Parker Dean 6/23/26 Parker Dean 6/23/26

Museum of Illusions Tickles Brains of All Ages

The Museum of Illusions has been open in Seattle for just around two years now, and each visit promises something unique, engaging, and absolutely mind blowing. During my visit to the MOI, I experienced a tilted room, a room with endless mirrors, and got a few silly snapshots that played with perspective.

Calista Robbins 6/2/26 Calista Robbins 6/2/26

We Are Zoorkhaneh Bridges Generations + Cultural Understanding

“What we are building is not simply an athletic program but an act of cultural continuity. Zoorkhaneh has endured centuries of political upheaval, war, migration, and diaspora. To teach it today outside of Iran and across cultures and spaces where women have historically been denied access to it feels, in many ways, like a quiet form of resistance. Each session becomes an affirmation that this tradition belongs to all those willing to carry it forward, regardless of nationality, gender, or background.”

Raegan Ballard-Gennrich 5/25/26 Raegan Ballard-Gennrich 5/25/26

Perennial Conventions: My Year Without a Smartphone

I had dispersed the grip my phone had on my reality and rendered it less powerful. But it wasn’t all birdsong and silence. Outside of getting lost frequently, and the amount of time it took to send a text—which was both a skill and will issue—there were other cons. Without social media or a smartphone, the lack of ease in communication left me out of the loop. That was my goal, of course, but feelings in reality are often different from expectations.

Mary Adner 5/14/26 Mary Adner 5/14/26

Beyond Protests, Humanize MENA Lives with Intentional Arts + Culture

Across the street from the (in)famous Rickshaw Lounge lies the unassuming 1 Million Cafe. I’ve lived in the area for over a decade and never knew it was Yemeni and that their chai is homebrewed with love; my iced version with oat milk presented a homey, unadulterated flavor unlike any chai I’ve had in Seattle.

How many of us walk by establishments owned by Middle Eastern people and never try them? Is it fear? Racism? Flavors unknown?

Raegan Ballard-Gennrich 4/8/26 Raegan Ballard-Gennrich 4/8/26

Noveltease Arouses, Enlightens with Intersectional Literary Burlesque

If you believe burlesque isn’t for you or you’ve never attended a show before, Noveltease offers an experience that highlights the intersection of literature, dance, music, and history in a small venue, creating an intimacy that provides multisensory entertainment. I left feeling good, emboldened, and creative. And though glamorous clothes were shed, the message of the evening—particularly within the selected poems—was that of reclamation, self-affirmation, and pleasure without shame or exploitation.

Calista Robbins 3/31/26 Calista Robbins 3/31/26

Artistic Freedom to Object Given Space at Flinch/Punch

These spaces—these great halls of reflection—are necessities in our communities, especially in times of war, oppression, and authoritarianism. Annex Theatre, Seattle’s oldest fringe theater, saw this need growing as tensions rose amidst the 2016 election. So they developed a resistance program called Flinch/Punch.

Lynette Evans 3/24/26 Lynette Evans 3/24/26

Soft Life, Hard Lessons: The Archetypes of the Ascent

I look back at the years between those two endings, and I see three specific archetypes. These weren't just men; they were tutors who held up mirrors to my soul, helping me identify the high-caliber requirements I didn't know I was allowed to have.

Gray Harrison 3/24/26 Gray Harrison 3/24/26

Mudlark Oddities Communes with Curious Minds and Spirits

Mudlark Oddities sits nestled on a side street in the Ravenna neighborhood. To enter, you descend an unassuming staircase, then pop into a shop with narrow, cozy aisles and a seemingly never-ending collection of beautifully macabre things to look at. I’ve never stayed less than an hour in the place. In keeping with the name, which dates back to 1800s London and refers to people who scavenge riverbeds for valuable objects, the shop holds many gems in its keep and has fostered a dedicated community around it.

Maxwell Meier 3/23/26 Maxwell Meier 3/23/26

Take This Poetry Starter Pack to Your Library

The Seattle Central Library was the first haven I found. My friend helped me get my library card and showed me all its inner secrets and quirks. I immediately found sanctuary in the poetry section on the ninth floor. This is where I would read, write, and immerse myself into the world of poetry. My manuscripts felt right at home. One does not go to the library just for books—they go for the experience.

Gray Harrison 3/17/26 Gray Harrison 3/17/26

Seattle Film Society Nurtures Local Filmmaking Scene

On the last Thursday of every month, SFS screens thematic groupings of Washington-made short films at Northwest Film Forum. Submissions for Locals Only are open year-round. These screenings are followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and aftershow drinks and discussion at a nearby bar. Introvert that I am, the thought of mingling at a networking event was enough to make me feel nauseous. But I wanted to give it a shot, and it sounded intriguing.

Raegan Ballard-Gennrich and Parker Dean 3/13/26 Raegan Ballard-Gennrich and Parker Dean 3/13/26

‘Sinners’ in the LGBTQIA+ Lens, Part 2: Protection of Youth

With Sammie, one of the most notable themes in Sinners—the protection of youth—is carried through the film.

Raegan Ballard-Gennrich and Parker Dean 3/13/26 Raegan Ballard-Gennrich and Parker Dean 3/13/26

‘Sinners’ in the LGBTQIA+ Lens: Introduction

Setting a record with 16 Oscar nominations, Sinners proves that there’s a reason why everyone is still talking about the film. In the current sociopolitical climate, only a year later, many deeply entrenched systemic inequities highlighted in the film are being exposed as foundational U.S. beliefs merely receded, biding their time in the shadows until they felt welcome again. But despite what conservative influencers and pundits would have you believe, the hate that they justify is neither superior, nor even the majority-held value system in this country.

Andre Stackhouse 2/23/26 Andre Stackhouse 2/23/26

Biennium Rollercoaster: Top 5 Bills Ripe for People Power

Washington has reached the second month of the second year of the two-year legislative cycle known as the 2025-2026 Legislative Biennium. The coming weeks will sort out which of the thousands of bills introduced will remain on a path to Governor Ferguson’s desk, and which will have to find their hopes with a new bill in a future session.

Meet five bills introduced this biennium, their stories, and their hopes for the future.

Kristel Chua 2/17/26 Kristel Chua 2/17/26

Lessons from Venezuela: Working Class Solidarity vs. Imperialist Violence

Rae Lee is a regular at my workplace, a friend of a friend, and an anti-imperialist organizer. Given the US’ January attack on Venezuela’s sovereignty, I became curious about Rae’s recent trip there in early December, convened by Simón Bolivar Institute for Peace and Solidarity Among Peoples.

Parker Dean 1/24/26 Parker Dean 1/24/26

Trans* Talk: Academic Freedom

Over the holidays, I was alerted to an unfolding story about a Transgender Oklahoman instructor at the University of Oklahoma who was fired after giving a failing grade to a student. At first glance, this story seemed cut-and-dry—a teaching assistant ousted unfairly due to a bigoted student. But the more I learned, the more that the alarm bells rang.

Vera McLaughlin 1/21/26 Vera McLaughlin 1/21/26

Queerly Beloved: We are Gathered Here to Laugh at This Thing Called Life

As a cultured Queer, I only recently learned straight people also do improv. Jet City Improv’s monthly Queerly Beloved, quite obviously, is not one of those instances.

Gray Harrison 10/22/25 Gray Harrison 10/22/25

Andrew Bell on Bleeding, Horror, and Seattle’s Filmmaking Scene

Andrew Bell is a Seattle-based filmmaker whose feature debut, Bleeding (2024), has received attention from the broader horror community in the past year. The film follows teenage cousins Eric (John R. Howley) and Sean (Jasper Jones), in a world where vampire blood is a highly addictive drug. While on the run from Sean’s dealer, they run into a sleeping teenager (Tori Wong) locked in a house, and things spiral into a morbid nightmare. Bleeding tackles intense real-world problems while maintaining the heightened fantasy of horror.

Maxwell Meier 8/5/25 Maxwell Meier 8/5/25

Pongo Poetry Project Provides Creative Therapy to Struggling Youth

What would the world be without poetry today? Poetry, a quintessential art form, always needs more attention, affection, and appreciation. The Pongo Poety Project, a nonprofit organization based in Seattle, is just one of many that continues to keep this art form alive while fostering new writers into its environment.

Nicole Bearden 7/31/25 Nicole Bearden 7/31/25

Federal Cuts to Public Media May Bring Devastating Consequences

The true value in community media is in the way it forges local connection and identity, providing spaces for diverse voices—something that is often lost in conglomerate media, who tend to cite the same sources (often one another), parrot the same talking points, and create an overwhelming agenda on behalf of their owners or investors.

Maxwell Meier 6/26/25 Maxwell Meier 6/26/25

Heidi Fairall Chats Joy, Gifting, Learning Art (and Dogs)

On June 10, 2025, I had the fortunate and unique opportunity to sit down with Seattle artist Heidi Fairall. Her quirky and whimsical style shows not only to how she perceives art, but life itself, and was refreshing and inspirational for aspiring creatives alike. For myself, she made me think about how I approach the creative process when it comes to my own projects.

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As a cultured Queer, I only recently learned straight people also do improv. Jet City Improv’s monthly Queerly Beloved, quite obviously, is not one of those instances.