SEATTLE – Aug. 7, 2009 – In its heyday, the Fireside Room at the Sorrento Hotel served as a civic hub, where thought leaders convened to exchange ideas about the arts, culture and politics, and the community gathered for music performances and poetry readings. As part of ongoing programming to celebrate its centennial, the Sorrento, Seattle’s oldest boutique hotel, is collaborating with Ross Reynolds, host of KUOW’s “The Conversation,” to hold a series of monthly Fireside Chats.

The public is welcome to attend the free chats, which will be taped and then excerpted for broadcast on KUOW the next day. The first Fireside welcomes Hanson Hosein, Director of the Master of Communication in Digital Media at the University of Washington in Seattle, independent filmmaker, a former NBC News war correspondent and investigative producer, and Emmy Award winner.