Writer in a Life Vest: Essays from the Salish Sea by Iris Graville As the first-ever writer-in-residence for the Washington State Ferries System, Iris Graville’s office was a booth on the passenger deck of the MV Tillikum, the inter-island ferry that threads San Juan, Orcas, Shaw and Lopez islands. Her beat was the Salish Sea, including … Read more
Of Blood and Sweat: Black Lives and the Making of White Power and Wealth by Clyde W. Ford Over his distinguished writing career, Bellingham author Clyde Ford has entertained and challenged readers with his works of fiction and nonfiction alike. His previous book, “Think Black,” is a vivid portrayal of the intersection between technology and race, … Read more
Stories from the Public Library Association Conference in Portland OR and we ask What Does Amy Think About Poetry for National Poetry Month.
By Christine Perkins, Executive Director, Whatcom County Library System Note: This post was updated Sunday, April 3, 2022, in response to a question about WCLS’s ability to sell the house. As reported in the March 31 issue of The Northern Light, following recent elections, the Birch Bay Library project is currently on hold while the … Read more
Little Witch Hazel: A Year in the Forest by Phoebe Wahl Move over llamas, foxes and rainbow unicorns — this is the year of the gnome. The fuzzy, pointy-hatted fellows are everywhere, on coffee mugs, tea towels, garden statuary and more. So it would be understandable if, at first glance, you mistook the rosy-cheeked character on … Read more
Hiking Washington’s History by Judy Bentley and Craig Romano A few sunny days are all it takes to start getting excited about hiking season. One way to add variety to your repertoire of favorite trails, and add some mental stimulation, is to choose hikes with historical significance. The second edition of Judy Bentley’s guidebook “Hiking … Read more
We get a look behind the scenes at Whatcom READS with Emma Radosevich who interviewed author Michael Christie in Deming, Amy Jones who attended our author’s Mount Baker Theatre presentation and the author himself, Michael Christie backstage at the theatre before his presentation. See videos of many of our Whatcom READS presentations at whatcomreads.org/videos
Shoal Water by Kip Robinson Greenthal Meeting in 1971 at a Vietnam anti-war rally, Kate and Andy’s beliefs about U.S. involvement in Vietnam inspire them to leave New York City behind and follow their yearnings for a simpler life. Set in a small Nova Scotia fishing village where Andy’s family has a summer home, “Shoal Water” … Read more
The first week of March is the culmination of a season of WhatcomREADS events as Greenwood author Michael Christie comes to town for 4 in-person and one live streaming event. We talk to Village Books owner and steward, Paul Hanson about the independent bookstore’s role in WhatcomREADS and we talk with our own graphic designer Amy Jones … Read more
WCLS Teen Services Coordinator Tamar Clarke talks about Whatcomics and A Forest of Words, our annual teen art and poetry publications. We are also joined by Sorrel Thoerner, a WCLS patron, high school student and artist who talks about why Whatcomics is important for teens.