The artistic influence of an IHOP: Today So Far

• Playwright August Wilson's connections to Seattle.
• Schools face challenges as a new school year approaches.
• How Seattle police handle mental health crises.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for August 24, 2022.

Artists generally soak up their environment, whatever it may be, and evolve that input into a new level of experience. That's what makes them artists. I've passed by the Olympia house where Kurt Cobain once lived; legend says the house has a lot to do with "Smells Like Teen Spirit." A while ago, I walked by Seattle's Black Dog Forge where Pearl Jam and Soundgarden crafted their sounds. I've toured Dublin to see houses and the many pubs of great Irish writers (tip: whatever Dublin pub you're in, James Joyce drank there. He was in all of them, I guess). And I've sought out the original location of The Star Club in Hamburg's red light district to see where the Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix, took the stage before they became worldwide sensations.

Though, I would never have guessed that one of America's most talented playwrights spent hours soaking up the ambiance of an IHOP. But that's what August Wilson did, right here in Seattle.

"He is the most celebrated Black American playwright, period, of all time," UW Professor Charles Johnson told KUOW.

Johnson was friends with Wilson. He said that the two would spend hours chatting it up at the local IHOP. By that time, Wilson was known for his series of plays set in Pittsburgh. He continued to add to that series while living in Seattle, now referred to as the "Pittsburgh Cycle" or the "Century Cycle."

As KUOW's Mike Davis reports, Wilson spent the 1990s in Seattle cafes and at IHOP. He also performed his one-man play at Seattle Reparatory Theatre. It was in Seattle where Wilson crafted stories ahead of their big Broadway debuts. His notable time in Seattle came to mind this week after the August Wilson House opened to the public — an arts center inside the writer's childhood home in Pittsburgh, the city he wrote about.

I often romanticize the old haunts of artists, like a perfect film set for the movie of their life. You don't often consider great talents going about everyday life, like normal people, gassing up their cars, picking up after their pets, choosing which milk to buy at the store. Or just enjoying company at a chain pancake house.

Check our more of Davis' story on Wilson here.

It sounds odd to say, given the short summer we've had (after the long, cold spring), but school is starting back up soon.

In Kent, however, teachers are still negotiating with the district for higher pay and better working conditions. They have until tonight to get things in order if they want to start classes on time tomorrow.

Seattle Public Schools is facing its own challenges as it prepares for its school year. The big problem — buses. Specifically, there is a bus driver shortage. SPS already secured contracts with school bus companies, so the buses are ready, there just aren't any drivers for them. The same shortage forced the district to cut 142 routes last year. Student families will be notified if their bus route will be operational ahead of the first day of class on September 7.

It's well-known at this point that police are often the first to respond to mental health crises in Seattle. Sometimes, a mental health professional is present, but not always.

Seattle Times Reporter Esmy Jimenez spoke with Seattle Now to discuss the 11,000-14,000 mental health calls that SPD responds to each year.

"The reason for that gap is because something initially might no be coded as a mental health emergency," Jimenez said. "Someone might make a call and say, 'Hey, someone is outside and maybe it looks like they are prowling for cars.' And it turns out, they are in a mental health emergency. Somebody could be a noise complaint ... also a behavioral health call."

Jimenez adds that about half of SPD officers are certified in crisis intervention training. SPD also has a 10-person crisis intervention team that pairs an officer with a social worker. The idea is to benefit from the nuance and awareness of the social worker, instead of spooking a person in crisis.

Hear Jimenez's full discussion about SPD's approach to crisis intervention on today's episode of Seattle Now.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

The Intruder and the Marathon, two purse-seine boats, rescue the crew of the Aleutian Isle amid flotsam on July 13 off San Juan Island. Efforts continue to remove fuel from the sunken boat at the bottom of the ocean before it spills further into the environment. (Courtesy of Protected Seas and Beam Reach)

DID YOU KNOW?

Washington state has the fourth least student debt in the USA ... sort of.

According to an assessment by the nerds at WalletHub, Washington ranks 48th in the nation when it comes to states' levels of student debt. WalletHub considered the average student debt in each state, along with factors like the proportion of students with debt; share of students in default status; and income-driven repayment plans. It added all that up to develop its rankings.

Despite WalletHub's title of "states with the most and least student debt," it's not just about which states actually have the most and least. It's more accurate to say which states have the most strain from student debt. I am entertained when websites like WalletHub get a group of PhDs to play with numbers, mainly because it's a good exercise in considering those numbers and how they can be tweaked. For example, New Hampshire has the highest average student debt, but ranks fourth on this list because of those other factors. South Dakota has the highest proportion of students with debt. Utah is under the least amount of student debt in at 51st. I don't see too much consideration for local rising rents, inflation, or pay gaps.

So who has the most or least student debt? The numbers say one thing, but I bet if you ask anyone around Washington state, they don't feel like they're in 48th place.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

Biden is canceling up to $10K in student loans, $20K for Pell Grant recipients

President Biden announced a sweeping effort to forgive up to $20,000 of federal student loan debt for Pell Grant recipients, and up to $10,000 for other qualifying borrowers. Biden also extended the federal student loan payment pause through Dec. 31.

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