We wanted to give some love to the Richard Hugo House this week, because it’s amongst our favorite artistic community venues, and we don’t talk about it enough!

On Friday, November 16, as part of the 2012-2013 Literary Series, the Hugo House is hosting writers Ryan Boudinot (“Blueprints of the Afterlife”), Emily Kendall Frey (“The Grief Performance”), and Claire Dederer (“Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses”), who will lead a discussion of what to believe - and why Ya Gotta Believe!

With new music created by Jason Dodson of The Maldives, this event is going to be something super-extra-special, and super imaginary!

You should definitely snap up some tix online now, before it sells out.

{Ya Gotta Believe! | Richard Hugo House | Friday, 12/16, 7:30pm | $25 general, $20 HH members | All Ages, Bar with ID} 

Not to ruin the surprise for any of my loved ones, but this year you're getting a copy of the Bake It In A Cake cookbook for your upcoming birthday or holiday gift... and I'm hoping to get each copy signed by none other than the book's author, Megan Seling, at tomorrow's Bake It In A Cake book release party at Elliot Bay Book Company {in Capitol Hill}.

Tomorrow is going to be about more than just getting most of my holiday shopping done, it's going to be a wonderful celebration of all the amazing work Seattle's own (and radio DJ and acclaimed writer at the Stranger) Megan Seling has done for the world of baked goods.  

About two years ago, she started with an idea of combining two things we all love: cupcakes and pies, candy, fruit, or anything else she dreams up that is a delectable match for said cupcake shell.  Since then she's brought together banana cupcake with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, Hello Panda chocolate-filled biscuits baked into mini brownies, and the holiday favorite--a mini PUMPKIN PIE baked into a cream cheese vanilla cupcake, topped with cinnamon cream cheese buttercream.

Each creation is a masterpiece, and so it's no surprise that in the last 2 years she's been praised by Martha Stewart, Rosie O'Donnell, and countless drooling sweets affectionados.  And now, everyone can be the life of the party snack table by creating our very own treat from the Bake It in a Cupcake: 50 Treats With a Surprise Inside cookbook.  

The book release party starts at 5pm, this Thursday (tomorrow) and, of course, there will be even be cupcakes!!!

This is where I do that old person thing and tell all you kids about how I used to go to Bumbershoot every year on my birthday and wander around all four days, and discover bands, and nerd out and love, love, love it. You know, back when it was free, and then like, $5 a day, or $15 for the whole weekend.

And then it just got to be too much—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers, crushing through crowds trying to make my way between stages, the damn stupid “we must empty out the entire Key Arena” rule between shows, so you couldn’t even camp out for two bands in a row. Gawd. Waiting in line for 2 hours to get into Memorial Stadium somehow became less fun too…and my tolerance for bullshit declined sharply after I edged over 35.

But! After not going for many years, I have braved it again for the last three, and honestly it’s growing on me again. Even though they cut it down to 3 days instead of 4, the festival seems mellower overall. Sure there are still a lot of people, but it’s not so many that I can’t deal with it, more or less. And it made me remember what I love about Bumbershoot the most: a combination of seeing old favorites play, and wandering around and a listening to bands that I might not have heard of, or have been intrigued by. And there’s so much other stuff besides the music to love too.

And so, Sunday at Bumbershoot was pretty much the best Bumbershoot day ever, because of the following things:

1:30pm: Katie Kate kicks the newly installed stage at The Promenade’s ass. Like, all the way across the entire Seattle Center. This woman knows how to work a crowd, and work it she did—there were more people dancing to Katie than I’ve ever seen in Seattle. The guy in front of me was popping and locking so much I thought he might implode. At the height of my enjoyment, she threw out a “Read My Motherfucking Tote Bag” …tote bag, and my boyfriend caught it. HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY TO ME. And then she nearly killed me by covering Kate Bush “Running Up That Hill.” What. I love her. So so so much.

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Hayyyy Imaginaries! Now’s the time of year where I remind you that in addition to Bumbershoot’s awesome musical acts, our local festival is also packed with films and performing arts, and my favorite: people talking about stuff that gets you thinking about stuff. Here are a few things in the Words & Ideas program that are thrilling me:

Saturday, September 1

Why Fairy Tales? Why War on Women? Why Now?
Leo K Theatre, Words & Ideas Stage
5:15pm-6:15pm

Lindy West is actually going to be a couple of places for Bumbershoot this year, but I’m most interested in seeing what she has to say (hilariously, I’m sure) about how women are represented in pop culture and politics, so if you have to choose, I think you should be at this one. West joins a bunch of other rad ladies on stage, and I’m sure it’s going to be one of those laugh/cry/throw-up-because-you’re-so-overwhelmed kind of talks.

John Waters – This Filthy World: Filthier & Dirtier
Bagley Wright Theatre
8:30pm-9:45pm

You guys. JOHN FREAKING WATERS is going to be at Bumbershoot! I can’t even. I’m hyperventilating because I’m so excited about this. Watching Waters perform This Filthy World: Filthier & Dirtier and talk about all the things is likely going to be one of the best parts of the weekend. Trust me on this. (and if you’ve never seen a John Waters film, for the love of all that is holy, head over to Scarecrow and rent at least three of them)

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So, Judy McGuire, aka: Dategirl over at Seattle Weekly, just wrote a book! And she's having a release party to celebrate this book on Thursday, 6/14 at The Sunset!

The Official Book of Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n Roll Lists is filled with, well, lists, like: 8 Reasons You Shouldn't Listen to Song Lyrics for Help With Your Love Life, and, I guess, all the things that Sid loves (loved?) about Nancy.  

And this is not going to be anything like a regular bookstore reading, because Judy's book release features DJ El Toro (Kurt B. Reighley) spinning tunes inspired by the book's lists, and a trivia contest with exciting prizes!!! Plus, afterwords you can stick around and see Amy Lavere with Shelby Earl and Mark Pickerel play for a mere $8.

So, I'll see you there, right??? RIGHT. 

{Thur 6/14| EARLY, 6-8pm: The Official Book of Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll Lists Release Party! | LATE 9pm: Amy Lavere with Shelby Earl and Mark Pickerel | $8}