Presented by KNKX. In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators. Her recent Netflix series Pretend It’s a City, directed by Martin Scorcese, offers an unforgettable glimpse into her world view, and was a tremendous success in its debut earlier this year.

Her essays and interviews offer her acerbic views on current events and the media – as well as pet peeves including tourists, baggage-claim areas, after-shave lotion, adults who roller skate, children who speak French, or anyone who is unduly tan. The New York Times Book Review calls Lebowitz an “important humorist in the classic tradition.” Purveyor of urban cool, Lebowitz is a cultural satirist whom many call the heir to Dorothy Parker.

For her long-awaited (and Covid-delayed) return to Benaroya Hall, Fran will chat with Seattle favorite David Schmader and field audience questions. Schmader, a writer and performer devoted to exploring his obsessions, from homophobic rock stars and conversion therapy to cannabis and trash cinema, was a staff writer and editor at The Stranger, where he wrote the issue-opening column “Last Days: The Week in Review” for 18 years.