Editor at Large

James Ross Gardner is the former editor in chief of Seattle Met. During his time as top editor the magazine won numerous awards, including the national City and Regional Magazine Association's award for general excellence, twice (in 2015 and 2018). While at Seattle Met, James's writing has garnered 14 first place awards from the regional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and has been a finalist for seven national CRMA awards. His work has also appeared in Esquire, GQ, and The New York Times, among others. He lives in Seattle’s Central District neighborhood.

Article

Northwest Bookshelf: Blueprints of the Afterlife

Ryan Boudinot’s second novel, Blueprints of the Afterlife, plunges readers into a Seattle at least a century in the future, where construction is under way to transform Bainbridge Island into a full-scale replica of Manhattan.

03/07/2012 Edited by James Ross Gardner

History

Seattle Time Capsule Fails

Seattle Center is establishing a virtual time capsule, one in which locals share their experiences via audio and video and post them online. Not a bad idea, given our region’s track record with physical time capsules.

03/07/2012 By James Ross Gardner

Article

This is Your Brain on Love

Neuroscience has a lot to say about the emotion most celebrated on February 14.

01/25/2012 By James Ross Gardner

Article

Visionaries Imagine Seattle in 2062

David Miller, Erik Lindbergh, and Dr. Leroy Hood imagine Seattle 50 years from now.

01/20/2012 By James Ross Gardner and Brian Colella

Article

1962 World’s Fair 50th Anniversary

Fifty years ago, the 1962 World’s Fair did more than just celebrate global culture. It put Seattle on display, inspired world leaders, and erected a certain needle-shaped tower. A look at the 184 days that changed Seattle—and the world—forever.

01/20/2012 With Kathryn Robinson, Matthew Halverson, Laura Cassidy, Christopher Werner, Laura Dannen, Brian Colella, Allecia Vermillion, and Janet Pelz By James Ross Gardner and Allison Williams

Climate Change

Will Seattle Be the Answer to Overpopulation Woes?

As the world population swells—and vital resources vanish—humans may flock to the Northwest.

12/23/2011 By James Ross Gardner

Tech World

Steve Jobs and the Sins of His Father

Thirty-seven years ago Steve Jobs’s biological father led a group of college students into Egypt. Then he vanished. A forgotten Tacoma crime story.

11/23/2011 By James Ross Gardner

Tech World

Steve Jobs’s Biological Father Allegedly Left Students Stranded in Egypt

In the 1970s, John Jandali, Steve Jobs’ biological father, led a group of college students to the Middle East—then purportedly disappeared with their money. Is that why the late Apple CEO refused to meet him?

10/28/2011 By James Ross Gardner

Article

The Curious Case of Seattle’s Vaccine Anxiety

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports Washington State has the highest vaccination opt-out rate in the nation. And the opt-outs are notably pervasive in some of Seattle’s most affluent and well-educated communities.

10/21/2011 By James Ross Gardner

Feature

Diary of a Deadly Year

In 2010, Yakima County experienced more murders than at any other time in its 145-year history, the highest homicide rate in the state, and one of the highest in the nation. What gives?

10/14/2011 By James Ross Gardner

Article

The Green Identity

Market researches love to tell us what we are. And, say the demographic diviners at Manhattan-based Scarborough Research, Seattleites are—ready for this?—Super Greenies, according to a new study titled “All About the Super Greenies."

09/21/2011 By James Ross Gardner

Article

Andrew Villeneuve Takes On Tim Eyman

Don’t freak out or anything, but the future of our state could hinge on the work of a 24-year-old college student who lives with his parents. Meet Andrew Villeneuve, computer geek, scourge of the right wing, and the only person who leaves Tim Eyman speech

08/19/2011 By James Ross Gardner

Article

UW Gets Robotics Funding

The $18.5 million the University of Washington just bagged from the National Science Foundation will no doubt lead to some impressive robotics. The school—along with MIT and San Diego State University—is tasked with establishing and maintaining the Engine

08/19/2011 By James Ross Gardner

Article

Pioneer Square on the Rise

The Pioneer Square neighborhood maintains much of its original Romanesque Revival and Victorian architecture, yet dozens of empty storefronts leave the regal buildings looking like toothless smiles. But you’d be hard-pressed to call Pioneer Square dead, S

07/29/2011 By James Ross Gardner

Feature

The Girl on the Bridge

The Aurora Bridge was the Northwest’s most notorious suicide site for 80 years. After one man’s plan to finally erect a fence to deter fatalities was stalled, a race unfolded to save one last person.

06/29/2011 By James Ross Gardner