Another West Seattle writer is up for a prestigious award. Journalist Claudia Rowe‘s book “Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care” is on the longlist for the National Book Award for Nonfiction, announced today. Paper Boat Booksellers co-proprietor Eric Judy tells us that Rowe is a West Seattleite, and that her book is in stock at Paper Boat (4522 California SW). Here’s the full list of nonfiction nominees. The award program’s website describes the book as follows:

In Wards of the State, Claudia Rowe offers readers a deep understanding of the foster care-to-prison pipeline. Through interviews with psychologists, advocates, judges, and the former foster children themselves, Rowe paints a heartbreaking picture of the lives shaped by this broken system.

The awards will be presented November 19 in a livestreamed ceremony.

ORIGINAL TUESDAY REPORT: West Seattle’s tradition of literary excellence, as recognized in the annual Washington State Book Awards, continues! This year’s list of finalists is out, and it includes books by two West Seattle writers:

–Steve Duda‘s fly-fishing essay collection “River Songs: Moments of Wild Wonder in Fly Fishing,” waspublished by West Seattle-headquartered Mountaineers Books. The publisher says the book has been hailed as “rich with bracing, authentic, generous stories–writing that revels in language and spirit … pieces that breathe lived experience, reveal vulnerabilities, and convey a broad perspective of what it means to have ‘a long run with a tight crew’.” Duda’s book is a finalist in the Creative Nonfiction/Memoir division.

–Susan Rich‘s poetry book “Blue Atlas” is a finalist in the Poetry division. its launch last year was held at West Seattle’s C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor), during one of the occasional reunions of the WordsWest Literary Series collective of which she is a founder. “Blue Atlas’ is described by publisher Red Hen Press as “a lyrical abortion narrative unlike any other … (that) follows a Jewish woman and her ghosts as they travel from West Africa to Europe and, finally, to the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco.” Rich has been a WSBA finalist before, for her book “The Alchemist’s Kitchen.”

The annual Washington State Book Awards, presented by the Washington Center for the Book, honor books published by Washington writers in the previous year. Here’s the full list of current finalists; winners will be announced September 16.

ADDED WEDNESDAY: We learned via a comment below that there’s another West Seattle author to congratulate – Susan Lieu, whose memoir “The Manicurist’s Daughter” is also a finalist in the Creative Nonfiction/Memoir division. Publisher Celadon Books‘ website describes it as “an emotionally raw memoir about the crumbling of the American Dream and a daughter of refugees who searches for answers after her mother dies during plastic surgery.” This is Lieu’s first book but as detailed on her website, she’s also a performer, speaker, podcaster, mom, and … chocolate entrepreneur.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

If you are in love with love stories, you’ll want to be at South Seattle College‘s Brockey Center on Saturday (June 14).

The Emerald City Romance Writers group is bringing in more than 60 authors to meet fans, sell books, and revel in all things romantic.

This is the second year for the event, held in August last year. We talked with ECRW’s president, who writes as EL Roux. They explain that the event was created to “help promote local romance writers in the local community.” In other words – you’ve heard the exhortations “shop local,” “eat local,” etc., so consider this “read local”!

It’s not just about reading. Other participants include what EL describes as a tattoo-art business run by veterans, who’ll be offering, of course, romance-themed tattoos. Podcasters are expected.

You’ll get the chance to purchase directly from authors, and a mobile romance bookstore will be on site too.

You’ll also find fun ways to discover new – or, new to you – authors, such as “Blind Date with a Book” – you specify the “trope” (the type of romance, for example, “enemies to lovers”) and you’ll get a book to try.

Hottest current trends in romance stories? Romance/fantasy, for young-adult readers (say, early 20s). Just so happens that EL specializes in romance/fantasy, as well as romance/sci-fi, in fact. Take a look at all the genres that will be featured, and the writers and vendors related to them!

Alessa Winters – Paranormal Romance
Alex Washoe – Contemporary Romance, Fantasy Romance, Historical Fiction, Mysteries
Amanda Shelley – Contemporary Romance, New adult, Sports Romance, Single Parent Romance
Amelia Cole – Fantasy, dystopian, and scifi romances & urban fantasy
Anna Alkire – contemporary romance, romantic comedy
Annabeth Albert – LGBTQ, contemporary, romance, small town,
Asa Maria Bradley – Paranormal Romance & Romantasy
Becca Ryden – Fantasy/Romance
Beguiled Books – Seattle mobile romance bookstore
Boobs Non-Profit – All genres
Bookmomma and candy daddy – Blind date with a book
Bree Wiley – Queer Contemporary Romance
Brent Archer – Gay contemporary romance
Brittany Tucker – Adult & YA Fantasy
C.L. Collier – Contemporary romance
Chanté A. Campbell – Fantasy Romance
Chelsey Ann Tompkins – Adult Fantasy Romance
Christian Braver – Steamy contemporary romance
Christina Sol – Romantic suspense
Claire Marti – Contemporary Romance; Romcom
Coral Alejandra Moore – Fantasy and Paranormal Romance
D.W. Marshall – Romance: Suspense, contemporary, steamy,
Darcy McGuire – Historical Romance
Denise Wells – Contemporary, rom-com-suspense
Deysi O’Donal & Poppy Aster – Scifi romance (Deysi) dark paranormal romance (Poppy)
E. M. Epps & Augustine Lang – e Fantasy and Romantic Fantasy, Regency Romance
E.L. Roux – Scifi Romance and Low Fantasy Romance
Erika Vanzin – Spicy Contemporary Romance
Heather Greye – SciFi Romance/Futuristic Romance
James L. Sutter – Queer young adult romance, fantasy
Jaycee Jarvis – Fantasy Romance
Jen Flanagan – Cozy mystery & paranormal romance
Jessica Salina – Urban fantasy romance & romantic comedy
Joelle Lynne – MM Contemporary Romance
Julia Wyld – Romance Fantasy, Contemporary Romance
Justin Schuelke – LGBTQ+ m/m romance, urban fantasy, murder mystery
K. L. Parsons – Adventure Romance
Kari Harrison – MC Romance
Kate Pelczar – Romance
Kelly Vincent/Kat Vinson – YA Contemporary/LGBTQ and Adult Contemporary Romance
Kerrie Biehl – Paranormal Romance
Kerry Kilpatrick – LGBTQIA
Lily Riley – Paranormal romance, sci-fi romance, fantasy romance
Lindsey Sparks – Time Travel Romance, Fantasy Romance, Sci Fi Romance
Lore Townsend – Contemporary Romance
Lynne Hancock Pearson – Contemporary Romance
Maida Malby – Contemporary Romance
Mason Frost – Gay Romance
Matilda Lockwood – Historical romance
Meredith Spies – MM and MX paranormal romance, contemporaries, cozies
MsMorbid Art – Fantasy & Monster Romance Illustration
Nicola Tyche – Fantasy Romance, Romantasy
Paperback Pleasures – Romance Podcast, Booktok, and Store
Romance Recs Podcast – Romance Podcast
S.M. McCoy & Stevie Marie – Fantasy Romance, Sci-fi Romance, Alien Romance, Mythology and Legends
Samantha Jon – Upmarket romance, literary fiction, gothic romance
Serena Bell – Romantic comedy
Shelli Stevens – Spicy contemporaries and one paranormal series
Sonya Rhen – SciFi, Romance, Poetry
Stephanie K Clemens – Fantasy, Mystery and Cozy Fantasy
Tantri Wija – Romance, detective, fantasy, paranormal, fiction
Tori Fields – Contemporary, Instalove Romance
Victoria Weyland – Monster Romance
Victoria Woods

EL says they used feedback from last year for planning this event, so you’ll notice changes if you went to that one – more one-on-one time with authors, for example. Tickets are available online – 11 am early VIP admission, or general admission at noon; the event runs until 5 pm.

This time the report is from Pauline in the Fairmount Park area:

I was just outside watering our garden when I noticed that our LFL was completely cleaned out. They left the pencils and bookmarks; I guess these items weren’t good enough! I am heartbroken to think someone would do this. I have read similar stories on the blog. What is wrong with people?!

If dementia care has touched your life or that of someone in your family, the next meeting of the book group at The Mount (WSB sponsor) might be of interest – and you’re invited. Here’s the announcement:

Book Group at The Mount, “Don’t Walk Away”
Join Us: Saturday, April 12

Free to attend
The first 25 to RSVP may pick up a free copy of the book in advance.
Coffee and Pastries
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Providence Mount St. Vincent, Assisted Living Lounge, 2nd floor
4831 35th Ave SW

Please RSVP via email lorrie.shamarin@providence.org or call (206) 938-6191

Join the Providence Mount St. Vincent Book Group discussion of “Don’t Walk Away,” a captivating exploration of living with dementia by author Marilyn Raichle, founder of The Art of Alzheimer’s and Executive Director of Maude’s Award for innovation in Alzheimer’s care . This book offers a dual perspective on the Alzheimer’s journey, intertwining Marilyn’s written insights with the vibrant artwork of her mother, Jean McFee Raichle.

Lauren Wolfe, Manager of Social work at The Mount will facilitate the discussion as we invite participants to share their thoughts and experiences with dementia care, and the role of utilizing the elements of art and community. Whether you have personal experience with Alzheimer’s or are simply interested in a moving and engaging conversation around dementia care, please plan to join us.

With several book clubs continuing to grow, it’s clear West Seattle is a reader’s paradise. Another book club is starting up this week and we’re mentioning it in case you haven’t already seen the listing in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar. Ed explains, “I’m starting a new book club for fans of classic SF (speculative fiction) such as ‘Dune’ and ‘Lord of the Rings.’ It’s called ‘The West Seattle Classic SF Book Club’.” He’s launching at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW) Thursday night (December 12), 6 pm. “We’ll be reading ‘The Stars My Destination‘ by Alfred Bester (1956). If people want a new copy they can purchase the book at Paper Boat and get a 10% discount.” Ed notes, “It’s only 211 pages so there’s still time to read.”

Another nightlife phenomenon in West Seattle is the monthly convening of what was the West Seattle Silent Book Club – aka “introverts’ happy hour.” It’s grown to a dozen venues every month where people gather to read and then chat – or not. It’s BYOB (bring your own book). This week, a big two-part announcement from organizers, as their October reading night approaches – a new partner and new name:

We are becoming an independent organization named West Seattle Book Club that is rooted in and local to West Seattle and White Center rather than being connected to a global organization. We are so very grateful to have begun as a chapter of the global Silent Book Club organization, and over the years (and because of the incredible support of this neighborhood!), we have become more than a chapter. We have become a neighborhood-wide reading night. As our gatherings have grown, there has been added complexity to organizing, and we have recognized the need for more substantial local support.

We are so excited to share that West Seattle Book Club is becoming part of the West Seattle Junction Association to support our sustainability as a reading community. As part of the West Seattle Junction Association, we will continue to gather all across the neighborhood, from White Center up to Admiral, and we will continue to be led and organized by the same team of local volunteers. The West Seattle Junction Association will provide the support and organization we need to sustain our neighborhood-wide reading nights. We are thrilled to be embedded in such an important neighborhood institution.

The newly renamed West Seattle Book Club‘s next gathering is this Thursday, October 3, 7-9 pm. For Thursday’s reading locations – from North Admiral to White Center – see our calendar listing.

When the 2024 Washington State Book Awards finalists were announced this week, we saw a West Seattle writer on the list: E.J. Koh. Three years ago, we told you about honors for her memoir “The Magical Language of Others,” including a Washington State Book Award. Now, Koh has published her first novel, “The Liberators,” and it’s a finalist. “The Liberators” is already an award winner, receiving the New York Public Library‘s 2024 Young Lions Fiction Award. From the publisher’s summary of “The Liberators”:

Daejeon, South Korea. 1980. At twenty-four, Insuk falls in love with her college classmate, Sungho, and with her father’s blessing, they marry. But then, as the military dictatorship, martial law, and nationwide protests bring the country precariously to the edge, Insuk’s father disappears.

In the wake of his disappearance, Insuk flees to California with Sungho, their son Henry, and Sungho’s overbearing mother. Adrift in a new country, Insuk grieves the loss of her past and divided homeland, only to find herself drawn into an illicit affair that sets into motion dramatic events that will echo for generations to come.

Spanning two continents and four generations, E. J. Koh’s debut novel exquisitely captures two Korean families forever changed by fateful decisions made in love and war.

Along with her award-winning novel and memoir, Koh has published a poetry collection, “A Lesser Love

Romance-novel lovers have a place to meet their match(es) this Saturday in West Seattle. We just heard about the Emerald City Romance authors and readers event, noon-5 pm Saturday (August 17) in Brockey Center at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) – promising “author meet-and-greets, book signings, flash tattoo art, and more.” More than 50 authors will be there:

There are two tiers of tickets – $10 general admission, $30 VIP admission to get in early (11 am), both available here. Thanks to one of the participating authors, West Seattle resident Annie Marcus (who’ll be there with her first book “Small Town Romance“), for sending word about the event!

Before we get to our list of what’s happening today/tonight, we’re looking ahead to Thursday, when West Seattle writer Steve Duda will launch his first book “River Songs” with an event at Emerald Water Anglers (4502 42nd SW; WSB sponsor). “River Songs,” subtitled “Moments of Wild Wonder in Fly Fishing,” is described in the launch announcement as “a collection of 14 essays that represent the wonders and losses experienced in a life outdoors.”

Distinguished writer and head of Fish Tales at Patagonia, Steve Duda asks what is it about this “ridiculous activity” that connects us to this planet, makes us human, and gives us hope? Avoiding fly fishing’s clichés of romantic elegies, Moby-Dick-like conquests, and play-by-plays of “victory” over a fish, Duda instead offers pieces that breathe lived experience, reveal vulnerabilities, and a broad perspective of what it means to have “a long run with a tight crew.” Interspersed through the essays, readers will discover 14 “river songs”—short pieces of prose and poetry that introduce moments of reflection, insight, humor, and tenderness.

The event Thursday (August 1) at EWA is at 6:30 pm. Duda says, “I’ll be giving a short reading, followed by a discussion with Dylan Tomine (author of “Headwaters” and “Closer to the Ground”) and then a Q&A. Cover artist and River Songs’ illustrator Matthew Delorme will also attend and will have prints of his work available. Food from Eva’s Wild will be served. Beer by Georgetown Brewing.” If you can’t make it to the event, check your favorite local independent bookstore for “River Songs,” or get it through publisher Mountaineers Books (which also is headquartered in West Seattle).

As we wrap up a day in which the main mantra was “shop local,” here are four reasons to “read local” – four books we’ve recently heard about, all the work of West Seattle writers and/or illustrators:

‘POETRY FOR PUPS’: By author Susan Seah and illustrator Morgan Boyle, this book is already an award-winner (Gold Medal from Literary Titan), and a reading for people AND dogs is planned next weekend, 3-5 pm Sunday, December 3, at Realfine Coffee (4480 Fauntleroy Way SW). The author, who plans to bring her “beagle muse” Koa to the reading, writes from this viewpoint: “Embracing the joys of being a dog mom for over two decades, her journey has been enriched with adventures, inspiration, and the unwavering devotion of her fur babies. Beyond her canine companions, Susan wears the hat of a corporate and technology lawyer, a vocation that stands alongside her dedication to empower women as the CEO and Founder of The Koa Club.” Copies of “Poetry for Pups“ will be available for purchase at next weekend’s event.

‘IT’S NOT (ALL) YOUR FAULT’: West Seattle author Sharon Podobnik recently launched her first book, described as …

… a deeply personal nonfiction exposé on the self-help industry from an insider’s perspective. Rather than being a self-help book in the traditional sense, it is a self-conscious self-help book that reveals the tactics that the industry uses while demonstrating exactly how they work. The book is incredibly approachable, while proving that well-being depends on solidarity, not self-optimization.

Sharon is the founder of The Center for Conscious Leadership, “which seeks to co-create a more peaceful, just, and equitable world.” She recently read from “It’s Not (All) Your Fault“ at C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor).

‘BROOMS’: The illustrator of this graphic novel, written by Jasmine Walls, is Teo Duvall, a member of the team at Highland Park Corner Store, which held a launch party earlier this fall. Teo explains that “Brooms“ is about “six young witches of color in an alternate history 1930s Mississippi. In order to raise money for better lives, they participate in illegal backwoods broom racing. It’s a story about friendship, magic and overcoming the odds with lots of joy and love.” You can see an excerpt here. “Brooms” has been acclaimed for a variety of reasons including its inclusion of people living with disabilities.

To buy “Brooms” locally, check Pegasus Book Exchange and (of course) Highland Park Corner Store.

“ALWAYS CARRY YOUR SCYTHE”:
Pip Paisley recently published Always Carry Your Scythe, describing the book as “a humorous, contemporary fantasy set in Seattle (that) features a diverse cast of living and alternative-living beings in all shapes, sizes, colors and orientations.” Pip has been leaving copies of “Always Carry Your Scythe” in (Little) Free Libraries around West Seattle, and whether you encounter the book that way or by buying it, Pip has an offer: “If anyone reads the book and leaves a review on Amazon, drop me a note at pippaisley@gmail.com and I’ll happily send over a Always Carry Your Scythe mug.”

Among the new books released today is a rock ‘n’ roll memoir co-authored by a West Seattle writer who sent us this announcement:

Writer Adem Tepedelen has co-authored a grunge memoir with Mudhoney guitarist Steve Turner. Mud Ride: A Messy Trip Through the Grunge Explosion is being released today in North America via Chronicle Prism.

Mud Ride is a down-and-dirty account that chronicles the birth and evolution of the Seattle grunge scene. It features a foreword by Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard and more than 100 illustrations and photographs, many that have never been seen before. Tepedelen — a highly respected music magazine journalist, author and former editor of Seattle’s iconic The Rocket — collaborated with Turner to tell the story of grunge’s underground origins in the late ’80s and early ’90s, when Turner and his friends — Seattle skate punks, hardcore kids and assorted misfits — started forming bands in each other’s basements and accidentally created a unique sound that spread far beyond their once-sleepy city. 

Mud Ride offers an inside look at the tight-knit grunge scene, the musical influences and experiments that shaped the grunge sound, and the story of Turner’s bands, Green River and Mudhoney, which went from underground flophouse shows to selling out stadiums with Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Including stories about the key moments, musicians, and albums from grunge’s beginnings to its come-down from the highs of global success and stardom, this is the first account of the musical phenomenon that took over the world – from someone who was there for it all.

Tepedelen says you should be able to get the book through West Seattle’s independent bookstores Paper Boat Booksellers and Pegasus. Turner, meantime, has a promotional appearance at 7 pm tomorrow (Wednesday, June 14th) at Elliott Bay Books on Capitol Hill.