one pot + op ed III = june 17

our op(posing) ed(itorial) series is rather simple. stick a small bit of dynamite up the ass of that strange whitebreadamerican concept that we cannot talk of things that matter at the dinner table – stick it up there, and do some damage – some of us believe the table is the place to talk – perhaps that is why it was built in the first place.
the 17th is father’s day. and so we are going to hear from the kids. I have been fortunate enough to start working with the remarkable and fierce executive director of 826 seattle - teri hein (if you aren’t familiar with dave eggers and his national 826 explosion – now is the time). I approached teri letting her know that I wanted to include some young voices in the op ed series – imagining I would get to sit down with and inspire some writings from a few precocious over-achieving-15-year-olds, you know – honor roll types. teri had a different idea – she took we straight down to john marshall school, which truth be told is a bit of a war zone – a mongrel home to the most violent offenders in the seattle districts and strangely held in orbit with the only teenage parent program in the city – it is combustible and raw. and I dropped in the middle to ask these kids to consider a question, a question from the trenches:
“is childhood gone?”
and they have been writing their asses off for the last month under the watchful eye of their magnificent steward audra gallegos– we have had heated discussions about childhood, we have gone through countless drafts, done group readings, and now we have worked it down to three short editorials from three amazing young writers – and they will be at dinner to voice their thoughts on childhood. this will be an intense night – don’t come if you are feint of heart – these kids have had some tough childhoods – and they speak plainly and from the heart – they will be joining us for dinner – and it is my hope that like the past op ed dinners – conversational will erupt into passionate dialogue – on this night of fathers – childhood will be considered and celebrated. - MH

one pot + op ed II = march 25

we started something at the last verite dinner that will continue - we are now commissioning whimsical opposing editorials - aka op eds - that are read at the beginning of dinner and then later published in collected volumes - we are protesting this stupid latent concept that in america we can’t talk of sex, politics or religion at the dinner table. last month you missed ny times sometimes contributor viva las vegas (daytime job: stripper) square off against local savant charles mudede - the topic: love vs. hate. what are we sparring about in march? it will be a suprise. - MH

one pot + op ed II = march 25

the first one pot at the darlin little verite coffee house was spectacular – the space was transformed and felt like some strange barge afloat dark waters, we went somewhere that night, I am just not sure where – it begged to be repeated. my interest is to look backward at the role the coffeehouse has undoubtably played in the shaping of progressive culture, the coffeehouse represents quite frankly the most serialized revolutionary landscape I know of – so in response this series of dinners with café verite will start to investigate – perhaps in peculiar ways – this dynamic history and continuum. and um – the food and company should be stellar. - MH

one pot + verite = dec 17

our first café verite one pot. café verite/cupcake royale is the sandinsta rebel of seattle’s coffee culture. this dinner will be held in their madrona location. menu will be a surprise, but expect the food to be a little more tame than our sitka and spruce events. - MH