Blog

L’amour De La Vie: A French Cellist and Jack London

“Love of Life” is a creative project by three of Europe’s top musical improvisers based on the writings of Jack London. French cellist Vincent Courtois, revered for virtuosity at the edge of classical composition, has created an acoustic trio with two tenor saxophonists, exploring tonal mid-range in works inspired by individual titles of Jack London writing such as Martin Eden, Sea Wolf, To Build a Fire, and Goliath.

When You See John Waters, Make Sure You’re Gross

My hands hurt while John Waters and David Schmader talked about filth and made Town Hall attendees laugh. I fell and scraped my hands right before I heard Waters christen the barely-two-weeks-new remodeled space with riffs on Hollywood money, free porn, the Democratic presidential field, art as magic, Hairspray sequels, all genres of music, graveyard graffiti, and “ample women.” 

A Spellar Performance

Every year, Town Hall hosts the King-Snohomish County Regional Spelling Bee. The winner of this heated trial of vocabulary moves on from local to national, joining the ranks of spellers competing in the Scripps Bee. This year representing Seattle was Nidhi Achanta, who knocked it out of the park and advanced to Round 3 of the Scripps Bee.

Listening Guide: In The Moment Ep. 34

This listening guide is a two-parter! In episode #34 of In The Moment, Chief Correspondent Steve talks with Rachel Louise Snyder (5:25), host Jini Palmer covers a conversation between Executive Director Wier Harman and Town Hall founder David Brewster (15:51) and correspondent Charles Cross talks with John Waters (1:08) about his transgressive movies, living with stars, and some shared moments in Seattle. Waters reflects on what he’s learned along the way and where he’s going now.

The Titans of ‘Canto General’

What writer could possibly write a poetic history of the entire American Western Hemisphere from a Hispanic perspective? The Nobel Prize-winning Chilean writer Pablo Neruda. Who could possibly put Neruda’s poems appropriately to music? The Lenin Prize-winning Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis.