Literary Scene: Seattle, Washington

Seattle has the honor of being one of only two UNESCO Cities of Literature in the United States. As a city of books and authors, this Pacific Northwest outpost has long attracted a formidable list of literary artists—among them Octavia Butler (who lived just north of Seattle in Lake Forest Park), Charles D’Ambrosio, and poets Theodore Roethke, Nelson and Beth Bentley, Carolyn Kizer, Elizabeth Bishop, and Madeline Dufrees. A diverse and innovative contemporary generation of writers includes poets EJ Koh, Luther Hughes, Quenton Baker, alongside prose writers like Richard Chiem, Nisi Shawl, and Elsa Sjunneson.

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Seattle is a city where prose writers who have cut their teeth on journalism have grown into formidable literary artists—among them Sonora Jha, Angela Garbes, Kristen Millares Young, Putsata Reang, Jen Soriano, and Lindy West. Seattle’s support of graphic novelists and comics artists has also attracted gifted visual storytellers like David Lasky, and Ellen Forney, whose work can be seen at the Sound Transit Capitol Hill Light Rail Station.

The Northwest city boasts a deep connection to literary history and writerly landmarks. Seattle City of Literature created an interactive online map to chart some of these histories and resources. Highlights include the gravesite of poet Denise Levertov, which is located in the same cemetery as Bruce and Brandon Lee; and Blue Moon Tavern, a historic drinking hole for writers.

Seattle weaves language into public art projects like the poetry garden at The Seattle Center which features sandblasted pink granite boulders with poetic texts from various authors. Literature is also visible in public art campaigns like 4Culture’s Poetry in Public (known previously as Poetry on Buses) project, which puts poetry on King County Metro and Sound Transit buses.

Seattle institution Elliott Bay Book Co. is home to a legendary and nationally known author events series. (Photo credit: Ben Lindbloom)

Year-round literary events with nationally touring and local authors are hosted at Elliott Bay Book Co., which celebrated its 50-year anniversary in June 2023. Author events across the city are also produced by Third Place Books which offers programs at three different locations in Ravenna, Seward Park, and Lake Forest Park. Seattle Arts & Lectures hosts a regular season of writers spanning poetry, fiction and nonfiction, while Hugo House runs its own season of programming in its space on Capitol Hill.

Author and publishing-related events are also offered at Seattle Public Library’s central branch building, an architectural gem designed by Rem Koolhaas. Margin Shift curates an edgy series of contemporary poetry at Common Area Maintenance gallery in Belltown. Annually, check out for the Cadence Video Poetry Film Festival at Northwest Film Forum in April to discover new forms of visual poetry. Short Run Comix and Arts Festival offers an annual multi-day festival and also produces programs with Fantagraphics Bookstore in Georgetown.

The central branch of the Seattle Public Library in downtown Seattle hosts ongoing events related to literary culture and publishing. (Photo credit: Seattle Public Library)

Seattle is fortunate to have a chapter of The Bushwick Book Club, which pairs together musicians with books and authors to create an inspiring series of songs based on books that have ranged from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick to Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart. The group produces monthly concerts from September through June at spaces like Hugo House and The Rabbit Box Theatre in Pike Place—a welcoming gathering place that takes its namesake from the author and playwright Joseph Pintauro’s book. The bistro, bar, and theatre offers an intimate venue for performers, poets, magicians, and musicians and hosts shows with Seattle favorites like Brittany Davis, Whiting Tennis, Tomo Nakayama, Caitlin Sherman, Emmett Montgomery, and Evan Flory-Barnes.

Elsewhere, the Nonsequitur music series at The Chapel in Wallingford presents experimental and adventurous music and has occasionally hosted literary folks like sound poet Jaap Blonk and Seattle poet Melanie Noel, alongside an incredible range of touring and local musicians including cellist Lori Goldston, flutist Leanna Keith, accordion player Kyle Hanson, percussionist Paul Kikuchi, and others.

Seattle is a notable food city with its list of celebrity chefs including Shota Nakajima, Shiro Kashiba, Tom Douglass, and Ethan Stowell. Although, when Anthony Bourdain came to the Emerald City for his show Parts Unknown, he dined at Tai Tung, a humble Chinese-American restaurant located in the heart of the Chinatown-International District.

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Adventurous eaters can find James Beard Foundation Award-nominated pho at Pho Bac, while Filipino flavors can be explored at Oriental Market in Pike Place Market, Ludi’s Restaurant and Lounge near Pike Place, Musang, and Hood Famous. Other local favorites include Seattle’s oldest Japanese restaurant, Maneki. For elevated vegetarian options, stop by Plum Bistro and Cafe Flora.

For those thirsty for a fine cocktail, visit Knee High Stocking Company or Tavern Law (which hosts the Needle & Thread Speakeasy upstairs where reservations are necessary), both of which are on Capitol Hill. The Polar Bar at the Arctic Club downtown offers great ambiance and Seattle history.

If you’re looking for a quiet place to journal or read a book, head to Folio Seattle just upstairs from Pike Place. You can pay for a daily or weekly pass for non-members at this private athenaeum that provides some of the best views of Elliott Bay. But for a reading spot with more amenities, check out the Panama Hotel Tea Room, Hotel Sorrento—which hosts an ongoing Silent Reading Party, or the Cloud Room in Chophouse Row.

The Wing Luke Museum in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District houses a historic family association room. (Photo credit: The Wing Luke Museum)

A trip to Seattle isn’t complete without a trip to The Henry Art Gallery’s James Turrell Skyspace or a tour of the historic hotel located inside The Wing Luke Museum, a museum dedicated to the Asian American diasporic experience.

Access Seattle via Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA) airport, which hosts a formidable public art collection featuring the artworks of Robert Rauschenberg, Louise Nevelson, John Grade, and Preston Singletary. The Port of Seattle partnered with Gigs4U to develop a live music concert series at the airport. Regular headliners include Tekla Waterfield, Lucia Flores-Wiseman, and Gretchen Yanover. The city is readily accessible via Sound Transit light rail, while Metro Transit operates bus lines within the city. 

(Editor’s note: I’d like to thank Shin Yu Pai for continuing what I hope will turn into a series of posts on various literary scenes. If you think you can write effectively about a literary scene in your corner of the universe, please pitch me with the subject line “Literary Scene Pitch” at rbrewer@aimmedia.com).