Misha Stone
Alumni Profiles
S
omething magical happens when people engage with literature. Stesha Brandon should know. As Literature and Humanities Program Manager at The Seattle Public Library (SPL), Stesha oversees author programming and, in addition, devotes forty percent of her time to Seattle Reads, an annual one-city, one-book program that inspires thousands of readers to read the same book at the same time. Originating in Seattle in 1998, the one-city, one-book concept has been implemented across the country, in all 50 states, as well as being implemented internationally.
“It is a real joy to bring together community and celebrate the work authors have done,” says Stesha, who holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Washington.
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Stesha Brandon ’91
Literature and Humanities Program Manager, The Seattle Public Library
Every year, Stesha and members of the Seattle Reads Advisory Board read 20 to 30 books for consideration and discuss their suitability before making the final pick. The choice for 2019 was The Best We Could Do, by Thi Bui, a graphic memoir about a family’s daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves in America. “The goals of the Seattle Reads program are to deepen engagement with literature, to open people’s minds to ideas, and help people to be inspired,” says Stesha. “One thing we did this year was to have graphic novel workshops so readers might be able to be inspired to tell their own stories.”
Connecting through Written Expression In addition to Seattle Reads, Stesha sits on the boards of Seattle Arts & Lectures and Seattle City of Literature. In Oct 2017, Seattle was named as a City of Literature by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The designation is awarded to world cities that have demonstrated a fervent interest in literature, publishing, and other forms of written expression. These cities commit to develop and exchange innovative best practices to promote creative industries, strengthen participation in cultural life, and integrate culture into sustainable urban development policies. Seattle joins a group of 28 international cities that includes Edinburgh, Dublin, Krakow, Baghdad, and Montevideo. Explains Stesha: “The designation opens doors for communication and cultural exchange and allows us to connect with networks all over the world in multiple disciplines to find opportunities to build understanding through the literary arts and cultural forms.”
