We invite you to connect with us this November through a rich and varied schedule of more than 30 events, exhibitions, podcasts, and more. From chamber opera premieres and public lectures to Indigenous storytelling and poetry celebrations, there’s something to spark every curiosity. Expect boundary-pushing performances, thought-provoking dialogues on memory and identity, and cross-disciplinary collaborations—November is a celebration of bold ideas and creative energy.
Closing January 11 | Exhibition: Spirit House (Henry Art Gallery)
A thematic exploration of the work of thirty-four Asian American and Asian diasporic artists, Spirit House asks the question, what does it mean to speak to ghosts, inhabit haunted spaces, be reincarnated, or enter different dimensions?
Book Club: “The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah(UW Alumni)
Readers’ Choice! Author (and UW alum – BA, Communication, ’83 ) Kristin Hannah highlights the struggles of the working poor during the Great Depression in this novel. Elsa is an awkward wallflower who is raising her two children on the family farm. As the Dust Bowl hits, she must choose between weathering the climate catastrophe in Texas or moving her family west to follow rumors of jobs in California. Free.
Books, podcasts, etc: Your autumn media list from UW authors and artists (University of Washington Magazine)
This spring, 18,883 degrees were conferred upon graduates of all three UW campuses. We estimate there are just under 600,000 living alumni of the UW. And the UW supports or sustains 100,520 jobs, making it the fifth-largest employer in the state. No wonder we’re always hearing about new books, music, podcasts, and film projects from the UW community. Read on for a few recent accomplishments from Huskies in the media.
Week of November 3
November 1 | Music for New Bodies (Meany Center) A West Coast premiere of a chamber opera by composer Matthew Aucoin and director Peter Sellars, based on poems by Jorie Graham. The performance explores embodiment and identity in an age of transformation.
Ed Yong
Online Option – November 4 | Becoming a Birder (Graduate School Public Lectures) This talk considers birding not only as a scientific and recreational practice but as a way of seeing and being—attuned to classification, memory, imagination, and care. Free.
November 6 – 16 | OMNIA Break Room (School of Drama) A new devised performance piece created under the direction of Adrienne Mackey with UW students, set in a dystopian workplace where employees inhabit modular rooms and confront disconnection, routine, and possibility.
November 6 | Prof. Bart Wilson, Chapman University: “Restoring Adam Smith to the Principles of Economics” (Political Science)
Bart Wilson is the Kennedy Endowed Chair in Economics & Law and the director of the Smith Institute for Political Economy & Philosophy at Chapman University, and author of Humanomics (with Vernon Smith), The Property Species, and Meaningful Economics. Free.
November 6 | Collections Open Doors (Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture)
Part of Burke’s Free First Thursday series, the museum opens its collections spaces from 4:30 to 7:30 PM. Visitors can explore behind‑the-scenes labs and storage, and speak with researchers, staff, and volunteers about their work. Free.
November 6 | Jon Kimura Parker (Meany Center for the Performing Arts) Renowned pianist Jon Kimura Parker returns to Meany with a dynamic solo program featuring Mozart, Beethoven’s Appassionata, Ravel’s Jeux d’Eau, and an Americana‑inflected selection including works by Chick Corea, John Adams, and Oscar Peterson.
November 7 | 55 Years of American Ethnic Studies: Honoring the Long Journey Home (American Ethnic Studies)
Celebrate the 55th anniversary of the Department of American Ethnic Studies (AES) and honor the 449 Japanese American UW students of 1941-42 whose education was interrupted and who were unjustly incarcerated during WWII. Pictures and memories will be shared from the families of The Long Journey Home honorees, followed by remarks from AES Chair Alexes Harris and faculty member Vince Schleitwiler.
November 7 | Deploying Science in Post-Disaster Decision Making: Lessons from the 2025 Los Angeles Fires (Political Science) Megan Mullin, Faculty Director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, discusses how scientific expertise shapes public decisions in the aftermath of disaster, drawing on lessons from the 2025 Los Angeles fires. Hosted by the Center for Environmental Politics. Free.
November 7 | 4th Sam Dubal Memorial Lecture: Tracie Canada, “How Black College Football Players Tackle their Everyday” (Simpson Center for the Humanities)
Anthropologist Tracie Canada draws from long-term ethnographic research to explore how Black college football players navigate and resist the structural harms of college athletics. Canada is the Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University and director of the HEARTS Lab. Free.
November 8 | Ghost Stories: An Embodied Reading with Putsata Reang (Henry Art Gallery) As part of the Spirit House exhibition, this reading explores grief, memory, and the porous boundary between life and death through storytelling across cultures. Free.
November 8 | Amadou & Mariam: A Tribute Concert (Meany Center for the Performing Arts) This special tribute celebrates Amadou’s musical legacy with Mariam’s iconic vocals, longtime band members, and new music from their forthcoming album L’Amour à la Folie. A legendary duo blending Malian blues with Afropop, disco, and rock influences.
Week of November 10
November 6 – 16 | OMNIA Break Room (School of Drama) A new devised performance piece created under the direction of Adrienne Mackey with UW students, set in a dystopian workplace where employees inhabit modular rooms and confront disconnection, routine, and possibility.
November 12 | Global Challenge: Public Trust in Science(Honors)
As it becomes increasingly woven into our daily lives, public trust in science— or the lack thereof — matters more than ever. Join a dynamic conversation among UW Interdisciplinary Honors faculty whose scholarship and teaching engage natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities, as they explore what happens when scientific research and scholarship are misunderstood, mistrusted or misused.
November 12 | Book Talk: Spaces of Creative Resistance (Jackson School of International Studies) A panel discussion on the new edited volume Spaces of Creative Resistance: Social Change Projects in 21st-Century East Asia, exploring how scholars, artists, and activists respond to inequality, environmental degradation, and social disconnection across Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Featuring Andrea Arai, Jeff Hou, and James Lin. Free.
November 13 | Healing Heart of Lushootseed Speaker Series(American Indian Studies)
Composer Bruce Ruddell, Musicians Adia tsi sʔuyuʔaɫ Bowen (Upper Skagit) and
Ben Workman Smith (Tolowa), Conductors Ryan Dudenbostel and David Rahbee, with John-Carlos Perea (Mescalero Apache/German/Irish/Chicano) as discussant. A series to prepare for the Film Screening & UW Symphony Performance: Healing Heart of the First People of This Land on February 6, 2026 (more information about the performance). Free.
November 13 | Evo-Hub Lecture: Marshall Abrams, “The Uniqueness of Organisms in Evolution” (Simpson Center for the Humanities) Philosopher Marshall Abrams challenges standard population-level views of evolution by emphasizing the unique role of individual organisms and their environments. Drawing from his book Evolution and the Machinery of Chance, Abrams explores how evolution unfolds within dynamic “population-environment systems.” Free.
November 14 | UW International Security Colloquium (Political Science) PhD Student Ryan Reynolds presents, “Structurally Induced Anxiety and Anti‑War Voting: Military Social Networks and Presidential Elections.” Free.
November 14 | Ghazal Celebration: Poetry Readings Across Languages (Simpson Center for the Humanities) A multilingual poetry gathering celebrating the ghazal, a poetic form rooted in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, and more. Participants will recite ghazals in their original languages with English translations, reflecting on sound, translation, and the form’s enduring vitality. Free.
November 16 | Archaeology Family Day (Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture) Explore ancient technologies, identify animal bones, sort shells, and enjoy a flintknapping (stone tool‑making) demonstration. Burke archaeologists and community partners present hands‑on activities and share stories about artifacts and historical practices. Free with museum admission; free for Burke members.
Online Option – November 16 | Ladino Day 2025: Sephardic Homelands: Spanish and Portuguese Citizenship and the Question of Belonging Today (Jackson School of International Studies) The Stroum Center for Jewish Studies brings together scholars and community members to discuss the meaning and impact of Spanish and Portuguese citizenship offers to descendants of Sephardic Jews. Featuring Rina Benmayor, Dalia Kandiyoti, Devin Naar, and Isaac Alhadeff. Free. In-person registration required.
Week of November 17
November 18 | Liberation Book Club: Community Care and Harm Reduction (Art + Art History + Design)
Join a Narcan training workshop followed by a pizza party and conversation focused on community care, harm reduction, and accessibility. Part of the year-long Liberation Book Club series exploring liberation through shared texts, art, film, music, and workshops. Free.
Online – November 20 | Geographers in Practice Panel Discussion (Department of Geography) Alumni share how their geography degrees have shaped careers in climate risk, procurement, and user experience design. Featuring Sadie Frank (CEO, N4EA), Nina Mesihovic (Enterprise Contracts Specialist, WA State), and Anirudh Ramanathan (Senior UX Researcher). Moderated by Professor Sarah Elwood.
November 20 | Pilgrimage in Mexico: A Dynamic Tradition — A Talk by Edward Wright-Ríos (Jackson School of International Studies) Historian Edward Wright-Ríos explores the enduring and evolving practice of pilgrimage among Mexican Catholics, challenging common misconceptions and revealing why this tradition remains vital in modern life. Free.
November 20 | Campus and Concert Bands (Music) The Campus Band (conducted by Solomon Encina) and Concert Band (conducted by Yuman Wu) present their Fall Quarter concert at Meany Hall—Katharyn Alvord Gerlich Theater. The program features works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Steven Bryant, Clifton Williams, Richard Saucedo, Frank Ticheli, and others.
November 21 | Sacred Breath: Indigenous Writing and Storytelling Series (American Indian Studies)
As the days grow shorter, we gather in for a gathering with friends, family, and community to appreciate some long-form storytelling. Free.
November 21 | Wetlandia: Analytics for a Global Terraqueous Humanities (Simpson Center for the Humanities) This symposium brings together global wetland scholars to propose four analytical interventions in wetland studies, namely: rethinking the undisciplined wetland; post-colonial/settler politics of the wetland; shifting spatial geographies and temporalities of the wetland; and finally (counter) mapping the wetland. Free.
November 24 | Studio Jazz Ensemble and Modern Band (Music)
The UW Studio Jazz Ensemble and Modern Band present a shared program featuring a mix of repertory selections, original compositions, and inspired arrangements. Under the direction of Cuong Vu, the Modern Band explores innovative trends in contemporary jazz, while the Studio Jazz Ensemble, led by Marc Seales, showcases the precision and excitement of big band jazz. This performance offers a dynamic evening of jazz that highlights the talents of UW’s student musicians.
Closing January 11 | 
November 6 – 16 | 
November 12 | 
Online Option – November 16 | 
November 20 | 
November 21 | 