1 FEBRUARY  |  2 PM
Courageous Stories Chinese-Language Tour /勇气的故事中文之旅
What does courage look like? From bold action to quiet resilience, courage takes many forms. This interactive tour invites visitors to examine and discuss artworks in the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum’s permanent collection that demonstrate various courageous acts across time, experience and circumstance. Led by student educators, the museum’s public tours encourage visitors to learn and discover through close looking, conversation and creative engagement with artworks on view. Registration requested.
勇气是什么模样？它既可以是豪迈的行动，也可以是静默的坚忍；在不同的时代与处境中，勇气呈现出千姿百态的面貌。 学生导览员将带领观众欣赏并探讨馆藏艺术品以及它们所诉说的勇气的故事，现场亦将安排对话交流与创意互动，帮助大家更深入地理解展出作品。Kemper美术馆接待台.
Washington University, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Museum Lobby

2 FEBRUARY  |  12 PM
Artist Talk: Ballaké Sissoko, kora
BALLAKÉ SISSOKO, master kora virtuoso, will be joined by Professor of Music Patrick Burke and Senior Lecturer in African and African American Studies El Hadji Samba Amadou Diallo (both of WashU) in a conversation about the kora and its significance in West African musical traditions. Department of African and African American Studies, Department of Music. 
560 Music Center, Pillsbury Theatre, 560 Trinity Ave, St. Louis, 63130

2 FEBRUARY  |  4:30 PM
Conflict over the Identity and Future of Korean Buddhism: The Buddhist Purification Movement, 1954–1970
RICHARD D. MCBRIDE II, Brigham Young University. Immediately after liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, celibate Korean Buddhist monks sought to abolish the Temple Ordinance instituted by the Japanese Governor-General’s Office in 1911 by rejecting the practice of clerical marriage and reinstituting celibate monasticism and reorienting the Korean Buddhist Order towards the propagation of Sŏn Buddhism. This became known as the “Buddhist Purification Movement” (Pulgyo chŏnghwa undong 佛敎淨化運動). Program in Religious Studies, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures.
Washington University, Umrath Hall, Umrath Lounge

3 FEBRUARY  |  12 PM
Fear and Phantasms
JUDITH BUTLER, Distinguished Professor in the Graduate School at the University of California, Berkeley. Faculty Book Celebration keynote speaker (see below) Judith Butler joins a conversation with WashU faculty members Marlon Bailey, professor of African and African American studies, and women, gender and sexuality studies; Fannie Bialek, assistant professor of religion and politics; and Tamsin Kimoto, assistant professor of women, gender, and sexuality studies. The panel will be moderated by Talia Dan-Cohen, associate professor of sociocultural anthropology and associate director of the Center for the Humanities. Registration required; new registrations are online only. See website. Center for the Humanities.
Washington University, Hillman Hall, Clark-Fox Forum

3 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
A Counter-Imaginary to Authoritarian Power: Gender, Passion and other Psychosocial Formations
JUDITH BUTLER, Distinguished Professor in the Graduate School at the University of California, Berkeley. Judith Butler taught critical theory, rhetoric and comparative literature in the Graduate School at the University of California, Berkeley for nearly 30 years. Their publications — including the landmark Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity and, most recently, Who’s Afraid of Gender? — have been translated into 27 languages. At the lecture, WashU faculty members René Esparza (Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies) and Anca Parvulescu (English) will also deliver a short talk on their new publications. Registration required; new registrations are online only. See website. Livestream gathering in the Women’s Building Formal Lounge, 4 pm. Center for the Humanities.
Washington University, Hillman Hall, Clark-Fox Forum

4 FEBRUARY–1 MARCH
The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body
A daring meditation of life and resilience, The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body is playwright Lisa B. Thompson’s theatrical love letter to Black women and girls, celebrating the joys and challenges of growing older and wiser. Hailed as a joyous, raucous, spiritual event, knowing that in spite of it all, we are still here. $20. The Black Rep.
Washington University, Mallinckrodt Center, A. E. Hotchner Studio Theatre, 6445 Forsyth Blvd., St. Louis, 63130

4 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
Panel Discussion: The Political Economy of Translation
What is the place of translation in the contemporary literary system? In what relation is the funding and publication of translation to contemporary geopolitical events? How do literary institutions, including universities, value the labor of translation? How do we conceive of translation as a mode of authorship? We asked our three panelists — Ena Selimović, AJ Javaheri and Mona Kareem, acclaimed translators who translate from/into Bosnian, Farsi and Arabic — to answer these questions and others and engage in conversation with each other and the audience. Department of English.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge

4 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
Prints and Photographs from the Collection
Join Assistant Curator Dana Ostrander and Curatorial Assistant Hannah Ward, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, for a tour of a selection from the museum's Works on Paper Gallery. This discussion will explore photography and printmaking as reproducible mediums, revealing how technologies like the negative and the printing plate have enabled the widespread circulation of images for a range of aesthetic, conceptual and political purposes. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Washington University, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Museum Lobby

5 FEBRUARY  |  4:30 PM
Faculty Book Talk: Samuel Shearer, Kigali
SAMUEL SHEARER, assistant professor in the Department of African and African American Studies, will discuss his book, Kigali: A New City for the End of the World, with Jessica Samuel, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of African and African American Studies, and Scott Ross, lecturer in sociocultural anthropology (all from WashU). Kigali is an ethnography of a city that is being destroyed so that it can be rebuilt for the end of the world. Drawing on years of ethnographic fieldwork with Kigali residents as they navigate the catastrophes induced by sustainable urbanism, this book offers a searing critique of capitalist solutions to climate change and an account of the city’s popular alternatives to sustainable urbanism. Registration requested. University Libraries.
Washington University, Olin Library, Room 142

5 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Courage and Faith: Nostra Aetate at 60 and the Future of Catholic-Jewish Relations
The Most Rev. Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski and Rabbi Noam Marans in a conversation moderated by Fr. David J. Suwalsky. Nostra Aetate is a declaration of the Second Vatican Council issued on October 28, 1965, that concerns the Catholic Church’s relationship with non-Christian religions. The document, which means “In Our Time,” repudiates anti-Semitism, rejects the charge of deicide against the Jews, and affirms the Church’s shared spiritual heritage with Judaism and respect for Islam and other religions. Registration required. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics.
Washington University, Knight Hall, Emerson Auditorium

6 FEBRUARY  |  3 PM
The Story of Finding Style by Honoring Roots – An Artist’s Journey From Hometown to the World Stage
Performer, historian and writer Walter Parks shares the bounty of his Library of Congress-archived research on three genres of music from Southeast Georgia’s Okefinokee Swamp — hymns, hollers and reels. This entertaining and educational workshop with performance examples and relevant stories also encompasses originals, reimagined Southern U.S. spirituals and Richie Havens classics.  Parks will discuss how researching the art, music and culture of the area from which an artist comes can inform the artist’s style. Parks toured and recorded the world over with Woodstock legend Richie Havens — performing at New York’s Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden and at The Glastonbury Festival in England. In 2014, Walter was the sole accompanist of Judy Collins at her Lincoln Center tribute to Pete Seeger. He is the leader of two Americana roots groups: Swamp Cabbage (electric-folk/rock) and The Unlawful Assembly (reimagined spirituals). Department of Music.
Washington University, Knight Hall, Emerson Auditorium

9 FEBRUARY  |  4:30 PM
The Bible and the Bard: How Conservative Protestants Made Shakespeare “Secular Scripture”
JILLIAN SNYDER, assistant director, Glynn Family Honors Program, and assistant teaching professor, University of Notre Dame. Snyder’s book project, Sincere Performances: Scripting the Body in Post-Reformation England, examines how preachers and players in Shakespeare’s England grappled with the lived bodily experience of Protestant reform. She also writes on the reception of Shakespeare in American religious communities from the 19th through the 21st century, exploring how these communities find a source of cultural capital in Shakespeare. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge

10 FEBRUARY  |  4:30 PM
Roundtable on the Book A Matter of Detail: Anthropology, Philosophy, and Aesthetics
Join the Transatlantic Forum for a roundtable discussion on the book A Matter of Detail: Anthropology, Philosophy, and Aesthetics featuring Dr. Perig Pitrou (EHESS, Paris), Sandra Laugier (Paris | Panthéon-Sorbonne), and Andrew Brandel (University of Chicago). A Matter of Detail inspires new ways of thinking about detail by bringing anthropology, philosophy, art history and aesthetics into direct conversation. Co-editors Brandel, Das, Laugier and Pitrou challenge a long-standing assumption that the history of detail begins with European modernity and follows a teleological course from an object of scorn to a sign of the good. In its place, they offer a history of attention to detail that draws on classical and vernacular histories and traditions found in grammar, ritual and poetics around the world. Emphasizing detail as a method and moving between its usage as a noun (detail) and a verb (detailing) enables them to tell stories about the reassembly of detail across accidents, contingencies, and unintended consequences. Department of Anthropology.
Washington University, McMillan Hall, Room G052

10 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
Americanist Dinner Forum with Distinguished Visiting Scholar Jarvis Givens
JARVIS R. GIVENS is a professor of education and African and African American studies at Harvard University. He specializes in 19th- and 20th-century African American history and theories of race, power and schooling. Givens is the author of American Grammar: Race, Education, and the Building of a Nation, School Clothes: A Collective Memoir of Black Student Witness and Fugitive Pedagogy: Carter G. Woodson and the Art of Black Teaching. His newest book, I’ll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month, will be released in February 2026. This event is currently at capacity; please contact Alison Eigel Zade (ealison@wustl.edu) to be added to the waitlist. Program for American Culture Studies.
Washington University, Umrath Hall, Umrath Lounge

12 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
Composing a Classic: Ancestral Timecraft in Pindar’s Fourth Nemean Ode
The Rev. Bryan Y. Norton earned a PhD in Classics from WashU in December 2025. His research focuses on Greek lyric poetry, with particular attention to Pindar, questions of tradition and innovation, and the role of ancestry and time in lyric composition. His work brings together close literary analysis with broader questions about poetic memory, cultural inheritance and the making of the classical past. Department of Classics.
Washington University, Seigle Hall, Room 208

12 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
Spacing Palestine: Mapping and Speculative Infrastructures
HELGA TAWIL-SOURI is an associate professor in the department of Middle East and Islamic Studies at New York University. This talk invites us to think about Palestine alongside both the real and conceptual confines of territoriality through contemporary examples of mapping, communication and infrastructures. While keeping our attention on questions of space, land and territorialization, the talk posits the possibilities and challenges of approaching, and overcoming, the Palestinian condition of fragmentation, distance and disconnection. Department of Jewish, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies.
Washington University, Umrath Hall, Umrath Lounge

12 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Shannon Robinson and Katya Apekina Readings
SHANNON ROBINSON and Katya Apekina, alumni of the WashU MFA program, host a one-night reading. Shannon Robinson’s debut short story collection, The Ill-Fitting Skin, is winner of the Press 53 Award for Short Fiction (2024). She teaches in the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University. Katya Apekina is a novelist, screenwriter and translator. Her debut novel, The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish, was named a Best Book of 2018 by Kirkus, Buzzfeed, LitHub and others. Her second novel, Mother Doll, was named a Best Book of 2024 by Vogue. Department of English.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge

13 FEBRUARY  |  11 AM
Douglass Day
Drop in for a collaborative digital transcribe-a-thon in celebration of the birthday of Frederick Douglass, noted abolitionist, orator and U.S. ambassador to Haiti. Together with Douglass Day events across the country, we will be transcribing documents from the African American Perspectives Collection at the Library of Congress. These events represent a moment to participate in and celebrate the preservation of African American intellectual history firsthand. RSVP requested. University Libraries.
Washington University, Olin Library, Room 142

13 FEBRUARY  |  3 PM
Music in St. Louis
Associate Professor of Music Christopher Stark (WashU) moderates a panel discussion on St. Louis music with musicians Damon Davis, Blvck Spvde and Mvstermind. Department of Music.
Washington University, Music Classroom Building, Room 102

14 FEBRUARY  |  11:30 AM
Beauty in Nature
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a guided journey through artworks that illustrate nature’s transformative power to inspire wonder, awe and romance, while also revealing the complex histories that shape the landscapes depicted by 19th- and 20th-century artists. Come with someone special or enjoy an inspirational moment for yourself. Led by student educators, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum’s public tours encourage visitors to learn and discover through close looking, conversation and creative engagement with artworks on view. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Washington University, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Museum Lobby

16 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
Patrick Bringley, All the Beauty in the World (Author Talk)
PATRICK BRINGLEY is the New York Times bestselling author of All the Beauty in the World, a memoir about his decade working as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Named one of the best books of the year by the New York Public Library, Financial Times, Audible, Sunday Times (London) and others, the book has resonated globally, with translated editions from Brazil to Ukraine to South Korea, where it became a number one national bestseller. Bringley starred in an off-Broadway production of All the Beauty in the World at the DR2 theater on Union Square, a solo play he adapted from his book, directed by Dominic Dromgoole, formerly the artistic director of the Globe Theatre in London. Department of Romance Languages and Literatures.
Washington University, Umrath Hall, Umrath Lounge

17 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
St. Louis Reads Dante
St. Louis Reads Dante invites readers of all backgrounds — curious newcomers and seasoned Dante enthusiasts alike — to join a monthly journey through Dante’s Comedy, one canto at a time. Whether you're discovering Dante’s epic poem for the first time or returning to it with fresh questions, this is a chance to engage deeply with a work that continues to inspire, provoke and challenge across time. Julie Singer, professor of French, will introduce Canto VI of Dante’s Inferno, followed by readings of the canto in both Italian and English and a Q&A session. RSVP requested. University Libraries, Department of Romance Languages and Literature.
Washington University, Olin Library, Ginkgo Reading Room

17 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Visiting Hurst Professor Liz Howard Craft Talk
LIZ HOWARD is a poet, editor and teacher. Her work explores Anishinaabe ways of knowing, cosmology, ecology and the liberatory potentials of language as art. Her first collection, Infinite Citizen of the Shaking Tent, won the 2016 Griffin Poetry Prize and was shortlisted for the 2015 Governor General’s Award for Poetry. Her second collection, Letters in a Bruised Cosmos, was shortlisted for the 2022 Griffin Poetry Prize and the Trillium Poetry Prize. Born and raised on Treaty 9 territory in Northern Ontario (Chapleau), she is of mixed settler and Anishinaabe heritage (reconnecting to Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation, Robinson-Huron). Department of English.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge

18 FEBRUARY  |  3 PM
Virtual Book Club: The Story Collector
One hundred years ago, Anna, a young farm girl, volunteers to help an intriguing American visitor translate fairy stories from Irish to English. In New York in the present day, Sarah Harper boards a plane bound for the West Coast of Ireland. But once there, she finds she has unearthed dark secrets — secrets that tread the line between the everyday and the otherworldly, the seen and the unseen. Book Club will begin with a short presentation on how libraries determine what they collect, followed by a discussion of the book. Registration required for Zoom link. University Libraries.
Zoom

19 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
Resistance and Underground Railroads to Mexican Spaces
MARÍA ESTHER HAMMACK, assistant professor of African American history, Ohio State University. In 1855, Roda, a 19-year-old Black woman, fled her Missouri enslaver. The distance to reach the Canadian border from where she was held enslaved in Johnston County, Missouri, was equal to the distance to the Mexican border — roughly about 950 miles. Roda made her way towards Mexico. “Even the Slaves from the Upper Part of Missouri Are Taking the Fever”: Resistance & Underground Railroads to Mexican Spaces will highlight these hidden histories and document the freedom journeys from Missouri to Mexican geographies. Related materials from the Julian Edison Department of Special Collections will be on display before and after the lecture. Registration requested. University Libraries, WashU & Slavery Project and Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Equity (CRE2). 
Washington University, Olin Library, Room 142 and Ginkgo Reading Room

19 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
Should Animal Testing Be Phased Out?
ANNE BARIL, senior lecturer in philosophy, Erik Herzog, professor of biology, WashU. Laboratory research using non-human animal subjects has traditionally played a central role in biology and medicine, among other fields, but regulators and funding agencies in 2025 began a push towards alternatives.  The UK government announced ambitious plans to “phase out” animal testing and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health stopped offering grants that use only animal models of human disease and health. Are these policies wise? To what extent should scientific or medical knowledge generation be sacrificed for the sake of nonhuman animal welfare? Do animals have rights that scientists need to work around? Does animal testing inherently treat nonhuman animals as less important than humans? Frick Initative, Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy and Department of Philosophy.
Washington University, Danforth University Center, Room 276

19 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Visiting Hurst Professor Liz Howard Reading
LIZ HOWARD is a poet, editor and teacher. Her work explores Anishinaabe ways of knowing, cosmology, ecology and the liberatory potentials of language as art. Her first collection, Infinite Citizen of the Shaking Tent, won the 2016 Griffin Poetry Prize and was shortlisted for the 2015 Governor General’s Award for Poetry. Her second collection, Letters in a Bruised Cosmos, was shortlisted for the 2022 Griffin Poetry Prize and the Trillium Poetry Prize. Born and raised on Treaty 9 territory in Northern Ontario (Chapleau), she is of mixed settler and Anishinaabe heritage (reconnecting to Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation, Robinson-Huron). Department of English.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge

20 FEBRUARY–1 MARCH
Our Town
A theatrical American classic. Winner of a Pulitzer Prize. Performed at least once a day somewhere in the world. What keeps an almost 90-year-old play vibrant and consequential? The story and the storytelling. Following the everyday lives of a town, the story contains luminous extractions from life — some joyous, some ordinary, some shattering — that make up resonating, shared points of contact across places and time. The play’s storytelling style is one that imaginatively concentrates eyes and ears on the dramatically essential moments that make up the endless stream of life.  $19-$24, free for WashU students. Performing Arts Department.
Washington University, Edison Theatre

20 FEBRUARY  |  12 PM
Kemper Unplugged: Seul Lee, violin, and Kimberly Jeong, cello
This concert is a presentation of works by Asian American composers, performed by St. Louis Symphony Orchestra violinist Seul Lee and cellist Kimberly Jeong. From the ancient rain cycles of Indian raga to the folk dances of rural China, the meditative stillness of the Mongolian desert, and the charged rhythm of contemporary Korea, each offers a unique exploration of memory, identity and place. The performance will feature works by Reena Esmail, Chen Yi, Texu Kim and Lei Liang. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Washington University, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Museum Lobby

20 FEBRUARY  |  3 PM
Varun Chandrasekhar and Christina Smiley
CHRISTINA SMILEY gives the talk “Sonic Archives: Recovering Affrilachian Labor Histories in R. Nathaniel Dett's Music in the Mine (1916).” Varun Chandrasekhar fives the talk “‘CAN I STILL GET INTO HEAVEN IF I KILL MYSELF’: La Dispute and Emo’s Suburban Whiteness.” Department of Music.
Washington University, Music Classroom Building, Room 102

20 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
Pélagie X
Join us for a screening of Pélagie X, a new short film that chronicles the life of Pélagie Amoureux, a formerly enslaved woman who defied societal norms and fought for her rights in courtroom battles. Following the screening, a panel discussion will feature the filmmakers, descendants of Pélagie and experts on the 18th-century Amoureux House. The panel, featuring Don Strand, Rita Washington, Jim Baker and Sharee Antoinae will be moderated by Jeanne Rosine Abomo Edou. Department of Romance Languages and Literatures.
Washington University, Umrath Hall, Umrath Lounge

21 FEBRUARY  |  9 AM
Digital Paedagogos: A Symposium in Memory of Carl Conrad 
HELMA DIK, University of Chicago; Patrick Burns, Institute For The Study Of The Ancient World, New York University; Jonathan Robie, Biblica, Inc. The John and Penelope Biggs Department of Classics will honor the memory of Carl Conrad with a full-day symposium, featuring engaging discussions on Conrad’s legacy. RSVP requested; livestream available. Department of Classics, Program for Religious Studies.
Washington University, Umrath Lounge

23 FEBRUARY  |  4:30 PM
Harmonia Rosales in Conversation
HARMONIA ROSALES is a visual artist whose work boldly challenges and reimagines the Western art canon through African diasporic and feminist perspectives. Rosales will be in conversation with Ila Sheren, associate professor of art history and archaeology, in celebration of Rosales’ debut book, Chronicles of Ori: An African Epic, a richly illustrated retelling of African creation myths. Spanning the birth of the universe through histories of colonialism and resistance, the book centers the Orishas, human destiny (Ori), and the enduring bond between gods and mortals, brought vividly to life through Rosales’ powerful artwork. RSVP requested. Department of Art History and Archeology, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum. 
Washington University, Umrath Hall, Umrath Lounge

24 FEBRUARY  |  3 PM
Climate Change in Concert
Join composer Christopher Stark, associate professor of composition, WashU, and violinist Clara Kim for a performance of four works exploring humanity and climate change. The concert will include a Q&A with Stark and Kim and will be followed by a networking reception; light fare is included. Department of Music.
Washington University, Umrath Hall, Umrath Lounge

24 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Visiting Hurst Professor Hanif Abdurraqib Craft Talk
HANIF ABDURRAQIB is a poet, essayist and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His poetry has been published in Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American and various other journals. His essays and music criticism have been published in The FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker and The New York Times. His poetry collections include The Crown Ain’t Worth Much and A Fortune for Your Disaster, and his essay collections include They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us followed by Ahead in The Rain: Notes To a Tribe Called Quest. In 2021, he released the book A Little Devil In America, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award and the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay. Department of English.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge

25 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Recovering America: Keeping Our Republic in An Age of Broken Politics
SEN. BILL BRADLEY and Sen. Jack Danforth, two former U.S. Senators from opposite sides of the aisle, will talk about their experiences and their hope in our common responsibilities to heal America. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics.
Washington University, Knight Hall, Emerson Auditorium

26 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
Origins/Stories/Conventions: Towards a Poetics of the “Golden Age” of the Superhero Genre
MARK MINETT, associate professor of English language and literature at the University of South Carolina. Program in Film and Media Studies, Department of English
Washington University, Seigle Hall, Room 106

26 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
The 1776–1789 Connection: Transatlantic Revolutions and the Birth of Human Rights
VIVAN CURRAN, vice-president of the International Academy of Comparative Law and Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh. Curran will give a keynote talk at on comparative law and the transatlantic rights tradition, followed by a roundtable conversation with WashU professors Leila Sadat (Law) and Peter Kastor (History). The event will explore how the American and French revolutionary moments continue to shape contemporary understandings of human rights and constitutionalism. Department of Romance Languages and Literatures.
Washington University, TBD

26 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Visiting Hurst Professor Hanif Abdurraqib Reading
HANIF ABDURRAQIB is a poet, essayist and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His poetry has been published in Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American and various other journals. His essays and music criticism have been published in The FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker and The New York Times. His poetry collections include The Crown Ain’t Worth Much and A Fortune for Your Disaster, and his essay collections include They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us followed by Ahead in The Rain: Notes To a Tribe Called Quest. In 2021, he released the book A Little Devil In America, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award and the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay. Department of English.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge

27 FEBRUARY  |  10 AM
The Politics of Futurity
DEVA WOODLY, professor of political science, Brown University. Futurity is the agentive and efficacious quality of being concerned with the prospects and possibilities of a future time, event and renewed and continuing existence, and the premise of this talk is that there is no reason that 2080 should not be as much different and improved for most people in most places than 1980 was from 1880. From this perspective, the future does not just happen, we build it. RSVP requested. Frick Initiative, Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy, Department of Philosophy.
Washington University, Knight Center, Room 210

27 FEBRUARY  |  1:30 PM
St. Louis Ancient Philosophy Workshop
VIVIAN FELDBLYUM, assistant professor of philosophy at Auburn University. Join us for an afternoon of vibrant discussion, engaged scholarship, and meaningful connection with peers — right in the heart of ancient philosophical inquiry. This workshop features a text-based discussion, followed by a work-in progress workshop focused on contributing to an active scholarly community. RSVP requested by Feb. 25. Department of Classics, Department of Philosophy, Center for the Humanities.
Washington University, McDonnell Hall, Room 212

27 FEBRUARY  |  3 PM
Colloquium - Audience Participation as Archetype
E.B. HUNTER, assistant professor in drama, director of the Fabula(b) Theatre + New Media Lab, and co-lead of the Immersive Technology Collective at WashU. Hunter is a critical theorist and digital maker exploring the future of live performance and emergent technologies. Her first monograph, Acting the Part: Audience Participation in Performance, offers a new paradigm for understanding how audiences participate in immersive theater, from physical spaces like the Globe in London to digital spaces like social virtual reality. Performing Arts Department.
Washington University, TBD

27 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
Looking Back Toward the Future: Contemporary Photography from China
WANG QINGSONG is a Beijing-based photographer. He graduated from Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts in 1993 and moved to Beijing that same year. Wang transitioned from painting to photography in the late 1990s. He is best known for his large-scale photographs that make use of theatrical and self-conscious staging to showcase and critique consumer culture in China. Join William T. Kemper Director and Chief Curator Sabine Eckmann for a panel discussion with Qingsong and collector Larry Warsh on the exhibition Looking Back Toward the Future: Contemporary Photography from China. Registration requested. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Washington University, Steinberg Hall, Auditorium

28 FEBRUARY  |  11:30 AM
Looking Back Toward the Future
Join us for an interactive tour of this season’s featured exhibition, Looking Back Toward the Future: Contemporary Photography from China, which presents more than 40 large-scale photographs created by 14 contemporary artists in China between 1993 and 2006. The exhibition is divided into three interrelated thematic sections — The Presence of the Past, East and West, and Performance and the Body — which together explore how artists used performance and diverse photographic and aesthetic methods to capture, freeze and criticize the new sociopolitical, economic and cultural environment of China post 1989. On view for the first time at the Kemper Art Museum, these immersive, often oversize works constitute a significant recent addition to the institution’s holdings of contemporary Chinese art. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Washington University, MIldred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Museum Lobby

1-26 FEBRUARY
Things You Never Knew About the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair 
Every Thursday and Sunday afternoon, take a 25-minute “all-inclusive tour” of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, exploring all of its wonder and complexity. The home base for this talk is the mind boggling 1:400th scale model of the fair that shows every one of the more than 1500 buildings that spread over Forest Park in 1904! One of our knowledgeable visitor experience guides will introduce you to some of the fair’s most colorful characters, from David Francis to Geronimo. Plus, we’ll answer the five most commonly asked questions about the 1904 World’s Fair! This tour meets inside the 1904 World’s Fair gallery on the Missouri History Museum’s north side. Missouri Historical Society. 
2 pm, Feb. 1
1 pm, Feb. 5
2 pm, Feb. 8
1 pm, Feb. 12
2 pm, Feb. 15
1 pm, Feb. 19
2 pm, Feb. 22
1 pm, Feb. 26
Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112

1 FEBRUARY  |  2 PM
Life Doesn’t Frighten Me
Inspired by Maya Angelou’s powerful poem “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me,” this 50-minute original play by multidisciplinary hip-hop artist Paige Hernandez brings to life the everyday fears we all face — and the courage within us to rise above them. Told through spoken word, hip-hop and dance, the story celebrates every child’s unique strength and reminds us all that we are indeed fearless royalty. No tickets required; seating is first-come, first-served. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Dr., St. Louis, 63110

2 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Matthew Delmont, Until the Last Gun is Silent (Author Talk)
Civil rights historian and award-winning author Matthew Delmont presents the untold story of the Black patriots — from soldiers in combat to peace protestors — who ended the Vietnam War. As the civil rights movement blazed through America, more than 300,000 Black troops were drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. These soldiers, often from disadvantaged backgrounds and subjected to the brutalities of racism back home, found themselves thrust onto the frontlines of a war many saw as unjust. On the homefront, Black antiwar activists faced another battle: Opposition to the Vietnam War jeopardized the fight for civil rights. For Black Americans, the Vietnam War forced a generation to question what it truly meant to fight for justice. St. Louis County Library, Missouri Historical Society.
St. Louis County Library — Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

3 FEBRUARY  |  11 AM
The Holocaust in the Heartland
HELEN TURNER, director of education for the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, recounts the remarkable journey behind the reopening of the museum’s doors in November 2022. Throughout this presentation, Turner navigates through the origins and revitalization of the museum, contextualizing its significance with the broader landscape of Holocaust history and the proliferation of Holocaust museums across the nation. Through compelling insights and reflections, she invites us to ponder the intricacies of national memory surrounding the Holocaust and inspires contemplation on the path forward. Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri History Museum, Lee Auditorium, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112

4 FEBRUARY–1 MARCH
Primary Trust
Winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Eboni Booth’s hilarious and heartwarming play offers up a modern, tiki-lit homage to slices of Americana such as Our Town, Harvey and It’s a Wonderful Life. Kenneth’s predictable life — Mai Tais at his favorite bar and a steady job at a local bookstore — begins to unravel, forcing him to confront a childhood loss and the uncertainties of adulthood. With guidance from an imaginary friend, a kind waitress and a splash of liquid courage, he discovers that trust, love and friendship — much like the perfect Mai Tai — are best mixed in unexpected ways. Post-show talkback on Sun., Feb. 15 and Wed., Feb. 18. Open captioning on Sun., Feb. 22. $46-$103. Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.
Loretto-Hilton Center, Emerson Studio Theatre 130 Edgar Rd., Webster Groves, 63119

4 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Jarrett Dapier, Wake Now in the Fire (Author Talk)
Inspired by a true story and authored by librarian Jarrett Dapier, this graphic novel follows a group of high schoolers in Chicago as they work to overturn the system-wide ban of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis. Told from multiple perspectives, based on extensive interviews with the real-life students and teachers who were affected, and written by the librarian who exposed key information about the Chicago Public Schools censorship decision, Wake Now in the Fire is a fictionalized account of a true event that galvanized a community. RSVP requested. St. Louis Public Library.
St. Louis Public Library — Schlafly Library, 225 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 63108

4 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
The Pruitt-Igoe Myth
View The Pruitt-Igoe Myth and participate in a discussion afterward. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library — Natural Bridge Branch, 7606 Natural Bridge Rd., St. Louis 63121

5 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
Celebrating Hair-itage
Join the Missouri History Museum and Frizzy by Nature as we kick off Black History Month with a celebration of Black hair and the heritage of natural hair in St. Louis centered on Annie Malone. Throughout the evening, we will hear from public historian Cicely Hunter, Linda Nance from the Annie Malone Historical Society, Valerie and Leslie Hughes from Frizzy by Nature, and a recorded message from Annie Malone’s descendant James Agbara Bryson. Stop by our Historian’s Corner to learn more about Annie Turnbo Malone, and make sure to drop in on a pop-up tour of Mill Creek: Black Metropolis! Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112

6 FEBRUARY  |  12 PM
Cultural Exchange in the Art of Mexico and the African Diaspora
DANIELLA STATIA, 2025-27 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow at the Saint Louis Art Museum, explores works of Mexican and Black American artists that display cultural exchange. She will delve into works in SLAM’s collection by Enrique Chagoya, Elizabeth Catlett, Margaret Burroughs and others to show the cultural significance of unity across different communities. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, Education Center, 1 Fine Arts Dr., St. Louis, 63110

6-21 FEBRUARY
Drop-in Collection Tour — The Art of Impact
Join this guided tour and learn about the work of modern and contemporary African American artists and their impact as creatives, teachers, community leaders and critics of their time, including Elizabeth Catlett, Faith Ringgold, Glenn Ligon and Nick Cave. Saint Louis Art Museum.
1 pm, Feb. 6
1 pm, Feb. 7
1 pm, Feb. 13
4 pm, Feb. 13 (audio description tour)
1 pm, Feb. 14
1 pm, Feb. 20
1 pm, Feb. 21
Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Dr., St. Louis, 63110

6 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Blas Isasi (Artist Talk)
Hear Peruvian sculptor Blas Isasi discuss his artwork on view in the exhibition Currents 125. Isasi creates sculptures in a wide range of materials and colors informed by ancient Andean cosmology and the landscape of the Peruvian desert. The exhibition focuses on the violent meeting between the Indigenous Andean and the colonizing Europeans in early 16th-century Peru. Free, ticket reservations recommended. Saint Louis Art Museum. 
Saint Louis Art Museum, Farrell Auditorium, 1 Fine Arts Dr., St. Louis, 63110

6 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Vivian Gibson, The Last Children of Mill Creek (Author Talk)
From its origin at the turn of the 20th century to its destruction in 1959 in the name of urban renewal, Mill Creek Valley was a center for Black life in St. Louis. Vivian Gibson grew up in Mill Creek Valley. Her moving memoir, The Last Children of Mill Creek, depicts the families, friends, shop owners, church ladies, teachers and others who made Mill Creek into a warm, tight-knit African American community. Gibson will be joined in conversation by Gwen Moore, curator of the Missouri History Museum's exhibition, Mill Creek: Black Metropolis. St. Louis County Library, Missouri Historical Society.
St. Louis County Library — Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

7-28 FEBRUARY
See STL Walking Tours 
See STL’s fun and creative tours mix engaging storytelling and a deep well of historical knowledge with an infectious enthusiasm for the exciting changes the city is currently undergoing. Tours are two hours in length and are wheelchair accessible. $17–$22. Tour starting/ending points are included in your booking details. Missouri Historical Society. Feb. 7: Downtown Origins, Forest Park, Urban Renewal; Feb. 8: Downtown Origins; Feb. 13: Downtown Origins; Feb. 15: Tower Grove; Feb. 20: Cherokee Street; Feb. 21: Old North and St. Louis Place, Laclede’s Landing; Feb. 22: Downtown Origins; Feb. 28: Downtown Origins. Missouri Historical Society.
Various locations

8 FEBRUARY  |  12 PM
Survivor Hour — Jason Sommer
After five poetry collections, Jason Sommer recently published his first book of nonfiction, the memoir Shmuel’s Bridge: Following the Tracks to Auschwitz with My Survivor Father. Sommer will be in conversation with fellow author and former director of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, David Marwell, about the memoir and the impact of living with the stories of the Holocaust. St. Louis Holocaust Museum.
St. Louis Holocaust Museum, 36 Millstone Campus Dr., St. Louis, 63146

8 FEBRUARY  |  1 PM
Drop-in Tour with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis — Primary Trust
Join a guided tour of the Saint Louis Art Museum’s collection inspired by the 2024 Pulitzer Prize Winner for Drama, Primary Trust, which examines themes of childhood trauma, nostalgia and the search for balance between friendships and loneliness. This tour is offered in partnership with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Primary Trust will be performed at The Rep from Feb. 4 to March 1. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, Sculpture Hall, 1 Fine Arts Dr., St. Louis, 63110

8 FEBRUARY  |  2 PM
Director’s Cut – Show Me 66: Main Street Through St. Louis
Travel St. Louis’ stretch of the legendary Route 66 through film, storytelling and live music at Show Me 66, a special afternoon event celebrating the history, culture and enduring spirit of America’s most iconic highway. This free program features a curated conversation with award-winning documentary film director and Missouri Historical Society historian Andrew Wanko, who will share behind the scenes insights from the making of the documentary and the stories that brought Route 66 to life in St. Louis. The afternoon is rounded out with live music featuring Emily Wallace inspired by the open road, evoking the sounds and rhythms that define Route 66. Missouri Historical Society.
Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, 210 E. Monroe Ave., Kirkwood, 63122.

9 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Gregory O'Malley, The Escapes of David George (Author Talk)
GREGORY O’MALLEY, professor of history, University of California, Santa Cruz. One in six inhabitants of the 13 original colonies was enslaved. O’Malley reveals a remarkable, untold experience of the American revolutionary period: a Black man’s decades-long quest for the freedom espoused by our Founders, but denied him and other enslaved people. Piecing together archival records and David George’s own brief account of his life — the earliest written testimony by a fugitive enslaved person in North America — O’Malley presents a unique perspective on our nation’s origins, principles and contradictions. St. Louis County Library, Missouri Historical Society.
St. Louis County Library — Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

10 FEBRUARY  |  4:30 PM
Translating the Violence of the Iliad
EMILY WILSON, department chair and professor of classical studies, University of Pennsylvania. How do translators convey the features of Homer that modern readers may find surprising or even incomprehensible?  This talk explores the theme of violence and force within the Iliad and the gulf between its modern reception and ancient principles. RSVP requested. Department of Classics, St. Louis University.
Saint Louis University, Cook Hall, Auditorium

10 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
Pat Simmons, Accomplices in Love (Author Talk)
PAT SIMMONS is a St. Louis-based, multi-published Christian romance author of over 50 titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth who is passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. Her popular Jamieson Legacy Series weaves American Black history and genealogy with uplifting romance. Simmons will discuss her experiences in the publishing world and highlight her work as an African American Christian author. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library — Natural Bridge Branch, 7606 Natural Bridge Rd., St. Louis, 63121

11 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
William E. Wallace, Michelangelo and Titian (Author Talk) 
WILLIAM E. WALLACE, Distinguished Professor of Art History, WashU. Michelangelo and Titian is the untold story of history's greatest artistic rivalry, a competition between two monumental figures more admiring of one another than either would ever admit. Over the span of some 40 years, this unspoken rivalry was reciprocal and mutually beneficial, with each learning from the other's brilliance, quietly seeking to best the other’s work and secure his own legacy. Wallace will be in conversation with Claudia Swan, the Mark S. Weil Professor of Early Modern Art in the Department of Art History and Archaeology at WashU. RSVP requested. Livestream available. Left Bank Books.
Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 63108

11 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
George Saunders, Vigil (Author Talk)
GEORGE SAUNDERS, the bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, presents a wise and playful novel that takes place at the deathbed of an oil tycoon. Vigil transports us, careening, through the wild final evening of a complicated man. Visitors begin to arrive (worldly and otherworldly, alive and dead), clamoring for a reckoning. With the wisdom, playfulness and explosive imagination we've come to expect, Saunders takes on the gravest issues of our time — the menace of corporate greed, the toll of capitalism, the environmental perils of progress — and, in the process, spins a tale that encompasses life and death, good and evil, and the thorny question of absolution. $38. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library — Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

11 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Jen Glantz, Finally the Bride (Author Talk)
From walking down the aisle dozens of times to walking her own unique path, Jen Glantz has built a one-of-a-kind career as the world’s first professional bridesmaid. In her latest book, Finally the Bride: A Memoir about Finding Love After Walking Down Everyone Else’s Aisle, Glantz shares the deeply personal — and often hilarious — story of what happens when the bridesmaid becomes the bride. The talk with Glantz is being moderated by Jennifer Matus, digital creator and St. Louis realtor. $36, free for students with ID. St. Louis Jewish Community Center.
Mirowitz Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Dr., St. Louis, 63146

12 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
Mill Creek: The Harlem of St. Louis
St. Louis has always been a hub for art, music and Black culture. Mill Creek, often coined the Harlem of St. Louis, shaped exceptionally talented people, and its impact on American culture cannot be understated. Join us for exciting Mill Creek-inspired music and dance performances by HEAL Center for the Arts and Carrie Collins-Whitfield before a conversation with Missouri Historical Society curator Gwen Moore and St. Louis media mainstay Carol Daniel, discussing how Mill Creek and Black culture intersect as a major influence on pop culture today. Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112

12 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Civil Rights Night: The Impact of Racial Laws from Jim Crow to the Holocaust
DAN J. PUCKETT, professor of history at Troy University and chair of the Alabama Holocaust Commission. Puckett will explore racial laws in both American history and the Holocaust. He will be joined in conversation by Rev. Rodrick Burton, president at St. Louis Airport Interfaith Chaplaincy and member of the St. Louis Holocaust Museum Board of Directors. This event offers a thought-provoking look at how the histories of racial oppression in the American history and Nazi genocide relate, inviting reflection on civil rights, justice and historical memory. $8. St. Louis Holocaust Museum.
St. Louis Holocaust Museum, 36 Millstone Campus Dr., St. Louis, 63146

12 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Eileen G'Sell, Lipstick (Author Talk)
From Revlon to Glossier, from Marilyn to Gaga, lipstick is as shape-shifting and unwieldy as femininity itself. Who wears lipstick today — as a matter of routine? And for those who do, is it out of obligation to a strict feminine standard, or some other reason entirely? Lipstick reconsiders the beauty world’s most conspicuous — and contentious — tool of artifice. Tossing expired ideas about femininity like so many tubes of melting wax, Lipstick explores how self-adornment can be a source of play, pleasure and transformation, as well as how lipstick can knock gender norms off balance. RSVP requested. Livestream available. Left Bank Books.
Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis 63108

12 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Lachi, I Identify as Blind (Author Talk)
LACHI is an award-winning recording artist, a co-producer of a Grammy-nominated album and the first openly disabled National Trustee of the Recording Academy. With style and straight talk, Lachi defines disability as a cultural movement, an empowering identity and a blueprint for innovation. Her memoir, I Identify as Blind, pulses with energy. Through magnetic storytelling, pop-culture deep dives and historical insight, Lachi challenges mainstream views on disability with humor and heart. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library — Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

13 FEBRUARY  |  11 AM
Let’s Talk in the Galleries
Walk through Aymara Weavings: The Indigenous Andes and speak to Saint Louis Art Museum educators about the artworks. Educators will be stationed in the exhibition gallery to engage in conversation with visitors. Whether you’re curious about the artworks or the exhibit themes, our friendly educators are here to chat with you and enhance your visit. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, McDonnell Gallery 100, 1 Fine Arts Dr., St. Louis, 63110

13 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Jan Cress Dondi, The Navigator's Letter (Author Talk)
A true story, The Navigator's Letter is a tale of uncanny coincidences: two friends from the same small Illinois town; both joined the Air Corps; both became navigators; both were assigned to B-24 Liberators; both flew missions over Europe; both of their planes were forced down over Ploesti; and both went missing-in-action. Intertwined with events of WWII, the story follows the two B-24 navigators coursing through wartime, both with ties to the same woman. Their lives unfurl with the Air Force's darkest day, Operation Tidal Wave. RSVP requested. Livestream available. Left Bank Books.
Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 63108

16 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Bethany C. Morrow, The Body (Author Talk)
Mavis broke from her parents’ congregation years ago, but she still hasn’t recovered. Their impossible expectations and soul-shredding critiques have dug deep into her mind, and she’s taunted by the knowledge that even when she’s done nothing wrong, she’ll never be right. Now Mavis is afraid she’s about to lose the only thing she has: her husband, Jerrod. The man she’s always known was too good to be true. Soon, she’s under constant attack from all directions. As the assaults turn increasingly vicious and bizarre, Mavis realizes that Hell isn’t reserved for the afterlife. And sinner or not, no one is coming to save her. This event is 21+. RSVP requested. Left Bank Books.
The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 63116

16 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Observable Readings: Keetje Kuipers and Aaron Coleman
KEETJE KUIPERS is the author of four books of poetry and the editor-in-chief of Poetry Northwest. Aaron Coleman is a poet, translator, educator and scholar of the African diaspora. The Observable series features local and national poets sharing recently published and new work. Celebrating its 22nd season, Observable is a key part of the St. Louis poetry landscape, presenting the liveliness and diversity of contemporary poetry. Free, suggested $5 donation. Saint Louis Poetry Center.
High Low, 3301 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 63103

17 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Gregg Hurwitz, Antihero (Author Talk)
In the latest installment in Gregg Hurwitz’s internationally bestselling Orphan X series, Evan Smoak takes on his most complex mission yet ― one where he has to balance vengeance with mercy. Once a black ops assassin, Smoak broke with the program and went deep underground, using his operational skills to help the truly desperate with nowhere else to turn. When a young woman is kidnapped off the New York City subway, Evan offers his help. With no name and few clues, Evan tracks down the missing woman then sets out to find the young men responsible. But the woman insists that Evan abandon his usual methods ― no vengeance and, in particular, no killing. Which will prove no easy feat given the mounting incoming threats from all sides. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library — Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

18 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Jesse Kavadlo, Rock of Pages (Author Talk)
Based on decades of work as a professor of literature and as a musician, Jesse Kavadlo analyzes the ways in which 1980s heavy metal aligns with and develops many of the themes prevalent in the canon of literature. In doing so, the book examines some of the contexts of 1980s heavy metal, including cold war, the rise of MTV and the formation of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) and subsequent congressional hearings. Rock of Pages analyzes the intersections between heavy metal and literature: representations of violence, but the connected concerns about justice; images of substance abuse, and the interrelated issues of obsession, madness, suicidal ideation; sex and love, with, concomitantly, representations of women and relationships between men and women; and the references to the occult, with the depictions of Satan, the afterlife and morality on earth itself. This event is 21+. RSVP requested. Left Bank Books.
The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 63116

19-22 FEBRUARY
A Brick and a Bible: A Play by Bread and Roses
A Brick and a Bible tells the story of the 1933 Funsten Nut Strike in St. Louis. Facing low wages, unsafe conditions and Jim Crow segregation, Black women organized over 2,000 workers across five factories. This bold act of solidarity positioned St. Louis at the intersection of workers’ and civil rights. The strike culminated with an organizer holding a brick in one hand and a Bible in the other, symbolizing the workers’ determination and faith. With an original jazz and blues score, this story highlights the pivotal role of Black women in the struggle for justice in St. Louis and beyond. $10-$15. Missouri Historical Society.
6:30 pm, Feb. 19 (free preview)
7 pm, Feb. 20
3 pm, Feb. 21
7 pm, Feb. 21
3 pm, Feb. 22
Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112

19 FEBRUARY  |  11 AM
Teas & Tours — Present Materials
Enjoy an afternoon tea service featuring sweet and savory bites accompanied by a guided tour of unconventional material choices, including works by contemporary Peruvian artist Blas Isasi in the Currents 125 exhibition and contemporary artworks from the collection. The featured artworks, at the intersection of sculpture and installation, interrogate and expand the materials in art and their meanings. $45-$50, including the tour, parking and gratuity. Advance tickets required. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, Panorama, 1 Fine Arts Dr., St. Louis, 63110

19 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Deborah Roberts, Sisters Loved and Treasured (Author Talk)
Veteran ABC News correspondent and 20/20 co-anchor, Deborah Roberts shares a celebration of sisterhood, featuring more than 50 personal stories by Viola Davis, Jenna Bush Hager, Octavia Spencer and many more. Beacons of support, understanding and love, sisters are there for us through it all. But how often do we step back from our busy lives to acknowledge what they truly mean to us? In Sisters Loved and Treasured, Roberts curates a collection of conversations, meditations and anecdotes from her own sisters, celebrity friends and everyday people alike who share deeply personal accounts of how their relationships as sisters shaped their lives. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library — Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

19 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Judith Pearson, Radical Sisters (Author Talk)
There was a time when women’s health was marginalized. There was a time when October wasn’t pink. There was a time when breast cancer wasn’t discussed. But three women stepped forward, refusing to be silenced. Blending vocal advocacy and sometimes not-so-quiet resistance, Radical Sisters transports readers through three decades of a changing social landscape in America. While the book gives readers a bird’s eye view of the history of women’s health, Shirley, Rose and Evelyn took on the most grave and unspoken challenges of breast cancer: awareness, cause, treatment and cure. With humor and uncommon candor, best-selling author Judy Pearson shares how her three “radical sisters” learned that helping is healing. $36, free for students with ID. St. Louis Jewish Community Center.
Mirowitz Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Dr., St. Louis 63146

20 FEBRUARY  |  11 AM 
Let’s Talk in the Galleries 
Walk through Aymara Weavings: The Indigenous Andes and speak to Museum educators about the artworks. Educators will be stationed in the exhibition gallery to engage in conversation with visitors. Whether you’re curious about the artworks or the exhibit themes, our friendly educators are here to chat with you and enhance your visit. Saint Louis Art Museum. 
Saint Louis Art Museum, McDonnell Gallery 100, 1 Fine Arts Dr., St. Louis, 63110

20 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
SLAM Social — Lunar New Year
For many cultures across Asia, Lunar New Year is one of the most important festivals of the year and is associated with an animal from the zodiac. This year, the weeklong holiday starts on Tues., Feb. 17, and marks the Year of the Horse. Saint Louis Art Museum’s event will feature music, performances, art-making activities in partnership with local organizations and a cash bar. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Dr., St. Louis, 63110

20 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
African American Romance Night
Join us for a (post) Valentine’s Day celebration with popular Black romance writers LaQuette, Kristina Forest and Jaime Wesley. An author of sexy, stylish and sensational romance, LaQuette’s latest novel, Janae Sanders’ Second Time Around, follows a single mom who gets a second chance at love with her high school sweetheart. USA Today bestselling author Kristina Forest’s latest romance, The Love Lyric, shares the story of an R&B singer and a corporate executive finding love that hits all the right notes. In Jaime Wesley’s sweet and sexy romance, A Legend in the Baking, a cupcake-baking football player gets assistance from a social media maven to help promote his new bakery and learns that all’s fair in love and cupcakes. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library, Florissant Valley Branch, 195 S. New Florissant Rd., Florissant, 63031

20 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
David Archuleta, Devout (Author Talk)
A raw and powerful coming-out story from the beloved American Idol finalist traces David Archuleta's journey from closeted Mormon teen to global pop star to openly queer man, revealing the hidden pressures of fame, the weight of religious expectations and the courage it takes to live authentically. Featuring never-before-seen photos, Devout is a must-read for fans of pop culture, American Idol and anyone deconstructing their religious upbringing, or who’s ever wrestled with who they are versus who they’re told to be. $33-$40, includes one copy of Devout. Left Bank Books.
Clayton High School Theatre, 1 Mark Twain Cir., Clayton, 63105

21 FEBRUARY  |  9:30 AM
From Storefronts to Stories: Celebrating Mill Creek Valley
Located in the heart of St. Louis, Mill Creek Valley was known as a vibrant, working-class African American community. From bustling storefronts to close-knit homes, the neighborhood was defined by resilience, culture and enterprise. Join Missouri History Museum curator Gwen Moore as she uncovers the rich history of Mill Creek, spotlighting the local businesses that shaped its identity and served as cornerstones of community life. Registration required. Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri Historical Society Library, 225 S. Skinker Blvd., St. Louis, 63105

21 FEBRUARY  |  11 AM
Freedom Suits Before and After Dred Scott
An esteemed panel featuring Hon. David C. Mason, attorney Paul Venker and archivist Kenneth Winn will highlight a few of the more than 300 enslaved individuals who valiantly sued for their freedom through the St. Louis Circuit Court. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library — Lewis & Clark Branch, 9909 Lewis Clark Blvd., St. Louis, 63136

21 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Misha Brown, Be Your Own Bestie (Author Talk)
With a professional background in theater performance and a knack for captivating audiences, Misha Brown began his content creation journey in 2021 and has since amassed an audience of over 7 million “besties” across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. In his highly anticipated debut book, Be Your Own Bestie, Brown offers the advice that changed his own life. With his no-nonsense (but always loving) approach, he shares stories from his own life, encounters with others and the wisdom gleaned from them to help you release the patterns, relationships and beliefs that have kept you from stepping into your full fabulousness. No matter where you are today, now is the time to begin showing up for yourself as your own best friend. $35-$50, includes one pre-signed book copy. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library — Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

22 FEBRUARY  |  1 PM
Tracy Slater, Together in Manzanar (Author Talk)
February 19 commemorates President Franklin Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066 in 1942, which led to the forced removal and imprisonment of over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry during WWII. The St. Louis Holocaust Museum and the Japanese American Citizens League welcome you for a conversation with author Tracy Slater and Japanese-American internment descendent Robin Hattori for a discussion of Slater’s book, Together in Manzanar: The True Story of a Japanese Jewish Family in an American Concentration Camp. St. Louis Holocaust Museum.
St. Louis Holocaust Museum, 36 Millstone Campus Dr., St. Louis, 63146

23 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Takunda
Sixteen-year-old Takunda’s world is turned upside down when her father is arrested for his political activities in the turbulent Rhodesia of 1973. This coming-of-age story incorporates African folk tales and songs, featuring an ensemble of four actors and the vibrant art of storytelling. The Black Rep.
St. Louis County Library — Lewis & Clark Branch, 9909 Lewis-Clark Blvd., St. Louis, 63136

24 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Sadeqa Johnson, Keeper of Lost Children (Author Talk)
In this new novel from the bestselling author of The House of Eve, one American woman’s vision in post WWII Germany will tie together three people. Ethel Gathers, the wife of an American officer, is living in Occupied Germany in the 1950s. After discovering an orphanage filled with the abandoned mixed-race children of German women and Black American GIs, Ethel feels compelled to help find these children homes. In 1965 Maryland, Sophia Clark discovers a secret that upends her world and sends her on a quest to unravel her own identity. Toggling between the lives of multiple characters, Keeper of Lost Children demonstrates that love — familial, parental and forbidden, even love of self — can be transcendent. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library — Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

26 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
Black History and Disability Keynote: Etefia Umana
The double stigma of race and disability presents a particular set of barriers and challenges for Black people with disabilities. Join Etefia Umana, founder of nonprofit and education consulting company Umana Consultancy LLC, as he uncovers the historical experiences of Black people with disabilities, with a focus on St. Louis. Umana will highlight past challenges and systemic biases that affect access and quality of care, comorbidities and issues surrounding housing and employment, as well as ongoing efforts toward social justice, accessibility and inclusion. This program will also include a musical performance by musician and songwriter Deb Busch. Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112

27 FEBRUARY–1 MARCH
Art in Bloom
Visitors can experience dozens of works from the Saint Louis Art Museum’s collection imaginatively interpreted by the region’s most talented floral designers at Art in Bloom, the Saint Louis Art Museum’s annual celebration of flowers and fine art. Throughout the weekend, visit with SLAM volunteer educators to learn more about the connections between the floral arrangements and the works of art that inspired them. Join New York City–based floral designer Rachel Cho on Friday and Saturday night as she arranges flowers and answers questions during a free demonstration. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Dr., St. Louis, 63110

27 FEBRUARY  |  12 PM
Vincent Stemmler (Artist Talk)
Join Great Rivers Biennial 2026 artist Vincent Stemmler for a lecture at Webster University. Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.
Webster University, Sverdrup Hall 123, 8300 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 63119

27 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
C.J. Box, Crossroads (Author Talk)
Marybeth Pickett gets the call she has always dreaded: Her husband, Joe, is in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head. Joe was found in his pickup at Antler Creek Junction, a crossroads connecting three ranches. Each road leading to a dangerous family. With Joe unconscious and fighting for his life, his daughters, Sheridan, April and Lucy, split up and investigate each of the families to uncover the truth of what happened to their father, before it’s too late. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library — Clark Family Branch,1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

28 FEBRUARY  |  11 AM
Mill Creek: Black Metropolis — Exhibit Tour
This free tour of Mill Creek: Black Metropolis invites visitors to explore the powerful story of St. Louis’ Mill Creek neighborhood — a once-thriving Black community of 20,000 residents, 43 churches and over 800 businesses that were demolished in 1959 in the name of urban renewal. This exhibit seeks to reclaim Mill Creek’s legacy and honor the resilience of those who lived there. Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112

28 FEBRUARY  |  11 AM
Orvin Kimbrough, Twice Over a Man (Author Talk)
Born in East St. Louis to a drug-addicted mother who died when he was eight years old, Kimbrough chronicles his early years through foster care, orphanages, abuse, hunger and poverty. He could have joined a gang, become a teen father, fallen into drugs or ended up in prison — but instead, he rose above it all to become a respected leader in the St. Louis business and nonprofit communities. Instead of succumbing to life on the streets, Kimbrough pursued education as his path forward. This is the story of a young man who, despite all the odds, fiercely determined to build a better life for himself and is committed to showing others the way. St. Louis Public Library.
St. Louis Public Library — Carpenter Library, 3309 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 63118

28 FEBRUARY  |  1:30 PM
Chris Erdman Lecture 
CHRIS ERDMAN, assistant professor of classics, Washington University. Erdman’s research examines the state institutions and political culture of the Roman Republic in the post-Gracchan period, especially the political role of the Roman people. Classical Club of St. Louis.
John Burroughs School, Newman Auditorium, 755 S. Price Rd., 63124

28 FEBRUARY  |  3 PM
Gerald Early, Play Harder (Author Talk)
GERALD EARLY is the Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters in the Department of African and African American Studies at WashU. He is the author of numerous books, including The Culture of Bruising: Essays on Prizefighting, Literature, and Modern American Culture, which won the 1994 National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism. St. Louis Public Library.
St. Louis Public Library — Buder Library, 4401 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, 63109

28 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Amy Spalding, In Her Spotlight (Author Talk)
Raised in St. Louis, Amy Spalding is a Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award-winning author of authentic, funny and diverse novels representing the LGBTQ+ community. In Her Spotlight follows Hollywood actor Tess Gardner as she aims to prove her chops in a theatrical production directed by her ex, whose heart she broke a decade earlier. In Her Spotlight is an hilarious, sweetly sexy, gloriously relatable, second chance, sapphic rom-com. Spalding will be in conversation with Adib Khorram, award-winning queer Iranian author of I'll Have What He’s Having. RSVP requested. Livestream available. Left Bank Books.
Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 63108