King's Books Presents: Coll Thrush discussing "Wrecked: Unsettling Histories from the Graveyard of the Pacific"
Join King's Books to welcome Coll Thrush with his new book Wrecked: Unsettling Histories from the Graveyard of the Pacific, a provocative retelling of shipwreck tales from the Northwest Coast.
A treacherous place with unforgiving coastlines, powerful currents, unpredictable weather, and features such as the notorious Columbia River bar have resulted in more than two thousand shipwrecks, earning the coastal areas of Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver Island the moniker "Graveyard of the Pacific." Wrecked includes stories of many vessels that met their fate along the rugged coast and the meanings made of these events by both Indigenous and settler survivors and observers.
The shipwrecks on the Northwest Coast opens up conversations about colonialism and Indigenous persistence. Thrush's retelling of shipwreck tales highlights the ways in which the three central myths of settler colonialism—the disappearance of Indigenous people, the control of an endlessly abundant nature, and the idea that the past would stay…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: events@kingsbookstore.com. Event Types: Special Events.
Wednesday, June 4, 2025, 6:00 PM.
King's Books.
For more info visit www.kingsbookstore.com. Browsers Bookshop Presents: Coll Thrush discussing "Wrecked: Unsettling Histories from the Graveyard of the Pacific"
Please join us upstairs at Browsers as we welcome Coll Thrush to talk about his latest book Wrecked: Unsettling Histories from the Graveyard of the Pacific.
Unforgiving coastlines, powerful currents, unpredictable weather, and features such as the notorious Columbia River bar have resulted in more than two thousand shipwrecks, earning the coastal areas of Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver Island the moniker “Graveyard of the Pacific.” Beginning with a Spanish galleon that came ashore in northern Oregon in 1693 and continuing into the recent past, Wrecked includes stories of many vessels that met their fate along the rugged coast and the meanings made of these events by both Indigenous and settler survivors and observers.
Coll Thrush is professor of history at the University of British Columbia. He is author of Native Seattle: Histories from the Crossing-Over Place and Indigenous London: Native Travelers at the Heart of Empire.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: browsersbooksolympia@gmail.com. Event Types: Special Events.
Thursday, June 5, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
Browsers Bookshop Olympia.
For more info visit browsersolympia.com. Village Books Presents: Coll Thrush discussing "Wrecked: Unsettling Histories from the Graveyard of the Pacific"
A provocative retelling of shipwreck tales from the Northwest Coast, Wrecked includes stories of vessels that met their fate in the "Graveyard of the Pacific" and the meanings made of these events by both Indigenous and settler survivors and observers. This lively history highlights the ways in which the three central myths of settler colonialism—the disappearance of Indigenous people, the control of an endlessly abundant nature, and the idea that the past would stay past—proved to be untrue.
Coll Thrush is the author previously of Native Seattle: Histories from the Crossing-Over Place and Indigenous London: Native Travelers at the Heart of Empire. He is professor of history at the University of British Columbia and founding co-editor of the Indigenous Confluences book series at the University of Washington Press.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: events@villagebooks.com. Event Types: Special Events.
Thursday, June 12, 2025, 6:00 PM.
Village Books and Paper Dreams.
For more info visit www.villagebooks.com. Humanities Washington Presents: Peter Blecha discussing "Stomp and Shout: R&B and the Origins of Northwest Rock and Roll"
Northwest Rock & Roll’s historical highpoints are well documented—in the late 20th century, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and other grunge gods took the world by storm. Previously, Seattle’s Queensrÿche and Heart had ruled the heavy metal realm. And prior to that, The Wailers, The Kingsmen, Paul Revere and The Raiders, and The Sonics had all fueled local teen dances with garage-rock versions of the region’s signature song, “Louie Louie.”
Yet these iconic bands are only half the story. In this talk, join author Peter Blecha to discover the lesser-known but vitally important bands and scenes that laid the foundation for what was to come—finally connecting all the dots between the fabled Northwest era of Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, and Jimi Hendrix, and the R&B-spiked roots of a distinct regional art form: the “Original Northwest Sound.”
Peter Blecha (he/him) is the director of the Northwest Music Archives, an award-winning author, a founding curator at MoPop, and a longtime staff historian at…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: info@humanities.org. Event Types: Special Events.
Friday, June 20, 2025, 6:30 PM.
Olympia Timberland Library.
Humanities Washington Presents: Peter Blecha discussing "Stomp and Shout: R&B and the Origins of Northwest Rock and Roll"
Northwest Rock & Roll’s historical highpoints are well documented—in the late 20th century, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and other grunge gods took the world by storm. Previously, Seattle’s Queensrÿche and Heart had ruled the heavy metal realm. And prior to that, The Wailers, The Kingsmen, Paul Revere and The Raiders, and The Sonics had all fueled local teen dances with garage-rock versions of the region’s signature song, “Louie Louie.”
Yet these iconic bands are only half the story. In this talk, join author Peter Blecha to discover the lesser-known but vitally important bands and scenes that laid the foundation for what was to come—finally connecting all the dots between the fabled Northwest era of Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, and Jimi Hendrix, and the R&B-spiked roots of a distinct regional art form: the “Original Northwest Sound.”
Peter Blecha (he/him) is the director of the Northwest Music Archives, an award-winning author, a founding curator at MoPop, and a longtime staff historian at…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: info@humanities.org. Event Types: Special Events.
Saturday, June 21, 2025, 2:00 PM.
Aberdeen Timberland Library.
Humanities Washington Presents: David George Gordon discussing "Heaven on the Half Shell: The Story of the Oyster in the Pacific Northwest"
Get to know the Pacific Northwest’s most beloved bivalve: the oyster. In this talk, author David George Gordon discusses three species— the Olympia, Eastern, and Pacific oysters— along with the people who have cultivated these delicacies for many generations.
Learn about the Native American sea gardens and clam beds that existed 11,500 years ago, as well as the contemporary efforts in our state to cultivate oysters, both native and introduced. Along the way, learn about the many surprising innovations that have made oysters such an enduringly popular and environmentally sustainable food. As the old saying goes: when the tide is out, the table is set.
David George Gordon (he/him) is the principal author of Heaven on the Half Shell: The Story of the Oyster in the Pacific Northwest, recently revised and updated by University of Washington Press. A former science writer for Washington Sea Grant, Gordon has written 22 books on topics ranging from slugs and snails to sharks, gray whales, and Sasquatch.
Gordon…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: info@humanities.org. Event Types: Special Events.
Thursday, June 26, 2025, 6:30 PM.
Harbor History Museum.