Conscious Choice Seattle: Councilman of Kid

March 2004 | Evergreen Citizen

Councilman of Kid

From the pages of his new children's book and Seattle City Council post, Nick Licata's vision is about keeping Seattle from becoming ‘Zurbia

BY SILJA J.A. TALVI

Nick Licata’s credentials as a hard-working, progressive politician are impressive. In addition to his environmental, civil rights and arts advocacy on the Seattle City Council (Licata holds Position 6 through 2005), he is the founder and board member of The Civic Foundation, plus president of the 911 Media Arts Center’s board.

With a long list of accomplishments, Licata decided to stretch a bit farther and publish his first children’s book, “Princess Bianca and The Vandals” (visit www. princessbianca .org). Licata spins an engrossing tale for 8- to 12-year-olds, delivering adventure, suspense and magic through the eyes of a daring princess—and a subtext that calls our rapid pace of modernization into question. Here are some insights from March’s Evergreen Citizen.

EM: Why write a children’s book like “Princess Bianca and The Vandals”?

Licata : I had always been a storyteller because of my early dyslexia. … I didn’t read until fourth grade. Before that, I could see words but they didn’t make sense. It was all a jumble up to that point.

EM: So you learned to tell stories when you were a child?

Licata : When I was 9 years old, my friends and I all go out into this large woodsy area—in Cleveland of all places. When we got there, my friends always wanted me to tell stories. I learned when you’re telling stories to other kids, you’ve got to make it really interesting or you’re going to lose their attention right away.

EM: In your book, Tiara is a peaceful, environmentally sound kingdom with no cars allowed within its borders. Bicycles and horses are used, unlike in nearby Zurbia, which is car-choked. Why was this important for you to put in the story?

Licata : It’s a fantasy; wouldn’t it be ideal if we had a community without cars? Occasionally I’ve had the opportunity to visit Mediterranean islands with nearly no car traffic. … The pace of life is so much slower, so much more casual. People pay attention to breathing there. Here, I’m in the opposite world. … I think we’re on our way to Zurbia.

EM: So, what it is that keeps you here in Seattle, if we’re turning into Zurbia?

Licata : Community. Here, there’s community and there’s hope. With all the downsides Seattle has that are similar to other major urban cities, there is a sense of optimism and can-do. As I always say, it’s a town filled with people who ran away from home. We’re not exactly in Never-Never Land. But we are creating our own land.

EM: What is your biggest challenge in the Seattle City Council in the upcoming year?

Licata : I’m the head of the Public Safety Committee, and the biggest challenge is in civil rights. This sounds simple, but it’s almost insurmountable: My goal is to try to really improve the amount of respect between police officers and people in the community, particularly in communities of color.

It’s something that we only talk about, unfortunately, when there’s violence. It’s a topic that politicians normally don’t address until there’s a flashpoint. … So, I’m searching for new ways to achieve understanding.

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