BREAKTHROUGH: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle, by Thea Cooper and Arthur Ainsberg is the dramatic true story of one of the most significant medical breakthroughs of the 20th century: insulin. Told with the suspense and drama of a thriller, BREAKTHROUGH chronicles the discovery through the fragile life of young girl.

The book was written by Thea Cooper and Arthur Ainsberg and together, they embarked on an exploratory research effort that would ultimately take them to medical centers, universities, libraries, archives, and other sites of significance located in twenty-five cities and towns in eight states and four countries over the course of five years.

Seattle resident Thea Cooper will be talking about Breakthrough and signing copies of the book at Elliott Bay Books in Seattle on September 18 and at Third Place Books in Seattle on November 16, and more events will be posted on the book’s website and on Thea’s Amazon author page.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Breakthrough will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Life for a Child Program of the International Diabetes Federation.

As gas becomes more expensive, walkable cities will thrive, leaving the suburbs unwelcoming and uninhabitable. Planning walkable urban areas is key to our sustainable future.

Tomorrow night, Island Press will host its first event in a new series of Discussions on the Built Environment at Town Hall. This is Thursday, July 1st 6 – 7:30pm, downstairs at Town Hall; enter on Seneca Street.

Island Press has assembled a panel featuring Brookings Institution fellow Christopher B. Leinberger, developer, teacher and author of The Option of Urbanism; Bruce Agnew, Director of the Cascadia Center; Alex Steffen, Executive Editor of Worldchanging.org, and Scott Matthews, Vulcan Real Estate’s Senior Director, Acquisitions along with moderator Ron Sher, owner of Third Place Books and a nationally-recognized pioneer in the realm of commerce, community and civic space. They will discuss ways to create walkable urban centers and encourage transit in the context of local and federal policy, as well as opportunities for architects, developers, and preservationists to consider current regulations and policy change.

The event is the first in a new series, the Thought Leaders Discussion Panel on the Built Environment, sponsored by Island Press and Town Hall Seattle.

Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets.

Join esoteric publisher William Kiesel for coffee and a presentation on Wunderkammern and Alchemy in the appropriately wonderful and odd surroundings of Ancient Grounds Cafe and art gallery in celebration of Obscura Day for Atlas Obscura.

The Curiosity Cabinet was the forerunner of the contemporary museum. But before public museums existed worldly collections took the form of the Kunstkammer, or art cabinet that was often the privilege of royalty alone. During the Renaissance such collections were filled with natuaralia, artificialia, scientific devices and other art treasures. William Kiesel will give a brief visual presentation displaying some early examples of Curiosity Cabinets and discuss the similarities they share with alchemical laboratories. The slide presentation will take place in one of Seattle’s finest Curiosity Cabinets; Ancient Grounds, where many wonderful objects from around the world, including tribal art, mineral specimens, Japanese and Native American masks, totem poles, intricate architectural carvings, kimonos, articulated skeletons, headdresses and other displays may be viewed while sipping excellent espresso or other beverage before during and after the talk.

What: Visual presentation by Ouroboros Press publisher William Kiesel
Where: Ancient Grounds Cafe
When: March 20, 2010 1pm – FREE but you must RSVP

Ancient Grounds Cafe and Art Gallery
1220 1st Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101-2911

This event is in cooperation with Atlas Obscura and is one drawer in their international showcase of Obscura Day.

In epistemology the kind of knowledge usually discussed is propositional knowledge, also known as “knowledge-that” as opposed to “knowledge-how.”

In this special event at On The Boards, explore both kinds of karaoke knowledge and join arts impresario Eric Fredericksen (Western Bridge curator and karaoke expert) as he hosts this party while delivering a lecture on karaoke, the culture industry, and communal popular culture.

Drinks (Thank God!) at 7:30 pm, show and lecture starts at 8:00pm. Come prepared to perform and be sure to pick out your song ahead of time. Buy your tickets for this event and a similar event in March.

Epistemology is concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge and belief. Just because you believe you can sing, doesn’t mean you can! Be sure to attend this lecture, party and demo to brush up on your karaoke skills.

(Eric regales the crowd at the On The Boards 30th anniversary party)

Veteran journalist and third-generation Seattleite Knute Berger thinks Seattle is turning into the civic equivalent of a Starbucks’ Frappucino. Holding forth as “Mossback” over the years on the pages of Seattle Weekly, Seattle Magazine, and on Crosscut.com and KUOW, Berger’s contrarian and libertarian view of life in Seattle have been compiled into a new book, Pugetopolis: A Mossback Takes on Growth Addicts, Weather Wimps, and the Myth of Seattle Nice. He appears with his friend, award-winning journalist and author Timothy Egan (The Worst Hard Time), to argue about the implications of our pretensions to “world class city” status. David Brewster moderates.

Being a Seattle native myself, I’m particularly fascinated by discussions of Seattle, its history and projections for the future. I loved reading Knute’s contributions in the Weekly and now on Crosscut. And Tim was the featured speaker at the 10th anniversary of History Link.

Tickets at Town Hall

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery’s resident curator Larry Reid will speak at the Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Avenue in Seattle. Reid will present a slide lecture on the topic “WEIRDOS: Seattle’s Alternative Comics Culture in the Context of R. Crumb’s Underground.” If you have yet to see the phenomenal Crumb exhibition at the Frye, this represents one of the last opportunities to view this comprehensive collection and explore Crumb’s considerable influence on comics in the Northwest. Admission is free. Reid assures us that you’ll get your money’s worth. More info at 206.622.9250.

604 Second Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98104
http://www.howardhouse.net

(Since you’re in Pioneer Square stop in the Catherine Person Gallery and meet Nola Avienne at the opening of the ‘Black & White Show’).

Opens Saturday January 12 at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery in Seattle.

The youth rebellion of the 1960s produced some of the most stunning artwork and graphics of the 20th century. Four decades later, this imagery still resonates. The artists of this era will be featured prominently in Seattle at the dawn of 2008. The Frye Art Museum will host “R. Crumb’s Underground” opening January 26. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery will endeavor to place Crumb’s work in historical context with the exhibition “Rebel Visions: The Underground Comix Revolution” opening January 12, continuing through February 6, 2008.

Based on the book of the same title by comix historian and archivist Patrick Rosenkranz, in association with Fantagraphics resident curator Larry Reid, “Rebel Visions” will feature relics, artwork and artifacts by an impressive array of Underground era cartoonists: Justin Green, Rick Griffin, Greg Irons, Robert Williams and S. Clay Wilson, among others.

Patrick Rosenkranz is the author of two books on Underground Comix. In addition to Rebel Vision (Fantagraphics Books, Seattle, 2003), he wrote You Call This Art?!: A Greg Irons Retrospective (Fantagraphics Books, Seattle, 2006). The book chronicles the career of this influential, though largely unheralded, underground artist. Following his experience as a cartoonist, Irons moved to Seattle where he became an accomplished tattoo artist working at the storied Seattle Tattoo Emporium on First Avenue. Several works by Greg Irons from this period will be on display. Rosenkranz will lecture on R. Crumb and his compatriots at the Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Avenue, on Saturday, January 26 at 2:00 PM.

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street at the corner of Airport Way S., in the heart of Georgetown’s lively business district. The space is open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110.

Jeffrey wrote the most excellent book I’ve found on the history of Seattle Architecture, with tons of photos, both of single-family homes and commercial buildings.

April 28 & May 12, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Co-sponsored by SAF and the Seattle Room at the Seattle Central Library, Microsoft Auditorium, Seattle Central Library
1000 Fourth Avenue

FREE – No Registration Required
Doors will open at 12:30 p.m.

SeattleArchitecture.org

Performances, workshops, and chromatic accordion explained and demonstrated by accordion professionals.

Why go to Leavenworth when you can enjoy The Smilin’ Scandinavians, who’ve performed in the past with Inga Schvinga, the transvestite Polka Queen?

NW Accordion Society