Arts & Culture, Events

Board & Vellum Sponsors The Moth Mainstage, Hosted by Seattle Arts & Lectures

Board & Vellum is co-sponsoring The Moth Mainstage at Benaroya Hall with 88.5 KPLU, KUOW 94.9 FM Public Radio, and the Seattle Met, hosted by Seattle Arts & Lectures. Come join us on Wednesday, May 18th, 2016, and enjoy an evening of storytelling based around the theme "Ties that Bind," hosted by David Crabb.

Tina Witherspoon

May 12, 2016

Board & Vellum had the good fortune to connect with Seattle Arts & Lectures (SAL) a few months ago when we opened up our current office space for sublease. It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know the team at SAL, and when the opportunity came up to sponsor one of their events, we jumped at it.

Come join us, and see The Moth Mainstage, live at Benaroya Hall, co-presented by the Seattle Times, and sponsored by 88.5 KPLU, Board & Vellum, KUOW 94.9 FM Public Radio, and the Seattle Met. Hosted by David Crabb, the storytelling event features tales from Yassmin Fashir, Chris McKinlay, Danusia Tevino, and Dame Wilburn.

I have long been a fan of writers and storytelling, and the whole concept of The Moth hits very close to home for me. In the 1990s I took classes at Hugo House and performed my own version of slam poetry at various neighborhood bars (before camera phones and Facebook, thank goodness). The spirit of the beatniks and all things literary connected me with some very influential local writers including Raymond Carver, Jody Aliesan, Richard Ford, Sherman Alexie, Nikki McClure and Mr. Hugo himself. That was all just a gateway to discovering NPR and This American Life where pioneering voices like Sarah Vowell and David Sedaris were turning storytelling into an art form, and my love of the spoken word was solidified. I have often found myself on a Sunday afternoon, riveted by an episode of The Moth, frozen at the sewing machine, having completely forgotten what I was doing because the story captured my full attention.

So, what, exactly, is Seattle Arts & Lectures? In their own words:

Seattle Arts & Lectures was founded in 1987, and launched its first season in 1988 with John Updike, Calvin Trillin, Donald Barthelme, Louise Erdrich and Michael Dorris, Isabel Allende, and Rosamond Bernier. In 1994, SAL brought the nationally recognized Writers in the Schools to Seattle—an educational program that places local professional writers in public school classrooms to develop skills and spark student interest in reading and writing. The Poetry Series, featuring such notables as Philip Levine and Anne Carson, debuted in 2000, as did Wednesday University (now called SAL U), an adult continuing education program co-presented by the University of Washington Alumni Association and taught by distinguished UW professors.

During one of our discussions about subleasing our space to SAL, I casually mentioned to Ruth Dickey, the Executive Director of SAL, that I was a huge fan of one of their upcoming writers, but that living on an island was prohibitive to attending the event. The next week, I found a copy of Amber Tamblyn’s latest book in my hands, signed by the author.

If you listen to NPR on weekends or enjoy storytelling, you’re probably familiar with The Moth. If not, here is a description in their own words:

One of America's most beloved radio shows, The Moth Mainstage features stories by luminaries in the arts and sciences, newsmakers and news breakers, and every day heroes (and even a few reformed villains.) Each Moth Mainstage show features five storytellers who develop and shape their stories around a theme with The Moth's directors. Beyond a mere theatrical experience, The Moth is an ever-growing community where entertainment, enlightenment and festivity merge.

Please join Board & Vellum in supporting SAL and The Moth at this inspiring event, Wednesday, May 18th, at Benaroya Hall. Please click here for tickets and information.

See you there!

Photo Credits:

1. Mainstage 3 (The Mic Under the Lights; Used as Featured Image.) Credit to The Moth and Roger Ho.
2. Mainstage 2 (Gold Shoes at the Mic.) Credit to The Moth and Sarah Stacke.
3. Mainstage 4 (Storytelling on Stage.) Credit to The Moth and Denise Ofelia Mangen.