Author Visit, Lecture & Book Signing - Tuna: A Love Story

Tickets for this event are available by calling 206-543-9681. Tickets are free for Burke members and $5 for the general public.

Noted nature writer Richard Ellis reads from and signs his highly praised new book, Tuna: A Love Story, at the Burke Museum. A celebrated marine artist and author, Ellis combines drawings, photographs, and comprehensive research to illustrate threats to the majestic and highly coveted bluefin tuna. Ellis will give a full-scale slide show, share personal stories from his research experience, and sign copies of his book.

"Lamenting that the 'most beautiful fish in the world is literally being eaten out of extinction,' prominent marine writer and artist Richard Ellis eloquently describes the threats to the majestic, fast-swimming, highly coveted bluefin tuna, target of the insatiable sushi market.

"Ellis is writing for a broad general audience concerned with species conservation. The author's drawings and photographs of the bluefin, yellowfin, albacore, skipjack, and blueeye tunas enhance his text, which examines tuna physiology, behavior, and migration patterns and traces the history of tuna fishing. Ellis also draws an appalling picture of tuna ranches in the world's oceans, tuna slaughtering methods, disregard for international set catch quotas, and the mercury content of the various tuna species, all of which should put a damper on consumption. He interviewed fishers in many ports all over the world and has compiled at 26-page bibliography. A timely, balanced, and passionate work." — Judith B. Barnett, in a starred review for Library Journal

Richard Ellis is the author of more than a dozen books. He is also a celebrated marine artist whose paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. He has written and illustrated articles for numerous magazines, including Audubon, National Geographic, Discover, Smithsonian, and Scientific American. He lives in New York City.