Registration is now open for March 3-5 Whatcom READS events with Greenwood author Michael Christie. Four in-person and one online event will be held at venues in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Registration is required to manage capacity and to enable Whatcom READS organizers to contact participants if event details change. In response to public health guidelines, masks are required and some venues also require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the program. All events are free except for Village Books’ March 3 Chuckanut Radio Hour.
For details and to register, visit whatcomreads.org/events. Where possible, event recordings will also be shared on the Whatcom READS website.
Registration required. Events subject to change.
Thursday, March 3, 11 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Book Discussion with Michael Christie – In-Person
Deming Library, 5044 Mt. Baker Highway
WCLS Collection Development Librarian Emma Radosevich will lead this lively discussion of the book. Audience questions are welcome! Space is limited; registration and masks are required to attend this free in-person program.
Thursday, March 3, 7-8:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Village Books’ Chuckanut Radio Hour with Michael Christie – In-Person
Bellewood Acres, 6140 Guide Meridian, Lynden
Join us for an evening of music, comedy, poetry and a conversation between Greenwood author Michael Christie and Michael Feerer, executive director of the Whatcom Million Trees Project. Devin Champlin is the featured musical guest.
Space is limited. Guests must wear a mask, provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours, and present matching photo ID. Event will also be livestreamed on Village Books’ Facebook.
Ticket options: $5 (plus $1.34 processing fee) reserves your seat and provides a $5 voucher toward a book purchase at the event. Or $19.60 (plus $2.09 processing fee) reserves your seat and includes a copy of Greenwood (available to pick up at the event).
Friday, March 4, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Art and Craft of Writing – In-Person
Western Washington University’s Wilson Library Reading Room
Gain insight into the writing process as author Michael Christie discusses the art and craft of writing. Space is limited; registration is required for this free event. Guests must wear a mask, provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours, and present matching photo ID. Register at whatcomreads.org/events.
Friday, March 4, 7-8 p.m.
An Evening with Michael Christie – In-Person
Mount Baker Theatre Main Stage, 104 N. Commercial St., Bellingham
Spend a fascinating evening with the author as he describes how he conceived and wrote Greenwood. The evening culminates with the announcement of the Whatcom READS 2023 book selection.
Capacity for this event is limited, with seating available only in separated pairs. Free tickets are required for entry, and can be ordered through Mount Baker Theatre.Or visit whatcomreads.org/events. All attendees must wear a mask, provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of the event, and present matching photo ID. This event will be recorded by BTV and will be shared via the Whatcom READS website.
Saturday, March 5, 11 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
A Conversation with Michael Christie – ONLINE ONLY
Whatcom READS 2022 wraps up with a free-ranging conversation between author Michael Christie and Village Books co-owner Kelly Evert.
Whatcom READS will notify participants of guidelines for in-person events and will update registered guests if events change from in-person to online in response to public health guidelines.
Borrow Greenwood as a book, eBook, or audiobook from the library or purchase it from Village Books, which donates 10 percent of each sale to Whatcom READS. Visit whatcomreads.org to learn more about Greenwood, author Michael Christie and the community programs that enrich the reading experience.
About Whatcom READS: Northwest Washington's premier annual literary event, Whatcom READS celebrates reading, readers and strong communities through the shared experience of one book. Entering its 14th year, Whatcom READS is presented by all the public and academic libraries in Bellingham and Whatcom County – Bellingham Public Library, Bellingham Technical College, Northwest Indian College, Western Washington University, Whatcom Community College and Whatcom County Library System. Village Books is Whatcom READS’ community partner. Learn more at whatcomreads.org.
About Michael Christie and Greenwood: Michael Christie is also the author of the highly regarded novel If I Fall, If I Die and the linked collection of stories, The Beggar’s Garden. His work has been nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. His essays and book reviews appear in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Globe and Mail. A former carpenter and homeless-shelter worker, the author divides his time between Victoria and Galiano Island, British Columbia, where he lives with his wife and two sons in a timber-frame house that he built.
Here’s how the Whatcom READS selection committee describes the book: “Set in the Pacific Northwest, Michael Christie’s GREENWOOD opens in the near future in one of the last surviving old growth forests. The narrative skillfully navigates a cross section of generations, themes and times. As Christie peels back those layers, he exposes the heartwood of what it means to struggle, survive and thrive; in essence, what it means to be human. This rich, well-paced tale delivers poignant writing with interesting characters.”
