A&E >  Books

Locally Writ: Jess Walter describes his new novel, ‘The Cold Millions,’ as ‘melody of the sentences’

UPDATED: Sun., Oct. 25, 2020

Local and No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Jess Walter had always dreamt of becoming a novelist, but journalism came to him first. He couldn’t have asked for a better detour, he said. “It was a great thing for me, to find that sense of curiosity and the deadline chops you get as a writer,” Walter said.

A&E >  Books

Review: Walter’s ‘The Cold Millions’ is a colorful, richly told story of 1909 Spokane

Sun., Oct. 25, 2020

It’s a turbulent time, driven by a stark, ridged divide in wealth. Peaceful protests erupt in the street, disrupted by violent agitators and police brutality. Women struggle to be treated as equals. Those who feel oppressed by the selfishness of injustice want social change now.

A&E >  Books

Fun facts about award-winning Spokane author Jess Walter

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 23, 2020

Who says you can't stay home? It's a modification of the Bon Jovi hit, but the bottom line is that Jess Walter has enjoyed a great deal of success as a writer without leaving his hometown of Spokane. Here's a few fun facts about the East Valley High School alumnus.

Sports >  High school sports

Spokane Institution: Creators reminisce about groundbreaking ‘Friday Night Sports Extra’

UPDATED: Sat., Oct. 10, 2020

For more than 30 years in Spokane, Friday in the fall has meant two things: high school football and “Friday Night Sports Extra” on KXLY-TV.

A&E >  Books

Locally Writ: Anne Helen Petersen’s new book addresses the ‘millennial condition’

Sat., Oct. 10, 2020

For author and journalist Anne Helen Petersen, writing was not a career she consciously pursued from childhood, but it nonetheless came to her. Petersen will discuss her book, “Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation,” in a virtual gathering of the Northwest Passages Book Club at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

A&E >  Books

‘The Sound of Spokane’: Symphony celebrates 75 years

Wed., Oct. 7, 2020

Today, the Spokane Symphony celebrates its 75th anniversary. And, although this past year has been less than kind to the symphony, its members continue to draw hope from the countless other trials and tribulations over which they have triumphed during the previous 74.

A&E >  Books

Locally Writ: Jim Kershner’s ‘The Sound of Spokane’ spotlights the Spokane Symphony

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 20, 2020

From the time author and columnist Jim Kershner left high school, more than anything, he wanted to write in whatever style and on whatever subject he could. “It's a tough choice to make,” Kershner said, explaining the difficulty writers face in making a living by their work. But he was determined.

News

Vanessa Veselka makes 2020 National Book Awards Longlist for Fiction

UPDATED: Fri., Sept. 18, 2020

Recent Northwest Passages Book Club guest author Vanessa Veselka’s “The Great Offshore Grounds” made the 2020 National Book Award long list for fiction, the National Book Foundation announced Friday.

A&E >  Books

Excerpt: Vanessa Veselka’s ‘The Great Offshore Grounds’

UPDATED: Sun., Sept. 13, 2020

Author Vanessa Veselka’s latest novel, “The Great Offshore Grounds,” tells the story of sisters, Livy and Cheyenne, as they set out to claim an unusual inheritance from their estranged father. The book explores how individuals begin to navigate ethics and emotions until they find where in the world they belong.

A&E >  Books

Locally Writ: Vanessa Veselka’s unsentimental love letter to America

UPDATED: Wed., Sept. 9, 2020

Growing up with a pair of writers for parents, Vanessa Veselka learned the value of being able to articulate her thoughts early. But it wasn’t until her late 30s while she was studying creative writing at Reed College that she seriously started identifying as a writer.

A&E >  Books

Locally Writ: Heather Cabot joins Northwest Passages Book Club to discuss ‘The New Chardonnay’

Sat., Aug. 29, 2020

Author and former ABC News correspondent Heather Cabot will join The Spokesman-Review reporter Kip Hill for a Northwest Passages Book Club virtual event to discuss her book, “The New Chardonnay: The Unlikely Story of How Marijuana Went Mainstream,” on Thursday at 4 p.m.

News

Max Brooks discusses new horror novel ‘Devolution’ with Northwest Passages Book Club

UPDATED: Tue., Aug. 25, 2020

New York Times bestselling author Max Brooks (“World War Z”) joined Carolyn Lamberson for a Northwest Passages Book Club livestream to discuss his new horror novel, “Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre” Thursday night.

A&E

Stephan Pastis, the creator of ‘Timmy Failure’ and ‘Pearls Before Swine,’ is a success story

Tue., June 9, 2020

Stephan Pastis has an enviable type of attention deficit disorder. The creator of the cartoon strip “Pearls Before Swine” and the author of the children’s book series “Timmy Failure” is creatively restless.

A&E

‘Pearls Before Swine’s’ Stephan Pastis made the choice to create instead of litigate

Sun., June 7, 2020

Stephan Pastis can relate to the lyrics from the epic Led Zeppelin classic “Stairway to Heaven.” Before becoming a cartoonist, the creator of the acclaimed comic strip “Pearls Before Swine” was an attorney.

News >  Spokane

Women Helping Women luncheon moves online to continue fundraising

Tue., May 19, 2020

With the COVID-19 pandemic prohibiting gatherings but increasing the need for services non-profits provide, the Women Helping Women Fund and the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery decided not to cancel their fundraisers but instead move them online. Amy Vega, from Vanessa Behan, and Heather Hamlin, executive director at WHWF, discussed their fundraising goals and online event plans at The Spokesman Review’s Northwest Passages book club Monday.

News >  Spokane

On #GivingTuesdayNow, consider a gift to The Spokesman-Review

UPDATED: Tue., May 5, 2020

The Spokesman-Review has so far avoided reducing staff or cutting hours as a result of COVID-19, but in order to continue providing our readers with a full array of local news and features, we need your help. So on #GivingTuesdayNow, we’re asking for your assistance.

News >  Spokane

Northwest Passages to host local college presidents for pandemic roundtable

UPDATED: Mon., May 4, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has put extraordinary pressure on universities already wrestling with enrollment, keeping up with technology and budgets. Hear what local college presidents are doing.

A&E

Locally Writ: Local bookstores step up with curbside pick-up

UPDATED: Mon., April 27, 2020

Worried about running out of books to read? You’re in luck. Althought they are still closed to the public, local stores are now offering curbside pick-up services.

A&E

Noé Alvarez’s ‘Spirit Run’: Running thousands of miles to connect with his heritage

Sat., April 4, 2020

As a teenager, Noé Alvarez worked the day shift with his mother at a massive fruit production and distribution center that confined “migrant labor inside, as prisons might,” he writes in his new memoir, “Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen Land.”

Opinion >  Column

Rob Curley: Join Northwest Passages for sit-downs, interviews and entertainment, all from your home

Thu., April 2, 2020

Today is the day we’re beginning the virtual version of our Northwest Passages book club and community forums. Though we’re starting with more of the forum part than the book part.