3 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
Global Storytelling
ADAM B. ELLICK, New York Times journalist and filmmaker, has produced Pulitzer Prize–, Oscar- and Emmy-winning reporting from Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, Angola, Myanmar, Russia, Venezuela, Egypt, South Sudan and dozens of other countries. The Fireside Chat with Adam Ellick and Dean Sandro Galea of the WashU School of Public Health will feature short clips from Ellick’s documentary films and discussion of the importance of media in addressing global issues and informing American audiences. Registration requested. Program in Public Health & Society.
Washington University, Brown Hall, Brown Lounge

3 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
Historic Preservation Lecture
JANE MAH HUTTON is a landscape architect, researcher and associate professor at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. Her work focuses on the act of building – examining the movement of materials as they pass from production landscapes (plantations, quarries) through designed constructions (buildings, landscapes) through demolition or re-use. Hutton’s recent books include Reciprocal Landscapes: Stories of Material Movements, Landscript 5: Material Culture: Assembling and Disassembling Landscapes and Wood Urbanism: From the Molecular to the Territorial, co-edited with Daniel Ibanez and Kiel Moe. She is currently working on a project that traces the material transformations of Southern Ontario and a film that explores a family archive of a Eurasian overland journey in the 1970s. Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts.
Washington University, Steinberg Hall, Steinberg Auditorium

5 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
Literary Ratings from Best to Worst
JAMES ENGLISH is the John Welsh Centennial Professor of English and at the University of Pennsylvania and author of The Economy of Prestige: Prizes, Awards, and the Circulation of Cultural Value. Like all cultural fields today, the literary world is rife with ratings and rankings. And of all our many devices for measuring and comparing the value of literary works, none is so ubiquitous as the one- to five-star ratings generated by online search-and-shop sites like Google and Amazon or dedicated booklover platforms like StoryGraph and Goodreads. The habit of using stars and fractions of stars to express cultural value dates back some 200 years, and the system has been used to rate works of literature for more than a century. But over the course of that span, star ratings have undergone a fundamental shift, to the point where today they serve almost the opposite function from that for which they were originally intended. In this talk, Jim English will reconstruct the history of star ratings as a tool of literary judgment, highlighting their transformation from marks of distinction to marks of distaste. Department of English.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge

5 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
Technological Transformations: Photography and Experimentation
Curatorial Research Assistant Elizabeth Mangone will lead a discussion of the new installation Technological Transformations: Photography and Experimentation, exploring various ways that photographers have pushed the boundaries of the medium from the 19th century through today. Registration requested. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Washington University, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum

5 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
The Crisis of American Christianity
TIM ALBERTA, author of The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, presents a Danforth Distinguished Lecture on the state of American Christianity and politics in the contemporary scene. The journalist and best-selling author will discuss the cascading conflicts at the intersection of faith and political power. His talk will be followed by an opportunity for Q&A from the audience. Registration requested. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics.
Washington University, Graham Chapel

6 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
Carson Ellis | Henry L. and Natalie E. Freund Visiting Artist Lecture
CARSON ELLIS is author and illustrator of the best-selling picture books Home (2015) and Du Iz Tak? (2017). A contributor to The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New York Review of Books and many others, Ellis has illustrated books by Trenton Lee Stewart, Lemony Snicket and by her husband, Colin Meloy. She also serves as illustrator-in-residence for Meloy’s band, The Decemberists. Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts.
Washington University, Steinberg Hall, Steinberg Auditorium

6 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
Daniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld, The Hollow Parties: The Many Pasts and Disordered Present of American Party Politics (Author Talk)
DANIEL SCHLOZMAN is the Joseph and Bertha Bernstein Associate Professor of Political Science at John Hopkins University. Sam Rosenfeld is associate professor of political science at Colgate University. This book presents a comprehensive history of the rise of American mass party politics through the Jacksonian era up through the years of Barack Obama to the presidency of Donald Trump. The authors posit that today’s Democrat and Republican parties, at once overbearing and ineffectual, have emerged from the interplay of multiple party traditions that reach back to the founding and offer a vision for how these groups might fulfill their promise. Reception to follow. Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy.
Washington University, Knight Hall, Emerson Auditorium

7 FEBRUARY–7 MARCH
Extractivism in the Americas
The exhibit Extractivism in the Americas features artworks focused on mining, pipelines, groundwater and other natural resource extraction. In environmental terms, extractivism refers to depleting natural resources through processes like mining, clear-cutting and oil and gas drilling. Through photography, film, textiles and design, these artists examine the environmental and social impacts of extraction in the United States, Canada and Latin America. Opening reception Feb. 7, 5–7 pm. Center for the Humanities.
Des Lee Gallery, 1627 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 63103

7–8 FEBRUARY
Black Anthology: Echoes of Her
Black Anthology is written, choreographed, directed and produced entirely by WashU undergraduates. Each year the executive board, cast and crew aim to create a show that examines the nuanced Black experience in America, from both the past and present. Pre-show panel discussion at 6:15 pm; performance begins at 7 pm.
Washington University, Mallinckrodt Center, Edison Theatre

7 FEBRUARY  |  3 PM
Choreographies of a Life: Mapping Afro - Worlds and Cultures
CYNTHIA OLIVER is a St. Croix, Virgin Islands–reared dance maker, performer and scholar. Her scholarly work is focused in the Anglophone Caribbean and her dance theatre constructions incorporate textures of Caribbean performance with African and American aesthetic sensibilities. Oliver will discuss a number of her choreographic works, her methods for creating the teams with whom she creates, their inspirations and the sociocultural aims of her projects overall. Performing Arts Department.
Washington University, Umrath Hall, Room 140

7 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
Reading and Q&A with poet Danez Smith
DANEZ SMITH is the author of three collections, including Homie and Don’t Call Us Dead. They will read poems from their newest collection, Bluff, as well as their past collections. Stick around for a signing and to purchase Smith’s work from Left Bank Books, which will be hosting a booth at the event. Smith has won the Forward Prize for Best Collection, Minnesota Book Award in Poetry, Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry and Kate Tufts Discovery Award. Their poetry and prose has been featured in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, The New Yorker, GQ, Best American Poetry and on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. WashU Center for Diversity and Inclusion.
Washington University, Umrath Hall, Umrath Lounge

8 FEBRUARY  |  2 PM
Public Tour: Art and the Environment
Join student educators for interactive tours of the permanent collection that invite discussion of how artists explore our complex relationship to the land—ranging from nineteenth-century landscape paintings and scenes of laborers in the context of colonization and Native histories to contemporary visions of the environment that call us to care for the living world. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Washington University, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum

11 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
The Open Collection: Discover Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library Special Collections
There are over 2,000 items in the Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library Special Collections. Come learn about this collection and interact with recent acquisitions and popular selections. Registration requested. WashU Libraries.
Washington University, Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library, Reading Room

11 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
Intricacies and Intimacies: A Conversation on Black Queer/Trans Sexuality
This insightful discussion on the intersections of Black queer/trans sexuality and literature will feature two distinguished speakers. Matt Richardson, associate professor in feminist studies and affiliate faculty in Black studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Marlon M. Bailey, professor and associate chair in African and African American studies and professor in women, gender, and sexuality studies at Washington University, will discuss Richardson’s latest work, Angels of Mercy, Light, and Fog, an erotic trilogy of novellas. Reception begins at 4:30 pm. Department of African and African American Studies.
Washington University, Umrath Hall, Umrath Lounge

13 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
Comparative Method at the End of Aesthetic History; or, The Possibilities and Limits of Historical Relativism
ERIC HAYOT is distinguished professor of comparative literature and Asian studies at Penn State University. The present seems to demand of us a special kind of epistemological modesty. We know that people living 1,000 years ago were wrong about many things. We may ourselves feel right about them. But we have to imagine that 1,000 years from now we will be as wrong, relative to then, as our ancestors were relative to us. This talk frames claims about the present as a problem: If we imagine that much of what we know will turn out to be wrong, if we understand that the present is partially unknowable because we do not, and cannot, know its future — then surely it pays, epistemologically speaking, to be careful. Department of English.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge

13 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
New Perspectives Talk: Reading Gestural Abstraction
GABRIEL RIDOUT, PhD student in English at WashU, discusses a pair of paintings in the Kemper Art Museum’s permanent collection. From a series that critic Thomas Hess dubbed “abstract urban landscapes,” Willem de Kooning’s Saturday Night (1956) condenses urbanity and sexuality in a turbulent froth of blues and pinks. In Amy Sillman’s Cart (2017), bold black lines lurch over and beneath diaphanous patches of red, pink and yellow, suggesting shapes that never fully cohere. This talk puts the two gestural paintings in conversation to consider how de Kooning and Sillman approach questions of self and body in their work. Drawing from recent developments in trans studies and critical ethnic literary studies, Ridout asks, who has the luxury to abstract? Who has the right to express or not express? What might abstract gestural painting make possible for multiply marginalized subjects? Registration requested. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Washington University, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum

13 FEBRUARY  |  8 PM
Visiting Writer - Tommye Blount
TOMMYE BLOUNT is the author of the chapbook What Are We Not For (Bull City Press) and the full-length collection of poetry Fantasia for the Man in Blue (Four Way Books), which was a finalist for the National Book Award, Kate Tufts Discovery Award, Lambda Literary Award in Gay Poetry, Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and others. He is the recipient of commendations, fellowships and grants from the Whiting Foundation, Cave Canem, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Kresge Arts in Detroit and the Aninstantia Foundation. Department of English.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge

14 FEBRUARY  |  11 AM–4 PM
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. Volunteers will be available to assist you with learning to operate the digital transcription interface. Bring a laptop or tablet; some computers will be available. A selection of Haitian dishes will be served for lunch, and refreshments and birthday cake will be provided. Registration requested. University Libraries.
Washington University, Olin Library, Room 142

14 FEBRUARY  |  12 PM
Kemper Unplugged: Sweeter than Roses
Kelly Daniel-Decker, teacher of applied music, and Todd Decker, the Paul Tietjens Professor of Music, both in the Department of Music, will blend musical genres of baroque, jazz, and pop with songs about love and romance, including composers Johann Sebastian Bach, John Dowland, Henry Purcell, Giacomo Carissimi, Dolly Parton, Joni Mitchell, and Ariana Grande. The baroque tunes and the sound of the harpsichord set the style for a reimagining of American pop standards and recent hits. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Washington University, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum

14 FEBRUARY  |  12 PM
Saint Louis’s Indie Publishing Scene
Join us for a panel discussion with five local publishers specializing in poetry, fiction, art and essays. They will share insights into their work, explore the unconventional methods they use, and discuss the benefits and challenges of operating outside the major commercial publishing hubs. Martin Riker, director of the publishing concentration in the Department of English at WashU, will moderate the conversation, with time for audience questions. Registration requested. University Libraries and Center for Literary Arts.
Washington University, Olin Library, Ginkgo Reading Room

16 FEBRUARY  |  2 PM
Chinese-Language Tour: Art and the Environment
公众导览： 艺术与环境 
与学生导览员一起参加永久藏品的互动参观活动，讨论艺术家如何探索我们与土地的复杂关系--从十九世纪的风景画和殖民化背景下的劳工场景以及土著历史，到呼吁我们关爱生命世界的当代环境愿景。 
本次互动导览免费向公众开放。参观时请在前台登记。 
Join student educators for interactive tours of the permanent collection that invite discussion of how artists explore our complex relationship to land — ranging from 19th-century landscape paintings and scenes of laborers in the context of industrialization and Native histories to contemporary visions of the land amid globalization and climate crises. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Washington University, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum

17 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
Human Rights, Terrorism, and Anarchism in Spain: Past and Present
MARK BRAY, assistant teaching professor of history at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. This talk compares the impact of alleged anarchist bombings in Spain on state repression and human rights organizing at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. Based on his book, The Anarchist Inquisition, Bray will explore how anarchist bombings in theaters and cafes in the 1890s provoked mass arrests and executions and catalyzed the formation of a transnational human rights network composed of journalists, lawyers, union activists, anarchists and other dissidents. Similarly, a movement against state repression emerged in 2013 in response to the Spanish state’s infamous “Operation Pandora,” which aimed to clamp down on the anarchist movement after the bombing of a church in Zaragoza. Program in Global Studies.
Washington University, McMillan Hall, McMillan Café

17 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
The Psychology of Struggle and Hope: John Henryism and the Health of Black Americans
SHERMAN A. JAMES, the Susan B. King Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Public Policy in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. For reasons not fully understood, Black Americans develop hypertension, heart failure, stroke, renal failure and type 2 diabetes at younger ages than white Americans. These chronic, degenerative diseases are leading causes of the 5-to-7-year deficit in life expectancy for Black Americans compared to white Americans. For both groups, however, the prevalence of these cardio-renal-metabolic disorders follows an inverse socioeconomic gradient with poor and working-class individuals having 1.5 to 2 times greater risk than their middle and upper-middle class counterparts. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.
Washington University, Wilson Hall, Room 214

19 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
Suing for Freedom in Early St. Louis
JUDGE DAVID C. MASON will lecture on the history of these suits and the efforts by the Freedom Suits Memorial Foundation to recover and preserve the stories of these courageous litigants. Dred and Harriet Scott’s suit for freedom, which ended in the infamous 1857 Dred Scott Decision, began right here in St. Louis’ Old Courthouse. But the Scotts were only two of more than 300 people who sued to claim their freedom in early Missouri. In addition to the lecture, a recent acquisition of political speeches by Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in response to the Dred Scott Decision, digital copies of the Freedom Suits and related materials from the Julian Edison Department of Special Collections will be on display before and after the lecture. Attendees are also encouraged to visit the traveling exhibition, The Freedom Suits, on view in Olin Library. Registration requested. WashU Libraries.
Washington University, Olin Library, Room 142

19 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
Americanist Dinner Forum
VANESSA ANGÉLICA VILLARREAL was born in the Rio Grande Valley to Mexican immigrants. She is the author of the essay collection Magical/Realism: Essays on Music, Memory, Fantasy, and Borders (Tiny Reparations Books, 2024), longlisted for the National Book Award, and the poetry collection Beast Meridian (Noemi Press, 2017), recipient of a 2019 Whiting Award, Kate Tufts Discovery Award nomination, and winner of the John A. Robertson Award for Best First Book of Poetry from the Texas Institute of Letters. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine’s The Cut, Harper’s Bazaar, Oxford American, Paris Review and Poetry Magazine. She is a recipient of a 2021 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and holds a doctorate in English literature and creative writing from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. RSVP required. Program in American Culture Studies.
Washington University, Umrath Hall, Umrath Lounge

20 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
‘Where to Start?’ A Roundtable Conversation on Public Humanities
Join this year’s RDE workshop guests, including representatives from MLA and ACLS, in a broader discussion of public humanities project work for graduate students. What are the public humanities? Why should students in traditional scholarly pathways pursue these methods of engagement? How does public humanities scholarship “count” in the academy? How do national organizations and funders support the public humanities? Where will the public humanities go from here? This discussion will be moderated by Laura Perry, assistant director for research and public engagement, Center for the Humanities. All are welcome! RSVP requested. Center for the Humanities.
Washington University, McMillan Hall, McMillan Café

21 FEBRUARY–2 MARCH
The Wolves
The Wolves, by director Sarah DeLappe, is a 21st-century coming-of-age tale. A finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the play offers a glimpse into the lives of nine teenage girls who are teammates on an indoor soccer team. In a series of scenes depicting their pre-game warm-up routine, the girls engage in seemingly frivolous banter, but under the surface, they are vying for power, understanding and acceptance as they figure out their place in a changing world. Tickets $20, free for WashU students. Performing Arts Department.
Washington University, Mallinckrodt Center, Edison Theatre

21 FEBRUARY  |  12 PM
Soviet Koreans as Disseminators of Communism in East Asia
KIM LACEY, doctoral candidate in history at WashU. Shortly after Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II, the Soviet Union sought to consolidate its sphere of influence in East Asia. Whether it be in North Korea or the reclaimed half of Sakhalin Island, Soviet Koreans came to play an important role as intermediaries, seen as both (or not quite) Soviet and East Asian. Lacey examines how the changing geopolitics of the mid 1940s and ’50s led the Soviet government to adopt a new view of Soviet Koreans, from “enemies of the people” to convenient tools for indoctrinating the region. Through close analysis of personal interviews and archival materials of Soviet Korean figures such as Ten San Din (Yuriy Danilovich), Lacey also asks how Soviet Koreans themselves processed this sudden transition, especially after the traumatic mass arrests, executions and deportations from the Russian Far East to Central Asia during Stalin’s Great Purge only a decade earlier, as well as their relations with other Koreans in northern Korea and Sakhalin. Her findings reveal not only tension and uncertainty but also hope and solidarity during this chaotic (post)war period. RSVP requested. Program in Global Studies.
Washington University, Danforth University Center, Room 248

21 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
Artist Panel: Seeds: Containers of a World to Come
At a moment when ecological concerns are becoming increasingly urgent, Seeds: Containers of a World to Come brings into dialogue work by 10 contemporary artists whose research-based practices are defined by sustained inquiry into plant-human-land relations. For the artists Shiraz Bayjoo, Carolina Caycedo, Juan William Chávez, Beatriz Cortez, Ellie Irons, Kapwani Kiwanga, Jumana Manna, Anne Percoco, Cecilia Vicuña and Emmi Whitehorse, the seed is the kernel, literally and metaphorically, of their investigations into issues of fragility, preservation and possibility in the face of the global climate crisis. Join co-curators Meredith Malone and Svea Braeunert as they engage in conversation with four participating artists in the exhibition: Carolina Caycedo, Juan William Chávez, Ellie Irons, and Anne Percoco. They will discuss their projects as they relate to their respective practices as well a key throughlines in the exhibition. Reception to follow. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Washington University, Steinberg Hall, Steinberg Auditorium

24 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
Janette Kim | Coral Courts Lecture
JANETTE KIM is an associate professor at California College of the Arts, where she co-directs the Urban Works Agency and is also founding principal of design firm All of the Above. Kim’s work focuses on the politics of ecology. She works in partnership with community-based organizations and municipal agencies to realize a more equitable redistribution of land and resources. Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts.
Washington University, Steinberg Hall, Steinberg Auditorium

26 FEBRUARY  |  1 PM
Bovine Interventions: Thinking with Animals in Enlightenment Venice
KARL APPUHN, associate professor of history and Italian at New York University. Appuhn’s research focuses on environmental history; the history of science, technology and medicine; the history of animals; Mediterranean history and the Italian Renaissance. Department of History.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge

27 FEBRUARY  |  4 PM
The Queen of MySpace: Tila Tequila and the Asian American Roots of Social Media
LISA NAKAMURA is the Gwendolyn Calvert Baker Collegiate Professor in the Department of American Cultures at the University of Michigan. Her work within the fields of media and film studies, Asian American studies and gender studies interrogates racial and ethnic assumptions embedded in the representations of race in digital media. Program in Film and Media Studies.
Washington University, Seigle Hall, Room 306

27 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
Desert Placemaking: the Role of Atmosphere in the Artwork of James Turrell and Rafa Esparza
CELINA OSUNA is a scholar and an artist. She is an assistant professor of English at the University of Texas at El Paso, and her research, with an emphasis on Indigenous and Latinx Environmentalisms, explores aesthetics of desert places in literature, art and film and their impacts on cultural imagination and geopolitical relationships to land. Her monograph, “Desert Distortion,” is forthcoming from Texas Tech University Press later this year. Dinner provided; please RSVP. Related to the Extractivism in the Americas exhibition, on view February 7–March 7 at the Des Lee Gallery. Center for the Humanities.
Washington University, Weil Hall, Kuehner Court

27 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Indigenous Perspectives II: Museums, Stewardship and Native American Art
Three lecture lectures by Heather Ahtone (Chickasaw Nation), senior curator, First Americans Museum (Oklahoma City); Dakota Hoska (Oglála Lakȟóta Nation), associate curator of Native arts, Denver Art Museum; and Meranda Roberts (Yerington Paiute Tribe), visiting professor, Department of Art History, Pomona College. Tours begin at 4:30 pm. Program in American Culture Studies.
Washington University, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum

28 FEBRUARY  |  1 PM
Beyond Exceptionalism and Area Studies: Transnational Feminist Perspectives on Anti-Gender/Feminist Discourses and Politics
NADJE AL-ALI, the Robert Family Professor of International Studies and professor of anthropology and Middle East studies, Brown University. Al-Ali’s main research interests revolve around feminist activism and gendered mobilization, with a focus on Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey and the Kurdish political movement. 
Washington University, McMillan Hall, McMillan Café

28 FEBRUARY  |  3 PM
Performance and Social Theory: Reification and Role in Marx’s Political Economy
PANNILL CAMP is an associate professor of drama at WashU, where he teaches theater history and theory, dramatic literature and performance theory. His research focuses on exchanges between theater, architecture and philosophy in 18th-century France, French freemasonry as a set of performance practices and the antecedents of performance theory in social thought from the 18th through 20th centuries. He is at work on two new book projects that explore the social dimensions of performance in the modern era. One, titled “Arts of Brotherhood: French Freemasonry in Performance,” looks at the ways embodied performances helped freemasons in 18th-century France forge models of masculine homosocial behavior and preserve an esoteric body of knowledge. The other, titled “Performance and Social Theory,” traces theatrical ideas in social theory from Montesquieu and Adam Smith to the mid 20th-century sociology of Erving Goffman. Performing Arts Department.
Washington University, Location Umrath Hall, Room 140

THROUGH 9 FEBRUARY
Pictures from a Revolution
Pictures from a Revolution (Quadri di una rivoluzione) by Tino Caspanello, English translation by Haun Saussy, U.S. premiere, director Philip Boehm. Three last resistance fighters of an unidentified revolution are living inside the walls of a stadium, while enemies lurk outside, watching and waiting. One of the men goes looking for food and winds up bringing a woman into their closed circle. Are they right to trust her? The ensuing scenes echo a series of famous paintings by Rembrandt, Matisse, Degas and others, and highlight themes touched on in the dialogues of this deep and darkly comic piece. Post-show talkback following the performance on February 8, 8 pm. Additional staged reading of The Mechanics by Steve Carmichael on Feb. 1, 5 pm. Tickets $25–$45. Upstream Theater.
The Marcelle, 3310 Samuel Shepard Dr., St. Louis, 63103

1–22 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. $15–$20. Tour starting/ending points are included in your booking details. Missouri Historical Society. 

1 FEBRUARY  |  1 PM
Drop-in Collection Tour: Pendulum: Stories of Liberation
The upcoming exhibition of the short film Pendulum, by Haitian Canadian artist Manuel Mathieu, highlights the connection between the generational search for Black liberation and rituals of faith and healing. Inspired by Mathieu’s storytelling, this tour features artworks made by Black artists that reflect on themes of freedom and community support. Free tours Fridays and Saturdays in February. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, Sculpture Hall, 1 Fine Arts Dr., Forest Park, St. Louis, 63110

1 FEBRUARY  |  2 PM
Exhibit Tour: Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II 
Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II explores the story of the U.S. Army’s 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, a top-secret unit that waged war with inflatable tanks and vehicles, fake radio traffic, sound effects and even phony generals. This carefully selected group of artists, engineers, professional soldiers and draftees — armed with nothing heavier than .50 caliber machine guns — saved thousands of lives and played an important part in Allied victory in World War II. Missouri Historical Society.
Soldiers Memorial, Court of Honor, 1315 Chestnut St., St. Louis, 63103

2 FEBRUARY  |  11 AM
Drop-in tour with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis – Clyde’s
The Saint Louis Art Museum is partnering with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis to offer docent-led tours examining themes of second chances and the search for perfection, inspired by the Tony-nominated play Clyde’s, which will be performed at The Rep from February 5 to March 2, 2025. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park, St. Louis, 63110

4 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Black Music in Arch City
This workshop combines music and history to trace the lives of some of the most influential African American musicians from St. Louis including Miles Davis, Chuck Berry, Albert King and Nelly. Registration required. Presented by Freedom Arts and Education.
St. Louis County Library – Natural Bridge Branch, 7606 Natural Bridge Rd., St. Louis, 63121

5 FEBRUARY–2 MARCH
Clyde’s
From two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage comes the Tony-nominated-play, Clyde’s. In a small run-down sandwich joint, ex-cons endure Clyde’s fiery critiques and a scorching kitchen. Yet, when a mystic chef throws down the gauntlet — craft the ultimate sandwich — the team ignites with newfound zeal. Fueled by this savory challenge, they transform their past into a recipe for triumphant fresh starts. Join this spirited culinary quest where second chances are as vibrant as the flavors sizzling in the pan! Post-performance talkbacks on Feb. 15 and Feb. 19. $40+. Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.
Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar Rd., Webster Groves, 63119

5 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Charmaine Wilkerson, Good Dirt (Author Talk)
CHARMAINE WILKERSON, best-selling author of Black Cake, basis for the hit Hulu series produced by Oprah Winfrey, presents her newest book. Wilkerson’s latest novel brings to life a multigenerational epic. When 10-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well. The crime was never solved — and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a well-to-do enclave of New England — the case has had an enduring pull for the public. Now an adult, Ebby begins to think about the other loss her family suffered that day — the stoneware jar brought North by an enslaved ancestor. The handcrafted piece of pottery held more than just Ebby’s family history —it might also hold the key to unlocking her future. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

6 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
Andrew W. Hahn, Mapping St. Louis: A History of the Gateway City in 40 Rare Maps (Author Talk)
ANDREW W. HAHN, local author and executive director of the Campbell House Museum, presents his new book, which charts the growth of St. Louis from its founding in the 1700s to the present day. Mapping St. Louis interweaves maps along with short essays, detailed views and captioned illustrations. Discover maps for exploration and navigation, pocket and atlas maps, development and planning maps, pictorial maps and fantasy maps that collectively chart St. Louis’ rich history and spark ideas about where they city may be heading. Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri History Museum, Lee Auditorium and MacDermott Grand Hall, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112

6 FEBRUARY  |  1 PM
Blues Legends Live: Celebrating the Lives and Music of Blues Greats
Using library resources, we will delve into the rich history of the blues genre, tracing its origins from African roots to the Mississippi Delta and beyond. By sampling iconic blues artists such as Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Etta James, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the profound impact of the blues on American music and culture. Registration required. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Weber Road Branch, 4444 Weber Rd., St. Louis, 63123

6 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Black Music in Arch City
This workshop combines music and history to trace the lives of some of the most influential African American musicians from St. Louis including Miles Davis, Chuck Berry, Albert King and Nelly. Registration required. Presented by Freedom Arts and Education.
St. Louis County Library – Prairie Commons Branch, 915 Utz Ln., Hazelwood, 63042

6 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Victoria Christopher Murray, Harlem Rhapsody (Author Talk)
VICTORIA CHRISTOPHER MURRAY shares the extraordinary story of the woman who ignited the Harlem Renaissance. It’s 1919, and high school teacher Jessie Redmon Fauset has been named the literary editor of The Crisis, the NAACP’s preeminent magazine. The first Black woman to hold this position, Jessie is poised to achieve literary greatness. Under her leadership, The Crisis thrives — discovering young writers like Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes. Jessie has shaped a generation of literary legends, but as she strives to preserve her legacy, she’ll discover the high cost of her unparalleled success. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

7 FEBRUARY  |  10 AM
Seeking Recognition for Descendants of Enslaved
Explore the efforts to honor enslaved people owned by Jesuits and Saint Louis University, preserve their heritage and to repair historical harms. Registration Required. Participants will receive Zoom information via email immediately after registering. Presented by Descendants of the St. Louis University Enslaved. St. Louis County Library.
VIRTUAL – RSVP

7 FEBRUARY  |  1 PM
In the Lens of Gordon Parks
MAGGIE BROWN-PEOPLES, SLAM’s 2024–26 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow, showcases the works of Gordon Parks, a 20th-century photographer, filmmaker, author and composer who recorded American life and culture from the early 1940s to the 2000s. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, Education Center, 1 Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park, St. Louis, 63110

7 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
Celebrating Saj Issa
SAJ ISSA is a featured artist of the Great Rivers Biennial collaborative and received a BFA from Webster University, St. Louis, and an MFA at the University of California, Los Angeles. Growing up between St. Louis and Ramallah, Palestine, her practice is an exploration of displacement, identity, social issues and consumerism. Experience hands-on art making exploring tatreez, a form of traditional Palestinian embroidery, led by Saj Issa, and an oud performance by Ronnie Malley. Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 63108

7 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Pam Jenoff, Last Twilight in Paris (Author Talk)
A Parisian department store, a mysterious necklace and a woman’s quest to unlock a decade-old mystery are at the center of this riveting novel from best-selling author Pam Jenoff. London, 1953. Louise is adjusting to her postwar role as a housewife when she discovers a necklace at a secondhand shop. She is certain she has seen the necklace before, when she worked with the Red Cross in Nazi-occupied Europe — and that it holds the key to the mysterious death of a friend. Inspired by a true story, Last Twilight in Paris is a gripping mystery and an unforgettable story about the power of love to transcend in the darkest hours. St. Louis County Library. 
 St. Louis County Library – Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

8 FEBRUARY  |  1 PM
The African American Experience at the 1904 World’s Fair
The 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, officially known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, was a grand event held to celebrate the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase. However, it also reflected the racial attitudes of the time, particularly regarding African Americans. July 13, 1904, is often remembered as a day when African Americans were supposedly invited to attend the fair, but the reality of what happened is far more complex and reveals much about the racial tensions of the period. Join master storyteller Carole Shelton for an event that takes people through the history of this day. St. Louis Public Library.
St. Louis Public Library – Central Library, Training Room, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, 63103

8 FEBRUARY  |  1 PM
Drop-in Collection Tour: Pendulum: Stories of Liberation
The upcoming exhibition of the short film Pendulum, by Haitian Canadian artist Manuel Mathieu, highlights the connection between the generational search for Black liberation and rituals of faith and healing. Inspired by Mathieu’s storytelling, this tour features artworks made by Black artists that reflect on themes of freedom and community support. Free tours Fridays and Saturdays in February. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, Sculpture Hall, 1 Fine Arts Dr., Forest Park, St. Louis, 63110

9 FEBRUARY  |  12 PM
Mark Wygoda, My Father’s Journey from Warsaw Ghetto Smuggler to Italian Partisan Commander (Author Talk)
While a professor, second-generation Holocaust descendant Mark Wygoda spent a year editing his father’s memoir of the Holocaust, which then was published posthumously by the University of Illinois press under the title In the Shadow of the Swastika. His experience editing the memoir motivated him to speak publicly about his father, Hermann Wygoda, a German-born Polish Jew who was a ghetto smuggler in Poland and later a partisan commander in Italy. This program will feature a 40-minute talk followed by a Q&A and book signing. St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum.
St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, Classroom, 36 Millstone Campus Dr., St. Louis, 63146

12 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
What She Said
Presented by the Black Repertory Theater of St. Louis, What She Said uses poetry, prose and song to encapsulate the African American experience through artistic works by women of color, exploring themes of self-reflection and sisterhood. In celebration of Black History Month. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Lewis & Clark Branch, 9909 Lewis-Clark Blvd., St. Louis, 63136

12 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Steve Inskeep, Differ We Must (Author Talk)
STEVE INSKEEP, co-host of NPR’s Morning Edition, presents a nuanced exploration of Abraham Lincoln’s political acumen, illuminating a great politician’s strategy in a country divided. In Differ We Must, Inskeep illuminates Lincoln’s life through 16 encounters with a person who differed or actively opposed Lincoln. While Lincoln didn’t always change his critics’ beliefs — many went to war against him — he did learn how to make his beliefs actionable. With enlightening commentary, Inskeep expands our understanding of a politician who held strong to his moral compass while navigating between corrosive political factions. St. Louis County Library. 
St. Louis County Library – Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

13 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Walter Mosley, Been Wrong So Long It Feels Right: A King Oliver Novel (Author Talk)
In the latest from master of suspense Walter Mosley, a family member’s terminal illness leads P.I. Joe King Oliver to the investigation of his life. Joe King Oliver’s beloved Grandma B has found a tumor, and at her age, treatment is high-risk. She has a single, dying wish: to see her long-lost son. King has been estranged from his father, Chief Odin Oliver, since he was a young boy. He swore to never speak to the man again when he was taken away in handcuffs. Although Chief was released from prison years ago, he’s been living underground ever since. Now, King must not only find his father but prove his innocence and protect the future of his entire family. St. Louis County Library. 
St. Louis County Library – Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

15 FEBRUARY  |  9:30 AM
Love Letters
CHRISTOPHER GORDON, director of Missouri Historical Society Library & Collections, leads a journey through love letters preserved in the Missouri Historical Society archives. Tales of new romance and lost loves provide a glimpse of the history of love in St. Louis. Registration requested. Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center, 225 S. Skinker Blvd., St. Louis, 63105

15 FEBRUARY  |  1 PM
Drop-in Collection Tour: Pendulum: Stories of Liberation
The upcoming exhibition of the short film Pendulum, by Haitian Canadian artist Manuel Mathieu, highlights the connection between the generational search for Black liberation and rituals of faith and healing. Inspired by Mathieu’s storytelling, this tour features artworks made by Black artists that reflect on themes of freedom and community support. Free tours Fridays and Saturdays in February. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, Sculpture Hall, 1 Fine Arts Dr., Forest Park, St. Louis, 63110

16 FEBRUARY  |  11 AM
Drop-in tour with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis – Clyde’s 
The Saint Louis Art Museum is partnering with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis to offer docent-led tours examining themes of second chances and the search for perfection, inspired by the Tony-nominated play Clyde’s, which will be performed at The Rep from February 5 to March 2, 2025. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park, St. Louis, 63110

18 FEBRUARY  |  11 AM
The Music of Black St. Louis
St. Louis has been a pivotal city for remarkable Black musicians who have influenced genres, introduced innovative styles and established benchmarks for musical excellence. From ragtime to blues to jazz to rock ’n’ roll to rap, come explore the rich musical heritage of Black history in St. Louis. Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri History Museum, Lee Auditorium, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112

18 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Judith Giesberg, Last Seen: The Enduring Search by Formerly Enslaved People to Find Their Lost Families (Author Talk)
Of all the many horrors of slavery, the cruelest was the separation of families in slave auctions. As soon as slavery ended, family members began to search for one another through “information wanted” advertisements and letters to newspaper editors. Drawing from an archive of nearly 5,000 documents, historian Judith Giesberg shares the story of formerly enslaved people who spent years searching for family. Thoughtful, heart-wrenching, and illuminating, Last Seen finally gives this lesser-known aspect of slavery the attention it deserves. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

20 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
Black History Month Event: “5 On Your Side”
In honor of Black History Month, “5 On Your Side” anchors will lead a conversation with Black St. Louisans as they share their perspectives and lived experiences in the Gateway City. Uncover stories of Black arts and history in our galleries with a Black history scavenger hunt and enjoy other arts-themed activities. Listen to KSDK anchors talk with Black dancers, musicians, visual artists and poets as they share their thoughts and perspectives on Black joy, arts and community. Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri History Museum, Lee Auditorium and MacDermott Grand Hall, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112

20 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Rebe Huntman, My Mother in Havana (Author Talk)
REBE HUNTMAN, memoirist, essayist, dancer, teacher and poet, celebrates the release of her highly anticipated memoir. Huntman will be in conversation with Kris Kleindienst, Left Bank Books owner, and will personalize and sign copies after the presentation. Left Bank Books.
Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 63108

20 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Orvin T. Kimbrough, Twice Over a Man: A Fierce Memoir of an Orphan Boy Who Doggedly Determined a Finer Life (Author Talk)
Born in East St. Louis and orphaned at eight years old, St. Louis business and nonprofit leader Orvin Kimbrough chronicles his early years through foster care, hunger and poverty. He could have joined a gang. He could have fallen into drugs and the violence of the streets. He could have ended up in prison. Kimbrough’s memoir details how he sought the one thing that would redeem him from that expected fate: education. Today, he is the chair and CEO of Midwest BankCentre, St. Louis’ second-largest privately owned local bank. This is the story of a young man who was determined to make a better life for himself and is resolute about showing others the way. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

21 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Jennifer Jones, Becoming Spectacular: The Rhythm of Resilience from the First African American Rockette (Author Talk)
The Radio City Rockettes are as American as baseball, hot dogs and the Fourth of July. Their legendary synchronized leg kicks and megawatt smiles have charmed audiences for a century. But when the Rockettes began in 1925, Black people were not allowed to dance on stage with white people. In 1987, the 63-year color barrier at Radio City was finally broken by one brave and tenacious woman. When she arrived, Jennifer Jones was met with pushback — a fierce resistance she details in this intimate and inspiring memoir. Becoming Spectacular is a triumphant celebration of a spirit who refused to be counted out. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

22 FEBRUARY  |  1 PM
Drop-in Collection Tour: Pendulum: Stories of Liberation
The upcoming exhibition of the short film Pendulum, by Haitian Canadian artist Manuel Mathieu, highlights the connection between the generational search for Black liberation and rituals of faith and healing. Inspired by Mathieu’s storytelling, this tour features artworks made by Black artists that reflect on themes of freedom and community support. Free tours Fridays and Saturdays in February. Saint Louis Art Museum.
Saint Louis Art Museum, Sculpture Hall, 1 Fine Arts Dr., Forest Park, St. Louis, 63110

23 FEBRUARY  |  3 PM
The Man Behind the Spy: A Son’s Perspective of Peter Malkin
Join an intimate conversation with Omer Malchin, son of the renowned Israeli spy Peter Malkin, subject of the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum’s new special exhibition, The Artist Who Captured Eichmann. Malchin will offer a unique and personal perspective on his father’s life, revealing the man behind the legendary capture of Adolf Eichmann. This talk will delve into the human side of Peter Malkin, beyond the roles of spy and artist. The program will include a 45-minute presentation and a rare opportunity to view the original Argentina Journal, featuring sketches and reflections Malkin created during Eichmann’s interrogation. $8. St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum.
St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, Auditorium, 36 Millstone Campus Dr., St. Louis, 63146

24 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
Marie Benedict, The Queens of Crime (Author Talk)
MARIE BENEDICT presents a thrilling story about a race to solve a murder and the power of friendship. London, 1930. The five greatest women crime writers have banded together to form a secret society with a single goal: to show they are no longer willing to be treated as second-class citizens by their male counterparts. Led by Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, the women call themselves the Queens of Crime. Their plan? Solve an actual murder, that of a young woman who may have connections leading to the highest levels of the British establishment. $35, includes book copy. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

25 FEBRUARY  |  3 PM
Echoes of 1917: The History of the East St. Louis Race Massacre
Explore the pivotal racial violence of the East St. Louis Race Massacre, its broader civil rights implications and its lasting impact on advocacy and activism. Presented by Cicely Hunter, Public Historian at the Missouri Historical Society. Registration required. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Florissant Valley Branch, 195 New Florissant Rd. S., Florissant, 63031

26 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Blues Legends Live: Celebrating the Lives and Music of Blues Greats
Using library resources, we will delve into the rich history of the blues genre, tracing its origins from African roots to the Mississippi Delta and beyond. By sampling iconic blues artists such as Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Etta James, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the profound impact of the blues on American music and culture. Registration required. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131

27 FEBRUARY  |  5 PM
Navigating the Intersection of Race and Disability
Black disabled people are making change in St. Louis despite facing discriminatory practices rooted in both racism and ableism. Join us for an evening featuring presenters doing important work in the St. Louis community, with historical context showing how Black disabled St. Louisans have worked to achieve social and economic equality. Cara Reedy, founder and director of the Disabled Journalists Association, delivers a keynote address, followed by a panel on disability activism. Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri History Museum, Lee Auditorium and MacDermott Grand Hall, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112

27 FEBRUARY  |  5:30 PM
The Art of African Fashion: A Celebration of Clothing, Cloth, and Culture
Enjoy an exciting fashion show that highlights the use of authentic African textiles in contemporary fashion and the cultural tradition of telling stories through cloth and clothing. Light refreshments provided. Registration required. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Natural Bridge Branch, 7606 Natural Bridge Rd., St. Louis, 63121

27 FEBRUARY  |  6 PM
Black Music in Arch City
This workshop combines music and history to trace the lives of some of the most influential African American musicians from St. Louis including Miles Davis, Chuck Berry, Albert King and Nelly. Registration required. Presented by Freedom Arts and Education.
St. Louis County Library – Thornhill Branch, 12863 Willowyck Dr., St. Louis, 63146

28 FEBRUARY  |  7 PM
C. J. Box, Battle Mountain (Author Talk)
Following a violent ex-convict’s campaign of destruction, both Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett and his friend and sometime partner, outlaw falconer Nate Romanowksi, are in tatters, especially Nate, who lost almost everything. Wondering if the civilized life left him vulnerable to attack, Nate drops off the grid to prepare for vengeance. St. Louis County Library. 
St. Louis County Library – Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, 63131