Be-leaf it: Craig Johnson returns, plus more upcoming Northwest Passages events

It’s way more than a book club.

Seven years in, people in Spokane are still discovering the community event series, Northwest Passages. Missed any? There’s a whole channel on The Spokesman-Review’s YouTube page showcasing our livestreams from the past year, starting with Gonzaga University’s 1999 Elite Eight Reunion event and even last week’s collaboration with Whitworth University Presidential Election Series speaker, Anne Snyder. Northwest Passages even has World Series connection with our interview with New York Yankees public address announcer, Paul Olden. We have worked hard to livestream the Northwest Passages events on The Spokesman-Review YouTube page as they happen, and have them archived, available to view for free.

The power of stories and Spokane connections have made the Northwest Passages community events series special, and they aren’t stopping as we close out November and look forward to 2025.

Few things beat being able to highlight the work of a Spokesman-Review staffer, and we are excited to host the launch of Charles Apple’s book of “Further Reviews: The Stories Behind the History that You Thought You Knew” on Sunday, Nov. 17, at the Martin and Edwidge Woldson Recital Hall at Gonzaga University. This beautiful coffee table book filled with photos and infographics is an excellent holiday gift – and will also be offered up as a prize as part of the Spokane famous raffle, with items that can only be obtained from attending a Northwest Passages event.

The Black Lens collaboration with Northwest Passages introduces Spokane to correspondent Charity Resian. Resian and Andrea Iannetta collaborated on a 30-minute documentary film based on Resian’s experience breaking longstanding culture in her village in Kenya, and refusing to participate in female genital mutilation. On Nov. 16, Resian will screen her film at MWPAC Recital Hall, followed by a panel discussion featuring De Scott and Shane Desgrosellier.

The Spokesman-Review is Craig Johnson’s “favorite newspaper,” and Northwest Passages is truly honored to be the starting point for his “Tour of Duty” book tours. “Tooth and Claw” releases Nov. 19, and Northwest Passages takes over the Steam Plant rooftop events space with Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley leading the conversation.

Johnson has been writing Longmire stories for 20 years now, and yet every visit, Johnson reveals something new about the character. You can get your Vitamin R (Rainier beer), a signed book and a personal visit with the author at the meet-and-greet reception ahead of the event in the Stacks room (a $50.00 meet-and-greet ticket gets you into the 6 p.m. entry event). Auntie’s Bookstore will sell copies of Johnson’s titles, and the author will remain after the talk to sign autographs as well.

Scheduling events during the winter is challenging, but Northwest Passages has the perfect conversation set for Jan. 9 at the Bing Crosby Theater. (Go ahead, look. We double-checked, there’s no basketball games scheduled!) Patrick Hutchison is coming to Spokane to talk with The Spokesman-Review Outdoors columnist Ammi Midstokke about his memoir “Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman.” You may have read about his Craigslist cabin purchase, named “Wit’s End” in his popular Outside magazine piece. Some of you have read about Midstokke’s “off the grid” adventures, and trust us, the two of them together in conversation is not to be missed.

“Cabin” releases Dec. 3, so you can get the book at Auntie’s Bookstore ahead of the event (it will come with a code to get you a general admission seat as our guest). The meet-and-greet reception for this event will be at the Chronicle Pavilion (on the seventh floor of The Spokesman-Review, building, 999 W. Riverside Ave.) prior to the event, and will come with a reserved seat in the front section of the Bing, a beverage and the opportunity to personally speak with Hutchison and Midstokke.

Join the Northwest Passages newsletter to get advance notice of events. Check out the YouTube page for events that you may have missed. And we hope you will definitely join us live in person as we enter our eighth year and uncover stories that matter here in our community.