElroy's voice, “Blood Memory” portrays an extended family, a complex culture spanning several decades, multiple victories and failures. This is consummate storytelling and unforgettable poetry capturing a place and time gone forever. -- “She is still the master storyteller to the 60 million of the Passage. When I didn't know how to be a poet, I first read Colleen McElroy to slowly walk the path to how.”—Nikky Finney -- “A testimonial to family that startles us with its beauty. And blood. …”—Sonia Sanchez. -- Colleen J. McElroy is professor emeritus of English and creative writing at the University of Washington. She served as editor-in-chief of the Seattle Review from 1995 to 2006. McElroy has published numerous poetry collections, most recently 'Here I Throw Down My Heart.' Her creative nonfiction includes 'A Long Way from St. Louie' (travel memoirs), and 'Over the Lip of the World: Among the Storytellers of Madagascar.'

Kirchner reads and discusses her novel with Seattle University English Professor Nalini Iyer. 'Goddess of Fire,' a historical novel set in 17th century India, tells the story of a village woman’s rise through the ranks of the British East India Company. -- Moorti, widowed at just 17 and about to be burned on her husband's funeral pyre, is saved from the fire by the Englishman Job Charnock. Taken to safety and given employment by Charnock, Moorti, renamed Maria, must embrace her new life amongst the English traders. But the intelligent and talented Maria is not content to be a servant for the rest of her life. Moorti realizes that learning English will be her path to success. 'Goddess of Fire,' based on a true story, tells how Moorti rises through the British East India Company to eventually become founder of Calcutta, the first city of the British Empire. -- Bharti Kirchner is the author of five previous novels and four cookbooks. An award-winning cook, she has written numerous magazine articles and essays on food, travel, fitness and lifestyle. Born and brought up in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India, Kirchner now lives in Seattle.

'Black Man in a White Coat: A Doctor’s Reflections on Race and Medicine,' explores Damon Tweedy’s experience grappling with race, bias and the unique health problems of black Americans. Tweedy, an African American psychiatrist, examines the complex ways in which both black doctors and patients must navigate the difficult and often contradictory terrain of race and medicine. -- “On one level the book is a straightforward memoir; on another it’s a thoughtful, painfully honest, multi-angled, constant self-interrogation about himself and about the health implications of being black.” (The New York Times). -- “Tweedy expertly weaves together statistics, personal anecdotes, and patient stories to explain why 'being black can be bad for your health'... A smart, thought-provoking, frontline look at race and medicine.” (Booklist starred review). -- Damon Tweedy, M.D., is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center and staff physician at the Durham VA Medical Center. He has published articles about race and medicine in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and his columns and op-eds have appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, the Raleigh News and Observer and The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

'A Doubter’s Almanac' explores the nature of genius, rivalry, ambition and love in multiple generations of a gifted family in the latest novel from bestselling author Ethan Canin. -- “A nuanced, heartbreaking portrait of a tortured mathematician. Canin, in translucent prose, elucidates the way a mathematician sees the world and humanity’s own insignificance within it. A harrowing, poignant read about the blessing and curse of genius.” Booklist (starred review) -- Ethan Canin is the author of seven books, including the story collections 'Emperor of the Air' and 'The Palace Thief' and the novels 'For Kings and Planets', 'Carry Me Across the Water', and 'America America'.

Join expert panelists to explore the influence of Shakespeare in America. At one time, the two most likely books in the American family library were the Bible and Shakespeare. -- Dr. Allison Meyer a Shakespeare Scholar at Seattle University, George Mount, Artistic Director for Seattle Shakespeare Company, and Michael Paulus, University Librarian and Associate Professor, Seattle Pacific University will address a set of questions about how and why the Bard became so important to Americans.

A new revolutionary culture emerged in the turbulent 1960s, and the Black Panther Party was at the vanguard. Weaving together a treasure trove of rare footage with the voices of a diverse group of people who were there, Director Stanley Nelson tells the vibrant story of a pivotal movement as urgent today as it was then. -- Listen to a panel discussion that followed the screening of the documentary 'The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution', with LaShawnDa Pittman (Assistant Professor at UW) and Elmer Dixon (former Black Panther member in Seattle).

'The High Mountains of Portugal' is part quest, part ghost story, part contemporary fable -- a haunting exploration of great love and great loss from the bestselling author of 'Life of Pi.' -- In Lisbon in 1904, a young man named Tomás discovers an old journal. It hints at the existence of an extraordinary artifact that, if he can find it, would redefine history. Traveling in one of Europe’s earliest automobiles, he sets out in search of this strange treasure. Thirty-five years later, a Portuguese pathologist devoted to the murder mysteries of Agatha Christie finds himself at the center of a mystery of his own and drawn into the consequences of Tomás’s quest. Fifty years on, a Canadian senator takes refuge in his ancestral village in northern Portugal, grieving the loss of his beloved wife. But he arrives with an unusual companion: a chimpanzee. And there the century-old quest will come to an unexpected conclusion. -- Yann Martel is the author of 'Life of Pi,' the #1 international bestseller and winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize, among many other prizes. His other books include 'The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios,' 'Self,' and 'Beatrice and Virgil.'

Longtime Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata discusses 'Becoming a Citizen Activist: Stories, Strategies, and Advice for Changing Our World.' -- Licata has been one of Seattle’s most effective leaders of political and social change since the 1960s. In his new book, he explains how to get organized, congregate power, and master the tactics for change. -- Licata has been one of Seattle’s most effective leaders of political and social change since the 1960s. In his new book, he explains how to get organized, congregate power, and master the tactics for change. -- “Nick Licata is a rare combination of things: a thinker who knows grassroots activism, an idealist who can pragmatically wield power, and a politician who knows how to change culture. His compact book distills a career of great citizenship into simple lessons and memorable stories. I hope it inspires a new generation to become activists, in and out of office.” Eric Liu, founder and CEO of Citizen University