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SAM Talks | Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

Sat Oct 25 2025

3–4 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Photo: Dorothy Edwards, Crosscut.

Join celebrated author and activist Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore for an intimate talk and reading from her bold new novel Terry Dactyl. This “historical novel on acid” journeys from the queer club scenes of the ’80s and ’90s to the pandemic-era streets of Seattle, tracing a fierce search for community, art, and identity across decades of upheaval and transformation.

Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore is a Lambda Literary Award-winning author of seven books, and the editor of six anthologies. Her most recent book, Touching the Art, was a finalist for a Washington State Book Award and a Pacific Northwest Book Award. Her previous book, The Freezer Door, was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and a finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award.

Program

2:30 pm Auditorium opens

3 pm Program begins

3:45 pm Q&A

4 pm Meet & Greet and Book Signing

4:30 pm Program concludes

5 pm Museum closes

Masks are strongly encouraged when attending this program to help keep our community safe and healthy. Masks will be available at the door.

Tickets

Free with RSVP

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Join the dialogue and reflect on important topics related to art and culture.

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