Mary Lou Sanelli is the author of 14 books of nonfiction, fiction, memoir, poetry, and a children’s title. Her newest title, In So Many Words: Three Years, Two Months, One Me, was nominated for a 2025 Pacific Northwest Book Award and a 2025 Washington State Book Award.

In this new collection of essays about living in the Northwest, Sanelli gives voice to the exquisite nuances of day-to-day life, as well as larger struggles we face, while always managing to leave us feeling less worried, certainly less alone, and much more hopeful. These relevant and frequently funny essays remind us that the simple act of paying attention to what happens around us (maybe put your phone down and look up?) can make a profound difference in how we view the world and ourselves. Sanelli has spent much of her writing career emphasizing what she believes-has always believed-that the most personal is the most universal. She writes on the basis of that. But even at her most serious, she never takes herself too seriously and what remains for the reader are insightful gems that shine light into the dark, as touching as they are wise.

Sanelli is also is a columnist, speaker and master dance teacher. She and her husband live on Bainbridge Island. For information, visit www.marylousanelli.com.

Christine Rolfes, Kitsap County Commissioner and former Washington State Senator for the 23rd District between 2011 and 2023, will present to us. Her work focuses on funding and educational reform, small businesses, ferries, military and veteran families, opposition to housing, and the environment. More information to follow.

Folksinger and activist Woody Guthrie composed 26 songs in 30 days while riding along the Columbia River and touring the Grand Coulee Dam Project in 1941. With his unique, authentic voice, he chronicled both the grandeur and the perils of what he called “The Greatest Thing That Man Has Ever Done” as an employee of the Bonneville Power Administration. His time here in the Pacific Northwest inspired a swell of patriotism that led Guthrie to enlist in the U.S. Merchant Marine in World War II, after which he returned home to fame and notoriety, but also to tragedy and tremendous personal loss.

Historian, teacher, folksinger, and actor Joel Underwood performs an hour that is part concert, part theatrical drama, and part lecture. Sing along to “Roll on Columbia,” “Pastures of Plenty,” and of course, “This Land is Your Land,” and learn the—sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic—stories behind the songs.

Joel Underwood (he/him) is an actor, teacher, musician, and historian. After 25 years teaching high school history, Underwood got his master’s degree in American History with a focus on folk and protest music. A recipient of the Woody Guthrie Fellowship, Underwood was granted access to the Woody Guthrie Archives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to research Woody’s time in the World War II Merchant Marines. Underwood continues to tour as a musician, both solo and with his daughter. Underwood lives in Olympia.

“Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?”  

The answer to this question—or the refusal to answer it—cast hundreds of lives into turmoil at the dawn of the Cold War. The Red Scare that erupted in the 1940s allowed the House Committee on Un-American Activities to grab headlines by parading prominent Hollywood figures before the cameras. Witnesses could either defy the hearings at the risk of their own careers, or “name names”—inform on their colleagues and friends. The resulting blacklist threw many moviemaking professionals out of work.  

This presentation, illustrated with film clips, tells the stories from this heartbreaking and scandalous era, and how notables such as Humphrey Bogart, Elia Kazan, and Charlie Chaplin were swept up in the frenzy. We’ll also ask a question: With today’s politics at a boiling point, are we living in such a period again? 

Robert Horton (he/him), a member of the National Society of Film Critics, was the longtime film reviewer for the Seattle Weekly, Everett Herald, and KUOW. His books include a critical study of Frankenstein. He has been a Fulbright specialist, a Smithsonian Journeys speaker, and an instructor at Seattle University and the Architectural Association in London. He now hosts the radio program, The Music and the Movies. Horton lives in Seattle.

From Antarctica to Iceland, come see the world through the lens of Photographer and Documentary Filmmaker, Brooke Juhala. With an emphasis in cultural and natural history exploration, we’ll learn about some of these remote regions through photos, stories and lessons. Brooke will also discuss her work as a Documentary Filmmaker, sharing a trailer for her 3-part series Inseparable, and discuss how her career journey has led her to becoming a Certified Photography Instructor with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic.

Brooke Juhala (she/her) is an international Documentary Filmmaker and Photographer based in Bremerton, WA. Specializing in exploring the intersection of land use and culture, her work has taken her around the globe documenting the vast spectrum of outdoor enthusiasts found within diverse backgrounds. Brooke shares her passions working as a Certified Photo Instructor aboard Lindblad Expeditions in partnership with National Geographic. Outside of her creative endeavors, she uses her technical skills to give back to her community by volunteering as a Rescue Team Member with Olympic Mountain Rescue.