Soundside

Who is an apology for? The answer is more obvious when the person you’re apologizing to is standing in front of you. You want their forgiveness. Or for them to feel better. Or for you to feel better. But when the people who were hurt, or those who hurt them, are long gone – what does apologizing actually accomplish? That’s one of the questions behind a recent essay in the New Yorker. It’s called “The Ritual of Civic Apology,” by Beth Lew-Williams. Lew-Williams is a Professor of History and Director of the Program in Asian American Studies at Princeton University. She begins her essay by recounting a talk she gave in Tacoma, a few years ago. It was about the forced expulsion of Tacoma’s Chinese residents in November 1885. And the city’s attempts to apologize for it, generations later. Guest: Beth Lew-Williams is Professor of History and Director of the Program in Asian American Studies at Princeton University. Her new book “John Doe Chinaman: A Forgotten History of Chinese Life under American Racial Law” published in September of this year Related stories: The Ritual of Civic Apology - The New Yorker Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes. Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s finally fall, which means the return of colorful flannels, blundstones, and the occasional raincoat. These are the clothes that have come to define Seattle fashion… which, if you haven’t heard, is bad. That’s at least according to a longheld stereotype about our city’s aesthetic.  People like to make fun of the way Seattle-ites dress. They’ve labeled our fashion sense as Normie. Uninspired. Boring.  We’re asking two local fashion experts to weigh in on whether Seattle is an unstylish city… or if locals just earned a bad rap in their attempt to stay warm and dry.   Guest: Clara Berg, a fashion historian and Curator of Collections at the Museum of History & Industry. Andrew Hoge, a creative director and fashion writer in Seattle. Related stories:  KUOW - Seattle: Do you dress like you're going to have a 'hiking emergency'? Seattle Is a Fashion Capital: The History of Its Grunge, Gorp, and Graffiti Scenes Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes. Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The federal government is headed for a shutdown. Congressional leaders from both parties met with President Trump yesterday at the White House. They failed to make progress towards a funding deal. Democrats say they want to reverse some Medicaid cuts that Republicans passed earlier this year – and extend tax credits for people on Obamacare plans. Meanwhile, Republicans falsely claim that their colleagues across the aisle are shutting down the government to fund healthcare for unauthorized immigrants.  Barring a last minute breakthrough in the Senate, the government will shut down for the first time in almost 7 years just after midnight tonight.  Guest: Representative Suzan DelBene (WA-01) Relevant Links: NPR: Here's what a government shutdown could affect around the country Politico: Johnson, Jeffries dug in ahead of shutdown deadline NYT: The deadlock over funding the government is growing uglier. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump designated antifa as a domestic terrorist organization last week.  He followed up with a memo directing the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force to investigate individuals and groups engaged in political violence and intimidation. Trump cited antifa as a reason to mobilize 200 Oregon National Guard troops, which are expected to arrive in Portland within the next week. The president claimed ICE facilities in the city “were under siege from attack by Antifa and other domestic terrorists.” So what is behind these anti-antifa moves by the White House? And what exactly is antifa?  Correction: At 15:26, the event Mathias is talking about actually takes place in Forks, the town where Twilight is set. It did not take place in the town in which Twin Peaks was set. Read more about what happened here. Guest Christopher Mathias, reporter, author of the upcoming book “To Catch a Fascist” Related links Trump's new anti-antifa panic is the start of something much more dangerous — MSNBC Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When homicide detective Ian Carter arrives at the scene of a murder, the victim is posed to look like  Ophelia from Hamlet. Not that any of the detectives on the scene realize that...The person who will crack open that clue, and other twisted literary references, is on the other side of their Oregon college town; English professor Emma Reilly. She’s struggling to get  to class on time, and sensitive about avoiding the “absent minded professor” trope. It’s the beginning of the new novel “Murder by the Book,” by author Amie Schaumberg… who lives in Spokane and happens to be an English professor herself. The narrative shifts between the perspectives of Detective Carter and Professor Reilly, and as the mystery unfolds, we see the crime through different lenses - Literary, Artistic, and Forensic… GUEST: Amie Schaumberg RELATED LINKS:  Amie Schaumberg, Author Writing Neurodivergence in Crime Fiction Murder by the Book – HarperCollins Washington author’s debut novel admires and interrogates literature Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rena Priest is best known for her poetry. As Washington’s poet laureate between 2021 and 2023, she traveled around the state doing readings and spreading awareness of poetry. She was the first Indigenous poet to hold that role and is a member of the Lummi Nation. Now, she’s bringing her keen observations and sharp wit to non-fiction. She’s the author of a new collection of essays, titled Positively Uncivilized. In the book Priest explores the history of broken treaties, battles over fishing rights, and struggles with cultural erasure that compose the bedrock of the modern Coast Salish native experience. She also challenges the non-Native reader to experiment with perspective: for example, what if we maintained the kind of spiritual relationship with the natural world that put us in community with salmon, instead of above them?  The title of the book itself speaks to the types of stories Priest tells. “Uncivilized” is a term that was, for generations, used to denigrate native people. But also one that had been reclaimed by Priest’s family and used in a playful way. Priest is reading at Third Place Books Ravenna on Monday September 29 at 7:00 pm.  Guest: Rena Priest, author of Positively Uncivilized Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christian Sidor is a professor in the UW Department of Biology and curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Burke. And for the last 18 years, he’s been traveling back and forth to Zambia and Tanzania, collecting fossils from the Permian period. The Permian lasted about 47 millions years and ended 252 million years ago with the Triassic Period.  Sidor has found a lot of Permian specimens. Last month he and his collaborators co-edited a series of 14 articles on the animals they’ve discovered during their field work. So, we wanted to go check out some of these new, ancient animals. Guest: Christian Sidor: professor in the UW Department of Biology and curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Burke Related stories: Fresh fossil finds in Africa shed light on the era before Earth’s largest mass extinction - UW News Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congress is barreling toward a government shutdown and Democrats are weighing whether they should use their leverage in this negotiation. They want to extend Obamacare subsidies and potentially roll back some cuts to Medicaid. President Trump has threatened mass firings of federal workers in the event of a shutdown. All of this is going on as the country is grappling with a rise in political violence – and political rhetoric that blames the other side for the problem.  Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal joined Soundside to talk more about all of this. Guest: Pramila Jayapal, U.S. Representative for Washington's 7th Congressional District.  Related stories:  Arizona lawmaker calls for WA congresswoman to be executed for urging Trump protests • Washington State Standard Vance says US 'headed to a shutdown' after meeting with Democrats | Reuters Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes. Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s crush season in Washington, a time when grape growers and winemakers are usually very busy, working insane hours to make new wine.  But a huge percentage of the state’s highest quality wine won't get made this year.  Sluggish wine sales have meant growers are letting some of their best fruit rot, sometimes right on the vine. And Washington growers and winemakers alike are concerned about the future of their businesses.  We talk about what's behind the wine glut. Guest Anna King, senior correspondent for Northwest Public Broadcasting  Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mariners have made the playoffs as the AL West champs, and they're facing the Dodgers for the final games of the regular season, but hey... there's ALWAYS more to do this weekend! Check it out: LINKS: SPORTS!! Mariners vs Dodgers - Final games of the season! Fri/Sat/Sun UW Huskies vs The Ohio State Buckeyes Sat 12:30p Sounders vs Vancouver Whitecaps Sat 7:30pm Reign vs NC Courage Sun 5pm Kraken vs Calgary Flames - Preseason Game #2 MON 7pm Prosser Balloon Rally Festa Italiana Seattle Northwest Tea Festival Enumclaw BBQ, Brews, & Brats Bellingham SeaFeast Seattle Opera - Costume Sale Musical Migration - Crossings Danny Elfman's Music From the Films of Tim Burton with the Seattle Symphony Hitchcock Hotel 2025 — Can Can Culinary Cabaret Unicorn: Burn Relief Fundraiser | Neumos Unicorn Staff Fire Relief Fund Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.