Northwest Passages Stories

A&E > Books

Teacher Madeline Miller headlines Spokane Is Reading

Sat., Oct. 19, 2019

In Homer’s epic “The Odyssey,” the hero Odysseus and his men land on the island of Aeaea, where they encounter Circe, a powerful witch who is the daughter of the sun god Helios.

Opinion > Column

Rob Curley: Revisit Zags’ rise with Big Ed and Q on eve of Bulldogs’ season

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 18, 2019

The evening will feature tons of cool videos, fun and revealing live interviews on stage with Gonzaga men’s assistant coach Tommy Lloyd and women’s head coach Lisa Fortier, as well as lots of former players, including beloved Bahamian Bulldog Quentin Hall. Oh, and Big Ed will be there.

News > Spokane

Spokane’s response to homelessness dominates mayoral, city council president debate Tuesday night

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 18, 2019

Whether it was Nadine Woodward and Ben Stuckart for mayor, or Breean Beggs and Cindy Wendle for City Council president, candidates for public office laid out different plans for addressing Spokane’s population living on the streets at a Pints and Politics debate downtown Tuesday.

A&E > Books

Spokane novelist Chris Crutcher finds the truth in Rene Denfeld’s ‘The Butterfly Girl’

Tue., Oct. 15, 2019

‘The Butterfly Girl’ is a novel for every literary aficionado of that pitch-perfect who-done-it with characters so true, you really care who done it.

A&E > Books

‘The Butterfly Girl’ by Rene Denfeld: What the critics are saying

Tue., Oct. 15, 2019

Denfeld is bringing her tour in support of “The Butterfly Girl” to Spokane on Oct. 23 for an evening with the Northwest Passages Book Club.

A&E > Books

‘The Green River Killer and Me’: Rene Denfeld looks back on a harrowing moment from her youth

Tue., Oct. 15, 2019

“The man looked like all the men in the cars – he looked ordinary. But ordinary men, I had discovered, could be the most dangerous of all.”

Opinion > Syndicated columns

Tom Mueller: Whistleblowers say aloud what many of us think in silence

Sat., Oct. 12, 2019

Welcome to the golden age of whistleblowers. It’s a shame we are here, but a relief that a few brave souls still walk among us.

A&E > Books

Timothy Egan comes home to share ‘A Pilgrimage to Eternity’ with Northwest Passages Book Club

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 3, 2019

Seattle writer Timothy Egan, the National Book Award-winning author of “The Worst Hard Times,” as well as “The Big Burn” about the Great Fire of 1910, is coming to his hometown of Spokane on Oct. 29 to celebrate the release of his latest book with the Northwest Passages Book Club. Egan’s new book strays from the historical journalism for which he has become known. “A Pilgrimage to Eternity: From Canterbury to Rome in Search of a Faith” chronicles Egan’s travels along the Via Francigena, a 1,200-mile medieval route that runs from Canterbury to Rome, where he sought an audience with Pope Francis.

A&E > Books

Tom Mueller discusses uncannily timed book on whistleblowers ahead of Northwest Passages event

Sun., Sept. 29, 2019

Considering all that has happened in the last few weeks, it’s remarkable that author Tom Mueller spent nearly seven years working on his latest book – “Crisis of Conscience: Whistleblowing in an Age of Fraud” – which will be released this week. Last week, while in Italy, Mueller answered questions via email about his new book.

Opinion > Column

Rob Curley: Author Tom Mueller, who has Spokane roots, explains America’s ‘Crisis of Conscience’

Sun., Sept. 29, 2019

Sometimes things are just meant to be. Like when you work for seven years researching and writing a book that takes a massive deep dive into the complicated and often misunderstood world of whistleblowers only to have one of the largest and most important whistleblower cases in our country’s history begin at almost exactly the same time your book is to be released. That’s exactly what happened to Tom Mueller.

A&E > Books

Life as a homeless teen inspires ‘The Butterfly Girl’

Sat., Sept. 28, 2019

Rene Denfeld’s new novel “The Butterfly Girl” is a heartbreaking story of children living on the streets of Portland who face some of the worst kinds of predatory crimes, including sexual abuse, trafficking and kidnapping.

News > Spokane

Tickets available for Spokane candidate debates sponsored by Northwest Passages

UPDATED: Fri., Sept. 27, 2019

Washington voters will receive their ballots in less than three weeks.

A&E > Books

Rob Curley: These women are the inspiration we all need right now

Sun., Sept. 22, 2019

It wasn’t an R or a D moment. It had nothing to with a political party. It was about a promise to a daughter, one who as a little girl would hold my hand and look up to me and tell stories and ask questions and generally melt my heart with her smile.

A&E > Art

Artist Chris Bovey compiles Spokane-related prints into ‘Vintage Spokane’

UPDATED: Thu., Sept. 19, 2019

“Vintage Spokane: The Art of Chris Bovey” will be released Wednesday at Atticus Coffee and Gifts.

News > Spokane

Spokane-based environmental writer discusses beaver book with Northwest Passages crowd

UPDATED: Wed., Sept. 18, 2019

A crowd filled the Montvale Event Center in downtown Spokane to hear Ben Goldfarb speak about his book “Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter.”

Sports > Outdoors

Beavers in Washington: a “sizzling hotbed of castor relocation”

UPDATED: Wed., Sept. 18, 2019

More than a decade ago, before a water-loving rodent with a penchant for gnawing on trees became the

A&E > Books

Northwest Passages: Ben Goldfarb will discuss ‘Eager: The Surprising Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter” on Wednesday

UPDATED: Sun., Sept. 15, 2019

The Spokesman-Review Outdoors editor Eli Francovich will lead the conversation with Ben Goldfarb at the Northwest Passages Book Club on Wednesday. Here are five things to know about Goldfarb and his #YearOfTheBeaver research, which resulted in this book.

Opinion > Column

Rob Curley: New things at Spokane County Interstate Fair include inside look at The S-R

UPDATED: Mon., Sept. 9, 2019

For the second year in a row, The Spokesman-Review’s popular Northwest Passages book club and community forum series is hosting a stage at the fair. Only this time, they gave us a really big stage that’s super easy to find. And cool things happen on that stage that most people don’t get to see.