Seattle Arts & Lectures

Specialties

SAL’s programs include:

— The Literary Lecture Series brings renowned authors and artists to speak at Benaroya Hall. Our 2010-​11 season features Jonathan Franzen, Sara Paretsky, Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket, John Richardson, Elizabeth Strout, Joyce Carol Oates and Richard Ford.

— The Poetry Series in the 2010-​11 season brings three former U. S Poet Lauerates, a four-​time National Slam champion, a finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer and more. Here’s the line-​up: Robert Pinsky, Robert Hass, Billy Collins, Lucia Perillo, Patricia Smith, Marie Howe, and a season ending blockbuster featuring one night of Brian Turner, Major Jackson and Susan Rich sharing the stage.

— SAL introduces this year our American Voices Series featuring authors, journalists, and intellectuals tackling some of the more important issues of our times: T.R. Reid discussing the state of American Healthcare; Nell Irvin Painter on the Black American Experience; Tracy Kidder; and Poet/​Agricultural advocate Wendell Berry.

History

Established in 1987.

Seattle Arts & Lectures (SAL) was founded in 1987 to raise the understanding, appreciation, and visibility of the literary arts in the Puget Sound region. SAL’s mission is to deepen and expand our experience of the world by fostering the exploration of ideas and emotions through language.

We believe that this work is essential to the development of a more thoughtful, engaged, and democratic community.

SAL’s programs include the Literary Lecture Series, the Poetry Series, Wednesday University, Writers in the Schools (WITS), and Teachers as Scholars.

Our programs transcend traditional boundaries to reach grandparents and grandchildren, new learners and university professors, Nobel laureates and first novelists, students and teachers, as well as residents of cities, suburbs, and rural communities throughout the region.

As a result of this work, thousands of people each year experience literature as part of their everyday lives.