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?

Gray Harrison 4/27/26 Gray Harrison 4/27/26

Cadence Video Poetry Fest Inspires Interdependence with Blended Media

It was a warm and springlike day in Capitol Hill, but not even the good weather could deter the creative community from showing up for the Cadence Video Poetry Festival, which has been running yearly in Seattle during National Poetry Month since 2018. This was Day 3 of in-person screenings, and the event, titled proof that we were here, was about to begin.

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.

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.

Raegan Ballard-Gennrich 2/21/26 Raegan Ballard-Gennrich 2/21/26

A Meditation of Self-Love this Black History Month

Black history month comes every February, but before, during, and after my brown skin shelters me. The first line of defense between the softness within and the harsh exterior. My mind has been cultivated to love everything about myself.

Raegan Ballard-Gennrich 9/12/25 Raegan Ballard-Gennrich 9/12/25

For Colored Boyz Beautifully Presents Black Men in Their Own Words and Worlds

On September 5, I attended the West Coast premiere of For Colored Boyz (On the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown/When Freedom Ain’t Enuff), written by Bryan-Keyth Wilson with direction by Lynette Winters and Ry Armstrong and choreography by Jimmy Shields. Brought to us by The Underground Theater, the play was described as a choreopoem, utilizing poetry, movement, and music to detail the unique intersectionality of being a queer Black man in America.

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.

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