Food & Culture
New Fiction By Washington-Based Authors
These two local authors place powerful characters amid vivid landscapes
By Seattle Mag March 5, 2015
This article originally appeared in the March 2015 issue of Seattle Magazine.
Black River by S.M. Hulse (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $24)
This striking debut novel by Spokane writer S.M. Hulse is a contemporary Western that has earned critical comparisons to the work of Larry McMurtry, Annie Proulx and Wallace Stegner—and deservedly so. Hulse uses spare language to craft a rich portrait of inland Northwest as a backdrop for the story of Wes Carver, a man who has just lost his wife to cancer. Carver journeys from Spokane to his hometown in Montana, where, as a corrections officer, he was maimed during a riot, and where his angry stepson awaits his mother’s ashes. Brimming with grief, guilt and the glorious relief music can provide.
Me and My Daddy Listen to Bob Marley by Ann Pancake(Counterpoint, $24)
Much lauded Seattle-based writer Ann Pancake has a remarkable gift for bringing West Virginia (her childhood home) to life on the page. This new collection of short stories and novellas includes vivid tales of working-class folks living amid the devastation of a type of strip mining known as mountain top removal. She imbues her characters with powerful, poetic voices, and unspools each story—of misfortune, family loyalty, long-held secrets—with a mixture of tension and mystery that unearths many strata of emotion.
Join The Must List
Sign up and get Seattle's best events delivered to your inbox every week.
Follow Us
Book: A Fun Ride
Biking Uphill in the Rain explores Seattle’s robust bicycling culture
Despite Seattle’s infamous hills and seemingly constant drizzle, the city is known across the United States for its strong bicycling culture. Bicycling magazine, in fact, has named Seattle the best bike city in the country. A new book by Tom Fucoloro, the founder of the popular Seattle Bike Blog, takes a deep dive into the…
Arts: Picture Perfect
Robin Layton is nothing short of a Seattle treasure
Much like capturing the perfect moment on film, photographer Robin Layton’s life is a series of moments that are almost hard to believe. Some would call them coincidences, and others, instances of fate. Remember that iconic photo of a grinning Ken Griffey sliding across home plate (“The Smile at the Bottom of the Pile”) to…
Datebook: Fall Arts Finds
A look at some of the upcoming season’s hottest works
As the long, hot days of summer melt away into cooler temps and earlier evenings, Seattleites are about to make the seasonal shift toward indoor activities. While monthly art walks and occasional museum visits are popular year-round, for those in the know, back-to-school sales also signal the start of Fall Arts: the time of year…
A City by Design
Seattle Design Festival seeks to create equitable, thriving communities
THE LARGEST DESIGN FESTIVAL in the Pacific Northwest is right around the corner, and organizers are asking residents to weigh in on Seattle’s future self. The Seattle Design Festival, which began in 2011, runs from Aug. 19-24. It features interactive cultural events across the city with an overarching theme of “Curiosity.” Festival organizers anticipate that…