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January 2021
Angel in the Outhouse: Stories of the Civil Rights Movement by Kathya Alexander
PLEASE REGISTER FOR THIS LIVE VIDEO EVENT: https://wcls.libcal.com/event/7190881
You will be emailed a link to the Zoom meeting on the day of the event.
Through stories based on her own experience growing up in the segregated south, award winning Seattle storyteller Kathya Alexander makes this time in history come alive. Join her for an evening of stories that explores the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of Mandy, a 12-year-old "colored" girl. Made possible through a Lift Every Voice Grant.
Find out more »Let’s Talk About Race with author and professor Clyde Ford
PLEASE REGISTER FOR THIS LIVE VIDEO EVENT: https://wcls.libcal.com/event/7219208
You will be emailed a link to the Zoom meeting on the day of the event.
With warmth and openness, author and professor Clyde Ford leads a discussion on race in modern-day America with emphasis on audience participation. Meant for people of all races, participants will gain tools to engage in honest, transparent and meaningful conversations about race. Though ambitious, this talk aims to make a difference in bridging and healing the racial divide. A Humanities Washington program.
Find out more »February 2021
African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song Poetry Reading
PLEASE REGISTER FOR THIS LIVE VIDEO EVENT: https://wcls.libcal.com/event/7199993
You will be emailed a link to the Zoom meeting on the day of the event.
Celebrate the legacy of African American literature with a poetry reading of selected poems from the newly published anthology African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song read by local poets. This will be a call out to our community to raise up and honor these voices.
Dr. Bill Lyne, coordinator of African American Studies at Western Washington University, moderates a discussion on African American literature that invites us to rise up and honor these voice. Made possible by a Lift Every Voice Grant.
Find out more »Facilitated Online Book Discussions
Explore anti-racism with a local social justice leader (limited availability through March 31, 2021). Program made possible by a generous grant from the Equity Fund of the Whatcom Community Foundation Explore Anti-Racism Local anti-racism leaders are available to join virtual book group discussions. Readers will have a safe space to discuss social justice themes in Washington Black and to explore how they connect with issues in our community. We acknowledge that these kinds of conversations have been needed for a long time,…
Find out more »The Smart Skin and Amazing Brains of the Octopus
PLEASE REGISTER FOR THIS LIVE VIDEO EVENT: https://wcls.libcal.com/event/7219210
You will be emailed a link to the Zoom meeting on the day of the event.
The octopus has fascinated investigators since Aristotle (and sparks innovation for Washington Black). New scientific approaches have shed light upon the unique neural architecture that supports the outstanding abilities of this cognitively complex, yet evolutionarily distant form of intelligence. Join Dr. David Gire, whose lab studies octopus species native to the Pacific Northwest, on an exploration of the neuroscience behind how octopuses think and behave.
Find out more »What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing–What Birds Are Doing, and Why with David Allen Sibley
Please register for this live event here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/david-allen-sibley-village
We are pleased to welcome David Allen Sibley back to the (virtual) Readings Gallery. He will do a presentation on his latest book and will also focus on nature illustrations, in concert with the themes of Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, this year's Whatcom READS selection.
On What It's Like to Be a Bird: This is the bird book for birders and nonbirders alike that will excite and inspire by providing a new and deeper understanding of what common, mostly backyard, birds are doing–and why.
“Can birds smell?” “Is this the same cardinal that was at my feeder last year?” “Do robins ‘hear’ worms?” In What It’s Like to Be a Bird, David Sibley answers the most frequently asked questions about the birds we see most often.
Whatcom Writes Public Presentation
THIS WILL BE AN ONLINE EVENT
Each year, Whatcom WRITES invites writers of all ages and experience levels to explore a theme inspired by this year’s Whatcom READS book. Top entries are selected for publication in the Whatcom WRITES anthology.The deadline to submit entries has passed, but you can hear authors from the Whatcom WRITES contest about RECONCILIATION — based on the 2021 book selection, Washington Black by Esi Edugyan — read their work!
Click here to attend this virtual event.
Find out more »Technology and Social Justice with Clyde Ford
PLEASE REGISTER FOR THIS LIVE VIDEO EVENT: https://wcls.libcal.com/event/7219209
You will be emailed a link to the Zoom meeting on the day of the event.
Author, scholar, and activist Clyde Ford shows how the issues his father faced as the first black software engineer in America are present in high-tech today, and what concerned citizens must do to advocate for human and civil rights in the modern technological age.
Find out more »I’ll Fly Away: A Sojourn Through Poetry and Spirituals
PLEASE REGISTER FOR THIS LIVE VIDEO EVENT: https://wcls.libcal.com/event/7219213
You will be emailed a link to the Zoom meeting on the day of the event.
What connections, what traditions could help people cope with being forcibly transported from one continent to another? The literary and artistic forms of spirituals and poetry not only tied communities together socially and artistically during slavery, but also continue to enrich the multicultural fabric of our state today through the work of contemporary African-American poets, musicians and artists. Award-winning poet, performer and distinguished scholar Gloria Burgess explores the rich, beautiful heritage of spirituals and poetry from the African-American tradition in a spirited sojourn through words and music. This interactive presentation covers the sometimes hidden meanings of specific spirituals and poems, including how the art helped people cope as they were transported from another culture. Made possible by a Lift Every Voice grant.
Find out more »Whatcom Writes Public Presentation
Each year, Whatcom WRITES invites writers of all ages and experience levels to explore a theme inspired by this year’s Whatcom READS book. Top entries are selected for publication in the Whatcom WRITES anthology.The deadline to submit entries has passed, but you can hear authors from the Whatcom WRITES contest about RECONCILIATION — based on the 2021 book selection, Washington Black by Esi Edugyan — read their work!
Click here to attend this virtual event.
Find out more »March 2021
Author Interview: Esi Edugyan
Author Interview Esi Edugyan speaks with Shu-Ling Zhao, co-founder, Sylvia Center for the Arts and Whatcom County Racial Equity Commission. REGISTER HERE FOR THIS LIVE VIDEO EVENT Add to your own calendar below.
Find out more »Author Book Talk: Esi Edugyan
Mary Kinser, Collections Development Librarian, Whatcom County Library System talks with Esi Edugyan about her novel, Washington Black. REGISTER FOR THIS LIVE VIDEO EVENT HERE. Add to your own calendar below.
Find out more »Allied Arts Art Challenge Exhibition
Allied Arts of Whatcom County hosts a community art exhibit inspired by the novel Washington Black by Esi Edugyan. Artists were tasked with reading this year’s book and creating art inspired by it. The exhibit runs from March 5 through March 27 Gallery is open Tuesday thru Saturday 11am - 4pm
Find out more »The Art and Craft of Writing with Esi Edugyan
PLEASE REGISTER FOR THIS LIVE VIDEO EVENT: https://wcls.libcal.com/event/7537760 You will be emailed a link to the Zoom meeting on the day of the event. Observe as Esi Edugyan leads a writing craft discussion with Western Washington University students. Moderated by Dr. Scott Linneman, director, University Honors Program.
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