The End of This Update:
And then there is our programming...
Drop-in Tutoring: It starts on September 9th! Monday – Thursday 3:00 – 6:00. If you are a parent registering your child you should know that even if your child was enrolled last year you will need to fill out another enrollment form.
Field Trips: Teachers out there in our e-mail list world: sign up online this year during the first week of September. Check the Web site.
Workshops: Yes, our fall lineup is being crafted by Samar as I write. Keep your eye on our Web site for new workshops, which should be posted by mid-September.
In-Schools: We’re working with our pals at Broadview-Thomson to think about how we can help them this year. More on that later.
Publishing: Tutors and students have been meeting one-to-one at 826 Seattle to perfect the stories the students crafted in the workshops this summer. Now it is time for the copyeditors to work their magic, before the stories head off to the book designer for our fall book.
Yes, we are back!
Now, go buy your Wild Things tickets and your t-shirts!
Dear 826 Seattle Fans,
IN THIS UPDATE:
And now…in that order:
Time to put our cyberspace hands together for Amazon.com (appropriate, don’t you think…an online company getting cyberspace applause from the literally millions on our mailing list?) who is funding two things for us. First, they gave us money to sponsor our next anthology—writings by 826 Seattle workshop students. These writings will be craftily introduced by none other than Daniel Handler, of Lemony Snicket fame, in what will certainly be a compelling foreword. Not only that, Daniel Handler is coming to Seattle for the book signing party in November.
But let’s not stop there. THEN Amazon is giving us money to help finance our brand new Director of Programs, Kathleen Goldfarb. A little context: in case you haven’t noticed, the economy is stinky. So stinky that we were concerned last spring about whether we could really afford to hire a (much-needed) Director of Programs. Then, one fine day, a man named Jon Fine (I’m not kidding…actually his appearance MADE it a fine day and his last name really is Fine) called us up and said he had some money for us. Well, it wasn’t exactly his money but rather his company’s money. He asked: would you like some money? Because every employee at Amazon.com is a GIANT fan of the work of 826 Seattle, and we are desperate to help you. And I said: yes. And he asked: what would you like money for? And I replied: an anthology and a lot of money towards the salary of our Director of Programs. And he said: OK. That’s how I remember it anyway. So, stay tuned for more news about the book publishing party in November—a gigantic thanks to Amazon, which has made our fall oh so fin
All this leads me to the introduction of: One Kathleen Goldfarb as our new Director of Programs. Seattle Public School’s loss is our gain. (But, well, when you think about it, our gain is also the gain of Seattle Public Schools because we do so much support work for the schools.) Refer back to economic crunch time, which led to Kathleen, a stellar teacher at Salmon Bay Elementary, getting riffed. This was cause for great consternation around her school. 826 Seattle, with predictable lightning speed, immediately courted Kathleen to come work at 826 Seattle, literally minutes before Salmon Bay was informed they didn’t have to riff her after all. But by then we had nabbed her. And we are so happy.  Kathleen brings to us an insider’s knowledge about working in the schools, tons of training and experience in the Writers Workshop curriculum adopted by the school district, and one heck of a sense of humor. With Kathleen at the helm of programming we are READY to head back to school.
...which is a nice segue to: Ways to Support 826 Seattle (because Kathleen will do her best work when she has the money to do it).
Way 1: SHOP
The Wear-Your-Generosity-On-Both-Sleeves Back-to-School T-Shirt Extravaganza!
Here’s how it works:
Come into our newly remodeled Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. or visit our online store (www.greenwoodspacetravelsupply.com). Begin by simply marvelling at the terrific new t-shirts we have. Our previously limited selection has been expanded to include designs for every occasion—including the back-to-school crowd. We’ve got:
Choose your t-shirt (or several) and purchase...again, either in the store or online. The first 250 people who buy a t-shirt will have their names thrown into a hat (or a bucket or a plastic bag or whatever receptacle we can find), and the lucky person whose name we pull out of aforementioned receptacle will receive, at no extra charge, our spanking new, completely original, absolutely cool Map of the (Known) Universe.
One of our lofty goals regarding this extravaganza (in addition to making lots of money to support our programs) is that hopefully on September 9th (aka first day back to school) we see hundreds of young people and their teachers (not to mention principals, school secretaries, parents who are dropping off students, and librarians) wearing our t-shirts on this first day back to school. We plan to send (highly trained) teams of 826 Seattle volunteer observers to schools across Seattle to note school folks entering their school buildings. We hope the (highly trained) volunteers see (and record for posterity) throngs of children and adults stretched before them, wearing brand new 826 Seattle or Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. t-shirts. It’s probably a teeny stretch to think we could get all school folks wearing them, but what about a heck of a lot of these children and adults, entering their school buildings all over the city, wearing a t-shirt that is about adventure, preparedness, and (secretly) learning how to write. And, it will give everyone paying attention the knowledge that all of these people (including the parents of these children who most likely financed the t-shirt) are generous supporters of an organization that helps all children—free of charge—to learn the essential skill of writing. In other words: wear your generosity on both your sleeves (and on the sleeves of your children). Oh, and by the way, even if you are for instance a doctor or an accountant or a housewife or a professional writer, and you don’t really do anything new or special on the first day of school because you actually don’t go to school, rest assured. If you purchase a t-shirt or two, you are also eligible to win the first Map of the (Known) Universe. And, if you don’t win, I’ve got more good news. You can still come in or go online and purchase your copy.
Way 2: MOVIE
Where the Wild Things Are Preview Showing: October 7.
Be the first on EVERY BLOCK of Seattle to see what is the most anticipated movie of the year by attending this preview showing of the movie, sponsored by 826 Seattle and our pals at the Northwest Film Forum.  How come Warner Brothers is letting us do this? Because Dave Eggers, co-founder of 826 National, also co-wrote the screenplay with director Spike Jonze. Check out the trailer:
http://wherethewildthingsare.warnerbros.com/ The movie will be followed by a Q and A with Dave. There are also available VIP tickets, which give you great seats saved for you (no lines), and a special cocktail after-film event with Dave and other luminaries of the community—like me and Yoko and Kathleen and Wil Shipley, who is the CEO of Delicious Monster. Delicious Monster is the company exclusively underwriting the event for us. (One cannot be too picky when choosing underwriters for events, but with a company name like Delicious Monster—and the fact that Wil has been a very generous supporter of our work in the past—we were certain his company was the perfect choice. And Wil agreed!) Warner Brothers is sending the film from Los Angeles Movie Land; Northwest Film Forum is partnering with us; Cinerama is donating the space; and Delicious Monster is underwriting. It will be quite an evening. Quick! Buy tickets here right now, and then finish the rest of the update. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/79215
Way 3: EAT
Don’t Forget To Write A Check Breakfast.
Yes, it’s time again for our 4th annual breakfast, happening this year on October 16th at 7:30 in the morning at the Madison Renaissance Hotel. Michael Chabon will be our guest speaker. (No, I am not kidding.) If there were a contest for the most fun and inspirational early morning fund-raising breakfasts, I think 826 Seattle would win hands down. Have a hundred bucks (at least) burning a hole in your pocket? If so, send me a quick e-mail and I’ll send you an invite. All proceeds go directly to support our programs. And if that isn’t enough to get you to come, you will have an opportunity to watch a film about people picking up chickens (for the eggs you will be eating at the breakfast), an opportunity to buy a raffle ticket for one egg-cellent prize to be announced at the event, and an opportunity to hang out with good, cool folks like me and Yoko and Kathleen and Alex and Justin and Devyn and Samar and Michael Chabon.  Happy Fall, Teri |