University District Spotlight
University District
Visit Octavia Butler’s favorite Thai restaurant or grab a drink at the famed Blue Moon Tavern, a favorite of poets throughout the years.
A walk through the University of Washington campus evokes many of the literary figures who worked and studied there.
You can browse the stacks at Magus Books, University Book Store, or one of the neighborhood’s libraries.
Bookstores and Libraries
Edge of the Circle Books
Find all of your pagan and occult books, jewelry, and supplies at this Seattle institution.
This eclectic bookstore was founded in 1978 and carries a wide array of used books. They have a second “annex” location about a mile west of their original store.
Founded in 1900 by University of Washington Students, University Book Store is the largest independent bookstore in Washington state and sells new and used books. They are known for having a great speculative fiction section, and host many author events throughout the year.
This historic location of The Seattle Public Library was opened in 1910 and features artwork by Dennis Evans.
Called the “soul of the university,” Suzzallo Library opened in 1926 and is named for a former president of University of Washington. Inside, you’ll find one of the world’s largest books, a series of photographs of Bhutan. The magnificent Reading Room was a favorite of many Seattle authors, including Beverly Cleary and Ivan Doig.
Restaurants and Bars
Royal Palm Thai Restaurant
Renowned speculative fiction writer Octavia Butler loved eating at the Royal Palm restaurant.
Blue Moon Tavern
Opened in 1934, the Blue Moon has long been a haunt of local writers. In the 1950s and 1960s poets Theodore Roethke, Carolyn Kizer, David Wagoner frequented the bar. The alley that runs from NE 45th Street to NE 47th Street between 7th Avenue NE and 8th Avenue NE was named for Theodore Roethke in 1995. You can learn more about Roethke Mews here.
General Interest
University of Washington
A stroll through campus evokes many of the literary figures who taught and studied there, including Beverly Cleary, Madeleine DeFrees, Spencer Shaw, and Vonda McIntyre. As you enter from 45th Street, pass wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ (Intellectual House), a gathering space for American Indian and Alaska Native students, faculty, staff, and others from various cultures and communities. Continue to “Red Square” to find the magnificent Suzzallo Library which was beloved by Ivan Doig. Off-campus, catch a student production at the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center and Theatre, once directed by noted Latine playwright and actor Ruben Sierra.
People
Octavia Butler (1947-2006) was a renowned speculative fiction writer and author of Parable of the Sower and Kindred, among other books. She lived in Seattle from 1999 until her death in 2006, and loved to eat at the Royal Palm restaurant in the University District.
“In order to rise from its own ashes, a Phoenix first must burn.”
Beverly Cleary (1916-2021) was the beloved creator of Ramona Quimby who received her library science degree from University of Washington in 1939. The UW Information School now has an endowed chair for Children and Youth Services to honor her.
“One rainy Sunday when I was in the third grade, I picked up a book to look at the pictures and discovered that even though I did not want to, I was reading. I have been a reader ever since.”
Ivan Doig (1939-2015) was a recipient of the prestigious Wallace Stegner Award, Doig is best known for his memoir This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind and his bestselling novel The Whistling Season. He received his Ph.D from the University of Washington and lived in Seattle until his death in 2015.
“I thought again what an achievement a book is, a magic box simultaneously holding the presence of the author and the wonders of the world.”
Spencer Shaw was a University of Washington professor emeritus of library science and nationally recognized storyteller and advocate for children’s reading. An endowed lecture series at the University of Washington is named in his honor.
Ruben Sierra (1946-1998) was a playwright, actor, University of Washington Drama School faculty member, founding artistic director of the multicultural Seattle Group Theatre, and director of the University of Washington Ethnic Cultural Center and Theater.
Also Nearby
Stop by the Ravenna location of indie bookstore favorite Third Place Books, where you can grab lunch after you shop. Then head to the lovely Northeast branch of The Seattle Public Library, designed by eminent Northwest architect Paul Thiry.