We hope you enjoy this month’s Humanities Broadsheet — a compilation of events organized by or featuring members of the Washington University community, as well as our colleagues in the greater humanities community in the St. Louis area.
Click through each event to see the organizer’s complete listing. As you’ll see below, there’s always something going on!
1 APRIL | 4 PM Pressure Against Emptiness: Some Thoughts on Making CARL PHILLIPS, professor in the Department of English at Washington University, is a celebrated poet, essayist and professor whose work has garnered critical acclaim and captivated readers around the world. The author of 16 books of poetry and a four-time finalist for the National Book Award, Phillips received a Pulitzer Prize for his latest collection, Then The War: And Selected Poems, 2007–2020. The book has been described as “a masterful collection that chronicles American culture as the country struggles to make sense of its politics, of life in the wake of a pandemic, and of our place in a changing society.” The lecture and Q&A will be followed with a post-event reception. Introduction is by Feng Sheng Hu, the Richard G. Engelsmann Dean of Arts & Sciences and Lucille P. Markey Distinguished Professor. In-person and online attendance options. Please register for the link. Arts & Sciences.
Washington University, Hillman Hall, Clark-Fox Forum & Virtual
WashU Events
1 APRIL | 4 PM Elliot H. Stein Lecture in Ethics with Richard Haass
RICHARD HAASS, veteran diplomat and author of The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens, will discuss the state of global democracy. Haass is president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations after having served as CFR’s president for 20 years. He is also a senior counselor with Centerview Partners, an international investment banking advisory firm. RSVP requested; see website. Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement.
Washington University, Knight Hall, Emerson Auditorium
2 APRIL | 8 PM Lidia Yuknavitch: Craft Talk
LIDIA YUKNAVITCH is the best-selling author of The Book of Joan, The Small Backs of Children, Dora: A Headcase, Allegories of Violence and The Misfit’s Manifesto. Her memoir The Chronology of Water was a finalist for a PEN Center USA award for creative nonfiction. Her newest works are the fiction collection Verge (2020) and the novel Thrust (2022). She founded the workshop series Corporeal Writing in Portland, Oregon, where she teaches both in person and online. Department of English.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge (Room 201)
3 APRIL | 5 PM J.S.G. Boggs: Money as Performance Art
J.S.G. Boggs (1955–2017) was an American performance artist who created hand-drawn replicas of U.S. currency in exchange for goods and services. In doing so, Boggs captured the attention of the American public, collectors and law enforcement. In this presentation, numismatic author Wayne Homren, who was personally acquainted with Boggs, discusses the legacy of this enigmatic character. University Libraries.
Washington University, Olin Library, Room 142
3 APRIL | 5:30 PM Kahlil Robert Irving and Andrea Achi: Archaeology and Contemporary Art
Artist Kahlil Robert Irving will be in conversation with Andrea Achi, the Mary and Michael Jaharis Associate Curator of Byzantine Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to discuss Irving’s exhibition, which includes a range of ceramic sculptures inspired, in part, by the mosaic floors of Hellenistic Antioch. Topics will also include how contemporary artists engage the history and methodologies of archaeology, uncovering layer upon layer of evidence and artifacts that begin to tell a fragmented story. Sam Fox School.
Washington University, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum
4–5 APRIL The Humanities in the AI Future
This symposium will convene four diverse talks on the affordances of humanistic scholarship with and about artificial intelligence and machine learning. Drawing on work ranging from literature and women’s and gender studies to history of science and science and technology studies, speakers will model a series of humanistic approaches to understanding and using these culturally seismic technologies. Programming will kick off on April 4 with an informal session on teaching with and on AI in humanities courses and flow into a single stream of talks on April 5. See website for schedule, speakers, abstracts and registration. Center for the Humanities.
Washington University, Danforth University Center, Room 234
4 APRIL | 8 PM Lidia Yuknavitch: Reading
LIDIA YUKNAVITCH is the best-selling author of The Book of Joan, The Small Backs of Children, Dora: A Headcase, Allegories of Violence and The Misfit’s Manifesto. Her memoir The Chronology of Water was a finalist for a PEN Center USA award for creative nonfiction. Her newest works are the fiction collection Verge (2020) and the novel Thrust (2022). She founded the workshop series Corporeal Writing in Portland, Oregon, where she teaches both in person and online. Department of English.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge (Room 201)
5–6 APRIL | 7:30 PM WUDance Collective: Glimmers
“Glimmers are small moments that spark joy or peace…” Glimmers bring hope, insight and connectivity. They radiate a beauty that illuminates the corners of our existence. They are points of light that spark the imagination bringing flashes of insight into the human condition. Join us in celebrating a shimmering tapestry of creativity with choreography by WashU Dance Collective graduate and undergraduate choreographers as well as PAD dance faculty and staff. Inspired by the concept of Glimmers, this promises to be an evening of dance art that nurtures and recharges the soul. Washington University Dance Collective serves as the Performing Arts Department’s resident dance company. WUDC is a unique blending of talented and expressive movers from very diverse backgrounds who bring with them a wide range of movement styles and performance acumen. The dancers work with faculty, community, graduate and undergraduate student choreographers, as well as perform throughout the St. Louis community. Artistic direction is by Cecil Slaughter. $15–$20; free for WashU students. Performing Arts Department.
Washington University, Edison Theatre
5 APRIL | 11 AM Ethics of Belonging of Indigenous Contemplative Tradition
The unquestionable conditions of the crises of climate, health and loneliness demand that we ask how education may lead to solutions. Environmental destruction and its loss of life, the breakdown of communities, the economic systems of oppression and the mental health epidemics and the struggles of substance abuse, anxiety and depression are excruciating realities worldwide. Yuria Celidwen, PhD, asserts that Indigenous traditions hold critical and timely solutions to help meet our times’ most pressing social and environmental injustices through deep cultural roots of contemplative wisdom. These practices are grounded in Indigenous principles of embodiment and action-oriented practices toward equity, community and ecological awareness. These contemplative traditions have been tested and refined for millennia for their physical, psychological and environmental benefits, documented within an empirical tradition of Indigenous sciences. Celidwen’s research charts these rich traditions from diverse corners of the world to develop a synthetic theory about their core focus in what she has named the “ethics of belonging.” Mindfulness Science & Practice.
Washington University, Brown Hall, Brown Lounge
6 APRIL Buder Center Powwow
The theme of 33rd Annual Buder Center Powwow is “There is empowerment in belonging.” Doors open at 10 am, with grand entries at 12 pm and 6 pm.
Washington University, Washington University Field House, 330 N. Big Bend Blvd., University City, 63130
8 APRIL | 5:30 PM Esther Kinsky
During this evening of fiction in translation with the 2024 Max Kade Visiting Writer Esther Kinsky, one of Germany’s most celebrated living authors, she will read and discuss her most recently translated novel, Rombo (New York Review Books, 2023). Danielle Dutton, associate professor of English, Washington University, will join her in conversation. Kinsky is the author of six volumes of poetry and four novels. She has translated many notable English and Polish writers into German, including John Clare, Henry David Thoreau and Olga Tokarczuk. Her novel River was longlisted for the German Book Prize in 2014, and Grove won the 2018 Leipzig Book Fair Prize. University Libraries.
Washington University, Olin Library, Ginkgo Reading Room
8 APRIL | 7 PM Learning to Disagree Book Event
This event is in celebration of John Inazu’s latest book, Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect, to be published by Zondervan in April 2024. Inazu is the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University. Panel discussion features WashU scholars Inazu, John Hendrix, Peter Boumgarden, Jennifer Duncan, Penina Acayo Laker and Frank Lovett. In a tense cultural climate, is it possible to disagree productively and respectfully without compromising our convictions? Spanning a range of challenging issues — including critical race theory, sexual assault, campus protests and clashes over religious freedom — Inazu helps us engage honestly and empathetically with people whose viewpoints we find strange, wrong or even dangerous. As a constitutional scholar, legal expert and former litigator, Inazu has spent his career learning how to disagree well with other people. In Learning to Disagree, he shares memorable stories and draws on the practices that legal training imparts — seeing the complexity in every issue and inhabiting the mindset of an opposing point of view — to help us handle daily encounters and lifelong relationships with those who see life very differently than we do. John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics.
Washington University, Anheuser-Busch Hall, Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom
9 APRIL | 4:30 PM Theft, Forgery, and Scholarship: The Trafficking of Ancient Jewish and Christian Manuscripts
BRENT NONGBRI is professor of history of religions at MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion, and Society in Oslo. How did ancient Jewish and Christian manuscripts end up in the libraries and museums where we now see them on display? In many cases, the answer is the antiquities market. Over the last century, there has been a thriving trade in ancient manuscripts. This market has always been shady, but in recent years, high-profile scandals involving the trafficking of antiquities have shaken the field of biblical studies. Major collections of manuscripts and antiquities have been robbed by the very curators and scholars who should be safeguarding them. Top scholars have been fooled by forgeries that emerged from the market. This talk dives into some of these recent controversies by unravelling the complicated story of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., which has been at the center of some of these unfortunate events. Program in Religious Studies.
Washington University, Umrath Lounge
9 APRIL | 6 PM On Palestinian Literature: Past, present, and future
As Palestinians continue to contend with the Israeli military’s destruction of hospitals, libraries, universities, and archives, writers around the world are noting the global implications of their struggle. Poet Fady Joudah writes, “When will you begin to truly listen to what Palestinians have been saying for decades?” In these circumstances, the long and complex tradition of Palestinian literature reminds us that acts of literary imagination are inseparable from the politics of land. Scholars Eman Ghanayem and Layla Azmi Goushey will discuss the richness of the Palestinian literary tradition, joined in conversation by Safa Khatib, doctoral candidate in the Comparative Literature Track for International Writers at Washington University. Dinner will be served; please RSVP. Program in Comparative Literature.
Washington University, Weil Hall, Kuehner Court
9 APRIL | 8 PM Laird Hunt: Craft Talk
LAIRD HUNT is the author of eight novels, including the 2021 National Book Award finalist Zorrie and, most recently, a collection of linked stories, Float Up, Sing Down. He is the winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction, the Grand Prix de Littérature Américaine, the Bridge Prize and a finalist for both the Pen/Faulkner and the Prix Femina Étranger. A former United Nations press officer who was raised in Europe, Asia and rural Indiana, he now teaches in Brown University’s Literary Arts Program. Department of English.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge (Room 201)
11 APRIL | 8 PM Laird Hunt: Reading
LAIRD HUNT is the author of eight novels, including the 2021 National Book Award finalist Zorrie and, most recently, a collection of linked stories, Float Up, Sing Down. He is the winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction, the Grand Prix de Littérature Américaine, the Bridge Prize and a finalist for both the Pen/Faulkner and the Prix Femina Étranger. A former United Nations press officer who was raised in Europe, Asia and rural Indiana, he now teaches in Brown University’s Literary Arts Program. Department of English.
Washington University, Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge (Room 201)
12 APRIL | 1 PM Movement Workshop
Performing Arts Department alumnus and Broadway actor Sathya Sridharan (’09) and Juilliard alumni, actor and teacher Paton Ashbrook will lead a movement workshop that will encourage actors to step out onto the skinny branches to make bold and brave acting choices. Using somatic exercises and techniques, participants will explore how to get out of their actor’s heads into their bodies. Participants are encouraged to wear movement clothing and bring something to write with. A short Q&A to follow. Performing Arts Department.
Washington University, Mallinckrodt Center, Room 101
14 APRIL | 1 PM Listening Into: Bunkers, Bodies, In-betweens
In a site-specific performance spanning the insides and the outsides of a WWII-era bunker, Anya Yermakova brings together Rajna Swaminathan on mrudangam and kanjira, Marina Kifferstein on violin, and Florent Ghys on acoustic bass and electronics to join her on piano and foot percussion. Yermakova is an ACLS Emerging Voices Postdoctoral Fellow based in the Center for the Humanities. The immense resonance of the bunker invites the audience to immerse into an “amphibian” state, displacing their acoustic expectations in and out of a concrete half-pipe resonant chamber. Guided by improvised scores, the performers discover music anew, blending their embodied understandings of pitch, rhythm and intonation with the body of the bunker. In between sonic beauty and the grotesque reminder of war, the bunker offers a space for listening into the gaps in between known and unknown, musical and noisy, human and more-than-human presence. Following the performance, attendees will join a discussion at Tyson’s Living Learning Center about the interplay of creative practice and critical inquiry in the performers’ own work and as witnessed in the performance. They will also discuss the role of artistic research with/in the university and how scholars and practitioners can advocate for the value of their work. The artist-scholars will expose and explain the value of their respective hybrid methodological kernels: of proto-rhythms and non-binary logic (Yermakova), of apertures for improvisation (Swaminathan), of sensation of just intonation technique (Kifferstein) and of playfulness as a critical tool in music composition (Ghys). RSVP required by Sun., April 7; see website. Center for the Humanities.
Tyson Research Center, 6750 Tyson Valley Rd., Eureka, 63025
15 APRIL | 4 PM Politics and Secularity in the Early Islamic World
Join us for a discussion of secular and political thought in the early Islamic world, with
Louise Marlow speaking on “Counsel for Kings: Secular Bases for Legitimate Rule in Medieval Western Asia” and Hayrettin Yücesoy lecturing on “Reason and Religion in Abbasid Political Discourse.” Marlow is a professor of religion at Wellesley College and author of Counsel for Kings: Wisdom and Politics in Tenth Century Iran and Hierarchy in Egalitarianism in Islamic Thought. Yücesoy, facilitator of the lecture series, is associate professor in the Department of Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies, Washington University. Department of Jewish, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies.
Washington University, Hurst Lounge
15 APRIL | 6 PM Mandoob Mandoob (“Night Courier,” 2023, 110 min.) is directed by Ali Kalthami. In the heart of Riyadh, where desperation and opportunity collide, Mandoob brings forth the gripping tale of Fahad Algadaani, a mentally fragile man racing against time to save his ailing father. Department of Jewish, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies.
Washington University, Busch Hall, Room 100
16 APRIL | 5 PM Playing Sacred: The Camp Aesthetics of Feminist and Queer Art
ANTHONY PETRO is an associate professor in the Department of Religion and in the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program at Boston University. In the modern culture wars, conservatives often attack feminist and queer art as sacrilegious or obscene. But why does so much religious iconography animate this creative work? And how? This talk looks at the religious and political possibilities of camp as a style of engagement, focusing on the work of artists Ray Navarro and Judy Chicago. It asks: How do the aesthetics of camp challenge dominant ways that we think about religion and religious attachments? John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics.
Washington University, Knight Hall, Emerson Auditorium
16 APRIL | 6 PM An Art of Immersion: Matisse’s Oceanic Escapes
JOHN KLEIN is a professor of the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Washington University. The lecture will be held in conjunction with the Saint Louis Art Museum’s exhibition Matisse and the Sea, to which Klein contributed a catalogue essay, “Matisse and Water.” Department of Art History and Archaeology.
Saint Louis Art Museum, Farrell Auditorium, 1 Fine Arts Dr, St. Louis, MO 63110
16 APRIL | 6 PM Exiles, Zeks, and Theologians Evaluating Dostoevsky’s House of the Dead
ELIZABETH BLAKE, associate professor at Saint Louis University in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, will present on research for her book project, Dostoevsky, the Siberian, which focuses on the reception history of his autobiographical novel, Notes from the House of the Dead, based on his confinement in the Omsk Stockade (1850–54) for his participation in the Petrashevsky Circle. The presentation will examine observations by former political prisoners Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Nicholas Berdyaev, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Varlaam Shalamov in an attempt to assess the significance of the literary work for the 20th century and beyond. Program in Global Studies.
Washington University, Eads Hall, Room 215
17 APRIL | 4:30 PM Panel on the Vital Role of the Arts and Sciences in Public Health: Reconceiving the Sexual and Reproductive Body
In light of Washington University’s momentous decision to establish a new School of Public Health (the first new school in 100 years), panelists will discuss the critical role of the arts and humanities in public health with emphasis on the sexual and reproductive body. The panel will be followed by a reception and showing of the 13-minute film by Mary and Patrick Kelley, This is Offal. See website for schedule, speakers and registration.
Washington University, Hillman Hall, Clark-Fox Forum
18 APRIL | 12 PM Catherine Knight Steele
CATHERINE KNIGHT STEELE is an associate professor of communication at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she directs the Black Communication and Technology lab (BCaT) as a part of the Digital Inquiry, Speculation, Collaboration & Optimism (DISCO) Network funded by the Mellon Foundation. Her research focuses on race, gender and media, with a specific emphasis on Black culture and discourse and digital communication. She examines representations of marginalized communities in the media and how groups resist oppression and practice joy using online technology to create spaces of community. Transdisciplinary Institute in Applied Data Sciences.
Washington University, Danforth University Center, Room 276
18 APRIL | 3:30 PM The Power of Buttons
This is a pop-up workshop engaging the St. Louis community with a small but powerful public text: the pin-back button. These wearable, shareable public texts are crucial to social movements and organizations but easily overlooked because of their small size and seemingly fun and frivolous nature. Personal stylistic flair as well as visual messages of political or social affiliation, buttons are at once texts and objects; they both document and disseminate personal beliefs and preferences. Developed by the Center for the Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis in partnership with local arts educator CJ Mitchell, the Power of Buttons pop-up workshop will help participants consider the significance of buttons as a public text and persuasive tool throughout histories, social movements, civic engagement, humanistic inquiries and community building. Participants will also design, create and take home their own buttons. Snacks and supplies provided. RSVP requested; see website. Center for the Humanities.
Center of Creative Arts (COCA), Gold Design and Art Studio, 6880 Washington Ave, University City, 63130
18 APRIL | 4 PM ‘Asia in St. Louis’: Stories of Community Building and Resilience
What was the experience of Asian American migrants to the Midwest in the late 19th century? What did Chinatown in St. Louis look like before its demolition in the 1960s? What happened to Japanese Americans who escaped interment camps and settled in St. Louis during World War II? How did the Asian American immigrants establish successful businesses with the support of the local community? How did national developments in race relations and social activism in the 20th century influence Asian Americans in St. Louis? With the support of the Missouri Humanities Council, Washington University students and staff have created a series of webpages using GIS (Geographic Information System) technology to showcase the contributions of the Asian American community on St. Louis, called the “Asia in St. Louis” project. Guest speaker Anna Crosslin will reflect on the evolution of St. Louis’ Asian American community, sharing stories from her private and professional experience in helping bring greater visibility to the Asian American community. Washington University Libraries.
Washington University, Danforth University Center, Goldberg Formal Lounge
18 APRIL | 4:30 PM The War on Black Birthing Bodies: A conversation about historical and present harm of Black women in the field of obstetrics and gynecology
HEATHER SKANES, MD, attended Washington University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in African and African American studies. She then earned her medical degree at Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio, and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. Skanes is dedicated to uplifting her community and is a supporter of Black Lives, birth rights and a believer of womxn everywhere. Department of African and African American Studies.
Washington University, Hillman Hall, Room 60
19 APRIL | 1 PM Special Collections Open House
Join Washington University Libraries to see some of the university’s special collections up close, including exhibitions on the topics of China and the 1904 World’s Fair, numismatics and punk, along with the Declaration of Independence “Southwick Broadside.” University memorabilia from the 1970s to the present will also be on display.
Washington University, Olin Library, Special Collections Classroom
19 APRIL | 3 PM Stepping through the Mirror: Identity, Choice and Dismantling Preconceptions, Seen through the Prism of an Expat American Living in Ukraine during the 1990s
KS (KARA) LACK moved to Kyiv in 1994 to help launch one of Ukraine’s first independent newspapers — Dzerkalo Nedeli (ZN,UA) — when she was 22. Now a writer and letterpress artist, she is interested in the interplay between presswork and poetry and in transcending constraints by working with them. Lack’s talk will draw from two projects she is currently spearheading to raise awareness and funding for Ukrainian humanitarian aid: her hybrid chapbook, Kyivsky Waltz — a love story | Київський Валь—любовна історія, published in February 2024 by Finishing Line Press, and its companion piece, Sunflower Variations — this is Ukraine | Соняшникові Варіації – це Україна, a multimedia exhibition scheduled for public viewing this fall. While Kyivsky Waltz is a memoir, Sunflower Variations addresses the current invasion and ongoing humanitarian crisis. Program in Global Studies.
Washington University, McMillan Hall, McMillan Café
19 APRIL | 4 PM The Right to Read
High school reporters, librarians, educators and booksellers — Banned Books Fellows report on how various communities have responded to book bans across the U.S., as well as the frequent targets of bans. The Center for the Humanities’ first cohort of Banned Books Fellows has spent the semester researching book bans in K–12 education, the motivations and political influence behind educational censorship, and the ways students, librarians and educators are fighting back on this mounting issue in American education. Join us for a discussion of their findings and for resources for advocating for academic freedom in your community. Dinner will be served. RSVP required; see website. Center for the Humanities.
Washington University, Stix House
19 APRIL | 4 PM With Heart and Humor: A Screening with Julia Lindon Julia Lindon is a Performing Arts Department alum and an LA-based comedy writer who recently wrote on In the Know, Mike Judge and Zach Woods’ new animated Peacock show. She co-wrote an episode of Netflix/A24’s Survival of the Thickest, and served as writer’s assistant on Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso. Lindon is the writer and star of Lady Liberty, a TV pilot that premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and was a finalist for the Sundance Episodic Lab. Back in NY, Lindon worked at NBC’s Saturday Night Live and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. In addition to her recurring role on Comedy Central’s Detroiters, she co-hosted the long-running podcast Happy Campers and was profiled by the New York Times’ Sunday Routine column. In addition to her television credits, Lindon has also written for Spotify, iHeart, WarnerMedia, Cosmopolitan and Headgum. Performing Arts Department.
Washington University, Umrath Hall, Room 140
21 APRIL | 2 PM Chinese-language Tour of Special Exhibitions
中文美术导览： 春季特展
邀请您来和艺术史暨考古学系博士生戴悦共同欣赏Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum本期展览《Kahlil Robert Irving: Archaeology of the Present》和《Santiago Sierra: 52 Canvases Exposed to Mexico City’s Air》。来一起探索这两位当代艺术家对现今生活物质维度的诠释，例如空气污染残留的粒子和都市废弃物的景观。
Student educator Yue Dai, PhD student in the Department of Art History & Archaeology, Washington University, leads a tour of this season’s exhibitions Kahlil Robert Irving: Archaeology of the Present and Santiago Sierra: 52 Canvases exposed to Mexico City’s Air. Participants will explore how both artists engage with the materiality of contemporary life from the physical residue of air pollution to the sculptural topography of urban refuse. Free and open to the public. Please check in at the Welcome Desk when arriving for the tour. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Washington University, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum
25 APRIL | 7 PM Retina Burn
The Performing Arts Department invites you to join the students of the Lighting Technology class as they put on a full concert in the Edison Theatre. The concert is the culmination of a semester-long process in learning the craft of designing a concert lighting and projection rig. Students have spent the better part of the semester programming this concert in computer visualization in preparation for the live show. Performance by Uncle Albert with Tim Albert and Lisa Campbell. This popular Illinois-based band maintains their roots as well as they “Boogie da’ Blues.” Performing Arts Department.
Washington University, Mallinckrodt Center, Edison Theatre
26–27 APRIL Artistic Research at Tyson
The Artistic Research at Tyson cohort of 13 Washington University humanities graduate students will present their works in progress following a semester of site-specific exploration of creative practice and critical inquiry at the Tyson Research Station. They will share the evolution of their ideas in a variety of formats, including but not limited to performance and documentation of their process and display of creative work within a WWII-era bunker on site. Via examples of their own work, invited guests Lawrence Abu Hamdan and Salomé Voegelin will guide the collective discussion about working at the cross-section of sound studies, performance and other artistic research methods, environmental studies and histories of war. Via discussions, presentations and guided explorations, this gathering will be about the exchange of methods for including (and exposing) creative practice as complementary and fruitful to the critical and intellectual work within the university. RSVP required; see website. Center for the Humanities.
Tyson Research Center, 6750 Tyson Valley Rd., Eureka, 63025
26 APRIL | 3 PM Feathers and Facepaint: The Making of Redface in American Theatre
BETHANY HUGHES is an assistant professor of American culture in the Native American Studies Program at University of Michigan. Across the 19th century, American theatre artists and audiences turned to the “Indian” to tell stories of drama, tragedy, comedy and history. From these diverse but popular plays a recognizable and racialized figure developed, the Stage Indian. This talk tracks the material elements used to create “Indian” characters to explore how theatrical techniques and dramatic repertoires worked with and through settler colonial logics resulting in a recognizable and racialized figure. The Stage Indian is more than feathers and face paint, however. It is an embodied figure whose legibility as an “Indian” is co-constructed with its audience. Tracing instantiations of the “Stage Indian” across the 19th century reveals the saturation, flexibility and persistence of redface as a tool of U.S. control over Indigenous nations and peoples. Performing Arts Department.
Washington University, Umrath Hall, Room 140
27 APRIL | 2 PM Special Exhibitions
Student educators lead interactive tours of this season’s exhibitions Kahlil Robert Irving: Archaeology of the Present and Santiago Sierra: 52 Canvases exposed to Mexico City’s Air. Through guided discussion, participants will explore how both artists engage with the materiality of contemporary life from the physical residue of air pollution to the sculptural topography of urban refuse. Please check in at the Welcome Desk when arriving for the tour. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Washington University, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum
29 APRIL | 12 PM A Masterclass with Christine Goerke, soprano
This masterclass will feature students from the Department of Music in performance, guided by internationally renowned soprano Christine Goerke. Goerke has appeared in many of the most prestigious opera houses of the world including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Royal Opera House, Paris Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Real in Madrid and the Saito Kinen Festival. She has sung much of the great soprano repertoire, beginning with the Mozart and Handel heroines and now moving into dramatic Strauss and Wagner roles. Her recording of Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony with Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Classical Recording and Best Choral Performance. Goerke, associate artistic director of the Detroit Opera, has been recognized with the 2001 Richard Tucker Award, 2015 Musical American Vocalist of the Year Award and 2017 Opera News Award. Department of Music.
560 Music Center, E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall, 560 Trinity Ave., University City, 63130
St. Louis Community Events
THROUGH 7 APRIL August: Osage County
This Pulitzer Prize– and Tony Award–winning family drama paints a stark and often unflattering picture of the Midwestern family. In this tableau: the pill-popping and manipulative matriarch, a vanished patriarch and three daughters with secrets of their own. Familial tensions rise when all are called back to the family home in Oklahoma. Equal parts heartfelt and heart-wrenching, this story gives an in-depth look at what it takes to keep a family together. Post-show discussion following the performances on Wed., April 3. $30–$90. Repertory Theatre St. Louis.
Loretto-Hilton Center, Mainstage, 130 Edgar Rd., Webster Groves, 63119
1 APRIL | 6 PM Deborah Taffa, Whiskey Tender (Author Talk)
DEBORAH TAFFA is the director of the MFA creative writing program at the Institute of American Indian Arts, editor for St. Louis’ long running River Styx magazine and acclaimed writer. A citizen of the Quechan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo, Taffa was raised to believe that some sacrifices were necessary to achieve a better life. Her grandparents were sent to Indian boarding schools run by white missionaries, while her parents were encouraged to take part in governmental job training off the reservation. Assimilation meant relocation, but as Taffa matured into adulthood, she began to question the promise handed down by her elders and by American society: that if she gave up her culture, her land and her traditions, she would not only be accepted but would be able to achieve the American Dream. Whiskey Tender traces how a mixed tribe native girl — born on the California Yuma reservation and raised in Navajo territory in New Mexico — comes to her own interpretation of identity Left Bank Books.
Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 63108
3 APRIL | 7 PM Lisa Scottoline, The Truth about the Devlins (Author Talk)
TJ Devlin is the charming disappointment in the prominent Devlin family, all of whom are lawyers at their highly successful firm. After stints in prison and rehab, TJ can’t get hired anywhere except as an “investigator” at the firm, but one night, TJ’s world turns upside down after his older brother John confesses that he just murdered one of the clients. TJ plunges into the investigation, seizing the chance to prove his worth and save his brother. TJ will fight to save his family, but what he learns might break them first. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Daniel Boone Branch, 300 Clarkson Rd., Ellisville, 63011
4 APRIL | 12 PM Art Speaks: Matisse’s Caribbean and the French Négritude Movement
Art historian Kathryn Brown will discuss Matisse’s posthumously published artist’s book based on poems by the Franco-American writer John-Antoine Nau, Poésies Antillaises (1972). Although the book depicted and celebrated Caribbean people, landscapes and seascapes, it also perpetuated romantic myths of a tropical paradise. Matisse’s book is examined and contextualized against the rise of the Négritude movement in France, including the challenges made by Black writers and artists to the histories and legacies of colonialism. Brown is a reader in art histories, markets and digital culture at the United Kingdom’s Loughborough University. Saint Louis Art Museum.
VIRTUAL
4 APRIL | 5 PM Beyond Tragedy: Imagining Native Futures with David Treuer
Join New York Times best-selling author and award-winning scholar David Treuer (Ojibwe) for a special evening exploring his groundbreaking book, The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee. A finalist for the National Book Award, The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee explores what we can see when we look beyond tragedy, which has been the dominant historical narrative and narrative mode about Native American history, but this way of seeing Native American history has often elided much of Native American and American history and continues to warp the Native present tense. What is lost when we cleave to the tragic mode, and what, ultimately, is the best way to think about the Native American past, present and future? Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri History Museum, Lee Auditorium, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112
5–28 APRIL 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.
11 am, Apr. 5: Laclede’s Landing; 10am, Apr. 6: Urban Renewal; 11am, Apr. 6: Tower Grove; 2pm, Apr. 6: Musical St. Louis; 10am, Apr. 12: Downtown Origins; 10am, Apr. 13: Cherokee Street; 10am, Apr. 14: Central West End; 11am, Apr. 19: Gay Liberation in the Gateway City; 2pm, Apr. 20: Laclede’s Landing; 10am, Apr. 21: Dogtown; 1pm, Apr. 21: Murder, Mayhem, and More Murder; 10am, Apr. 26: Downtown Origins; 10am, Apr. 27: Benton Park; 10am, Apr. 28: Dogtown
5 APRIL | 10 AM Book symposium: Cécile Fromont, Images on a Mission in Early Modern Kongo and Angola
CÉCILE FROMONT, professor of the history of art at Yale University, will present with responses from two colleagues about how early modern central Africa comes to life in an extraordinary atlas of vivid watercolors and drawings that Italian Capuchin Franciscans, veterans of Kongo and Angola missions, composed between 1650 and 1750 for the training of future missionaries. These “practical guides” present the intricacies of the natural, social and religious environment of 17th and 18th-century west-central Africa and outline the primarily visual catechization methods the friars devised for the region. Images on a Mission in Early Modern Kongo and Angola brings this overlooked visual corpus to public and scholarly attention. Lunch reception will follow the presentation. Join a breakfast discussion with Fromont on April 5, 8:30am, DuBourg Hall, Room 406. RSVP required; see website. Saint Louis University Center for Research on Global Catholicism.
Saint Louis University, Pere Marquette Gallery, DuBourg Hall 240, 1 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 63103
5 APRIL | 6 PM Artist Talk: Tamara Johnson
Hear Dallas-based sculptor Tamara Johnson discuss her artwork on view in the exhibition Currents 123. Johnson creates objects in a range of materials that explore the ideological and metaphorical value with which we imbue household items. Examining ideas of domesticity, the power of personal and private landscapes and feminism, Johnson considers the anthropomorphic qualities of everyday objects.
Saint Louis Art Museum, Farrell Auditorium, 1 Fine Arts Dr., St. Louis, 63110
6 APRIL | 7 PM Don Winslow, City in Ruins (Author Talk) City in Ruins is the conclusion to author Don Winslow’s epic crime trilogy about Danny Ryan, a low-level Rhode Island gangster turned West Coast power player. Now a billionaire, Ryan has built an empire of glittering mega-hotels and casinos along the legendary Las Vegas Strip, a newcomer making both firm allies and bitter enemies as he threatens the city’s entrenched establishment in a dangerous battle of money, blackmail and bribery fought at the highest level. A dangerous endgame is at hand for Danny — he thought he had buried his criminal past, but now it reaches up from the grave to pull him down. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Daniel Boone Branch, 300 Clarkson Rd., Ellisville, 63011
7–18 APRIL Jewish Film Festival
Travel the world through film. The J’s St. Louis Jewish Film Festival showcases national and international cinema that explores universal issues through traditional Jewish values, opposing viewpoints and new perspectives. Documentaries, drama and short films are presented for two weeks with introductions by filmmakers and experts on the issues the films bring forth. Jewish Films for young adults are also presented to the public in an effort to expand discussion and audiences for this age cohort. See website for film lineup, dates and times, and locations. St. Louis Jewish Community Center.
Various locations; see website
10 & 29 APRIL Opera Theater: Julius Caesar
Presented by Opera Theater St. Louis, experience George Frideric Handel's Julius Caesar. Learn about the composer, librettist and historical backdrop while you enjoy excerpts of the love story of Caesar and Cleopatra. RSVP required; see website. St. Louis County Library. 6 pm, Wed., April 10 – Daniel Boone Branch, 300 Clarkson Rd., Ellisville, 63011 6 pm, Mon., April 29 – Samuel C. Sachs Branch, 16400 Burkhardt Pl., Chesterfield, 63017
10 APRIL | 6 PM Richard Newman, Blues at the End of the World (Author Talk)
RICHARD NEWMAN is the author of four books of poetry and the novel Graveyard of the Gods. He currently teaches creative writing and world literature at Al Akhawayn University in Morocco. Before leaving the U.S. in 2016, he lived in St. Louis and served as editor and executive director of River Styx for 22 years. Blues at the End of the World traces the narrative arc of Newman’s leaving the U.S. for good, looking for something else and finding unexpected wonders, redemption, love and family in the Marshall Islands, Japan and Vietnam. Written in a variety of forms and song-forms, the book is studded with tanka, haiku, haibun, sonnets, triolets and even the free verse poems are influenced by Pacific Island chants. Subterranean Books.
Subterranean Books, 6271 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 63130
10 APRIL | 7 PM Leif Enger, I Cheerfully Refuse (Author Talk)
Set in a not-too-distant America, I Cheerfully Refuse is the tale of a bereaved and pursued musician embarking under sail on a sentient Lake Superior in search of his departed, deeply beloved, book-selling wife. Rainy, an endearing bear of an Orphean narrator, seeks refuge in the harbors, fogs and remote islands of the inland sea. Encountering lunatic storms and rising corpses from the warming depths, Rainy finds on land an increasingly desperate and illiterate people, a malignant billionaire ruling class, crumbled infrastructure and a lawless society. Amidst the Gulliver-like challenges of life at sea and no safe landings, Rainy is lifted by physical beauty, surprising humor, generous strangers and an unexpected companion in a young girl who comes aboard. As his innate guileless nature begins to make an inadvertent rebel of him, Rainy’s private quest for the love of his life grows into something wider and wilder, sweeping up friends and foes alike in his strengthening wake. RSVP required; see website. Left Bank Books.
Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 63108
11, 18, 20 & 26 APRIL Pow Wows, Dude Ranches and Rodeos: Exploring the West
Explore the rich cultural tapestry of America by delving into the vibrant traditions of pow wows, the rugged allure of dude ranches and the thrilling world of rodeos. Immerse yourself in the diverse and captivating experiences that showcase the unique facets of American heritage. RSVP required; see website. St. Louis County Library. 6:30 pm, Thurs., April 11 – Grant’s View Branch, 9700 Musick Rd., St. Louis, 63123 6 pm, Thurs., April 18 – Oak Bend Branch, 842 S. Holmes Ave., St. Louis, 63122 2 pm, Sat., April 20 – Mid-County Branch, 7821 Maryland Ave., St. Louis, 63105 2 pm, Fri., April 26 – Daniel Boone Branch, 300 Clarkson Rd., Ellisville, 63011
12 & 13 APRIL | 2 PM International Slow Art Day
Join us at the Saint Louis Art Museum as we celebrate International Slow Art Day, a global experience with a simple mission: focus on the art and the art of seeing. Annually on this day, people all over the world visit local museums to look at art slowly and make new discoveries. The exhibition Concealed Layers: Uncovering Expressionist Paintings takes visitors behind the scenes and below the surface for an inside look at art from the museum’s collection. Please join us for a facilitated Slow Looking workshop and discover something new using works featured in this exhibition. Availability is on a first-come, first-served basis, and space is limited. 2 pm, Fri., April 12 2 pm, Sat., April 13
Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Dr., Sculpture Hall Welcome Desk, St. Louis, 63110
12 APRIL | 4 PM MindsEye Collection Highlights Tour: Native Art Now
Explore the fascinating range of 20th-century Native American art currently on view. This live audio description tour is in partnership with MindsEye, a Belleville, Illinois, nonprofit organization that strives to build a more inclusive community by translating vision into audio. Staff from MindsEye lead the free, drop-in tours, which feature the same theme each month as the Museum’s Drop-In Collection Tours but with an added emphasis on Audio Description, making them more accessible for visitors with visual impairments. Space is limited; sign up on the MindsEye events page.
Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Dr., Sculpture Hall Welcome Desk, St. Louis, 63110
12 APRIL | 7 PM Jeannette Walls, Hang the Moon (Author Talk)
JEANNETTE WALLS is the author of the New York Times best-sellers The Silver Star and Half Broke Horses, which was named one of the 10 best books of 2009 by the editors of The New York Times Book Review. Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Born at the turn of the 20th century into a life of comfort and privilege, Sallie remembers little about her mother, who died in a violent argument with the Duke. By the time she is just eight years old, the Duke has remarried and has had a son, Eddie. While Sallie is her father’s daughter — sharp-witted and resourceful — Eddie is his mother’s son, timid and cerebral. When Sallie tries to teach young Eddie to be more like their father, her daredevil coaching leads to an accident, and Sallie is cast out. Nine years later, she returns, determined to reclaim her place in the family. That’s a lot more complicated than Sallie expected, and she enters a world of conflict and lawlessness. Sallie confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger. Online attendance option also available. Left Bank Books.
Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, 63108
13 APRIL | 1:30 PM Revealing the Practice of Tattooing in Ancient Egypt
ANNE AUSTIN is an assistant professor of anthropology at University of Missouri–St. Louis. Classical Club of St. Louis.
John Burroughs School, Newman Auditorium, 755 S. Price Rd., St. Louis, 63124
16 APRIL | 11 AM Lucas and Garrison, 1875: An Intersection of Forgotten St. Louis
Historian Bill Wichman will take you on a journey to 1875 in the neighborhood of Lucas and Garrison. Discover the history of five men and their families who were living on Plate 71 of the famous Compton and Dry map, including Sam Kennard, Wayman Crow, Robert Barnes and John Perry. Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri History Museum, Lee Auditorium, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112
16 APRIL | 4 PM Anthony Horowitz, Close to Death (Author Talk)
ANTHONY HOROWITZ will join on zoom in conversation with fellow best-selling mystery author Paul Doiron to discuss the newest addition to his Hawthorne and Horowitz mystery series. Detective Hawthorne is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable case: a gruesome murder in an idyllic gated community in which suspects abound. Riverside Close is a picture-perfect community. The six exclusive and attractive houses are tucked far away from the noise and grime of city life, allowing the residents to enjoy beautiful gardens, pleasant birdsong and tranquility from behind the security of a locked gate. It is the perfect idyll, until the Kentworthy family arrives with their four giant, gas-guzzling cars, gaggle of shrieking children and plans for a garish swimming pool in the backyard. Obvious outsiders, the Kentworthys do not belong in Riverside Close and quickly offend every last one of the neighbors. When Charles Kentworthy is found dead on his own doorstep, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, Detective Hawthorne is the only investigator they can call to solve the case, because how do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect? Book purchase and RSVP required; see website. Left Bank Books.
VIRTUAL
16 APRIL | 6:30 PM Hampton Sides, The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook (Author Talk)
Historian Hampton Sides shares an epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration. In 1776, Captain James Cook, already lionized as the greatest explorer in British history, set off on his ship the HMS Resolution. Two and a half years later, on a beach on the island of Hawaii, Cook was killed in a conflict with native Hawaiians. How did Cook, who was unique among captains in his respect for Indigenous peoples and cultures, come to that fatal moment? St. Louis County Library.
Missouri History Museum, Lee Auditorium, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112
17 APRIL | 9:30 AM Soldiers Memorial Shuttle Rides
Journey to the heart of military history at Soldiers Memorial Military Museum in downtown St. Louis for a guided tour of the exhibit Vietnam: At War and At Home. Each trip will last approximately 2.5 hours round trip. Passengers will be joined by a Soldiers Memorial staff member who will share history of Soldiers Memorial en route to the building. A Q&A session will take place on the return trip. $15. RSVP required; see website. Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112
17 APRIL | 7 PM Megan Miranda, Daughter of Mine (Author Talk)
When Hazel Sharp, daughter of Mirror Lake’s longtime local detective, unexpectedly inherits her childhood home, she’s warily drawn back to the town and people she left behind almost a decade earlier. Hazel’s not the only relic of the past to return: A drought has descended on the region, and as the water level in the lake drops, long-hidden secrets begin to emerge, including evidence that may help finally explain the mystery of her mother’s disappearance. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Grant’s View Branch, 9700 Musick Rd., St. Louis, 63123
18, 24 & 29 APRIL
History of Ice Cream in the U.S.
Join us as we unravel the sweet history of ice cream and the iconic evolution of ice cream cones in the United States. Samples will be provided. RSVP required; see website. St. Louis County Library. 2 pm, Thurs., April 18 – Thornhill Branch, 12863 Willowyck Dr., St. Louis, 63146 1 pm, Wed., April 24 – Cliff Cave Branch5430 Telegraph Rd., St. Louis, 63129 6 pm, Mon., April 29 – Prairie Commons Branch, 915 Utz Ln., Hazelwood, 63042
18 APRIL | 2 PM The Spatial Turn: Mapping the Terrain of Geospatial Science and Humanities
This symposium will begin with a panel of three SLU faculty, Gregory Beabout, Rachel Lindsey and Charles Parker, who will discuss the influence and use of GIS mapping in their own humanities research. Keynote speaker Matthew Wilson, professor of geography at University of Kentucky, will present his newest research, “Slow Maps: Cartographic Attention and the Question of Geography,” which considers the concept of “slow” maps to better comprehend the rapid development of cartography throughout the last century. Wilson contends that this development informs how we think about the linkages between geography and cartography today and to “think of these linkages in terms of geographic education.” RSVP required; see website. CREST Research Institute, Saint Louis University.
Saint Louis University, Pere Marquette Galley, DuBourg Hall, Room 240, 1 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 63103
18 APRIL | 5 PM The St. Louis Baby Tooth Survey and Silent Fallout
In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the Partial Test Ban Treaty, which ended above-ground nuclear bomb testing and lessened dangerous excessive nuclear fallout in the atmosphere. These decisions were in large part based on the St. Louis Baby Tooth Survey, a project launched by scientists and mothers to measure Strontium-90 in baby teeth in order to gauge the environmental consequences of nuclear testing. See clips of the 2023 documentary Silent Fallout by director Hideaki Ito and hear a panel conversation with environmental historians, scientists and individuals who truly drove grassroots change by mailing in their baby teeth to be studied more than 50 years ago. Join us for a special happy hour from 5 pm to 6:30 pm, where the STL Changemakers, a group of local high school students from across the St. Louis area, will present their own efforts to drive change in their communities in a series of pop-up displays. Missouri Historical Society.
Missouri History Museum, Lee Auditorium, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112
18–19 APRIL | 7 PM The WHY of MY City – Fair Ground
In a top podcast show written by Saint Louis Story Stitchers and directed by Sillo, a 19-year-old Army Reservist draws inspiration from a Civil War story about the power of young people to make progress toward fair ground. The WHY of MY City is a signature, multiyear project that seeks to collect positive stories of local heroes in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods struggling with decline. The project captures and documents pieces of African American history through written word and the arts while training the next generation to become active, engaged citizens. Audiences gain insight into their neighbors’ lives and forgotten historic places. Saint Louis Story Stitchers.
.ZACK, 3224 Locust Blvd., St. Louis, 63103
19 APRIL | 2 PM ASL Tour
Join Angela Botz, a docent who is Deaf, for a tour of CAM’s exhibitions in American Sign Language (ASL). This program is offered in partnership with DEAF Inc. as part of the Deaf Visual Arts Festival. Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 63108
24 APRIL | 11 AM Midwest Museum Talks: Matisse and the Sea
This virtual discussion features Simon Kelly, Matisse and the Sea curator and curator of modern and contemporary art at Saint Louis Art Museum, and Claudine Grammont, former director of the Musée Matisse Nice and now head of the department of graphic arts at the Centre Pompidou Paris. Their conversation will be moderated by Lionel Cuillé, founder and director of the French Connexions Center of Excellence at Washington University.
VIRTUAL
26–27 APRIL Mediterranean Ecologies
The Mediterranean region represents both a human and a natural archive. Scholars past and present have drawn on this archive to define patterns of interaction and explain cultural or political outcomes across the Mediterranean region or connecting it to other regions. The multiplicity of forms of such interactions offers an opportunity to rethink our understanding of the relationship between human and natural processes as defining characteristics of Mediterranean history. This event brings together specialists from a range of humanistic, social scientific, creative and scientific disciplines to engage with diverse practices — past and present — that connected a multitude of beings across diverse Mediterranean environments. RSVP required; see website. Saint Louis University.
Saint Louis University, Sinquefield Stateroom, DuBourg Hall, Room 409, 1 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 63103
26–28 APRIL American Natya Festival
The 15th Annual American Natya Festival includes Natya Kala Conference and American Natya Idol Finals. Natya Kala Conference is an educational dance-related conference featuring dance scholars and gurus from the U.S. and India. Natya Idol is the ultimate Indian classical dance competition for youth from across the country.
Clayton High School Auditorium, 1 Mark Twain Cir., Clayton, 63105
27 & 29 APRIL
Opera Theater: Galileo Galilei
Presented by Opera Theater St. Louis, experience Philip Glass’ Galileo Galilei. Learn about the composer, librettist and historical backdrop while you enjoy excerpts about one of the most courageous scientists in history. RSVP required; see website. St. Louis County Library. 10 am, Sat., April 27 – Thornhill Branch, 12863 Willowyck Dr., St. Louis, 63146 11 am, Mon., April 29 – Grant’s View Branch, 9700 Musick Rd., St. Louis, 63123
29 APRIL | 6 PM Opera Theater: The Barber of Seville
Presented by Opera Theater St. Louis, experience Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. Learn about the composer, librettist and historical backdrop, while you enjoy excerpts of the hair-raising escapades in this comedic masterpiece. St. Louis County Library.
St. Louis County Library – Lewis & Clark Branch, 9909 Lewis-Clark Blvd., St. Louis, 63136
29 APRIL | 7 PM Sally Hepworth, Darling Girls (Author Talk)
Author Sally Hepworth will be in conversation with Angie Weidinger, HEC Media Host. Hepworth returns with a thriller about sisterhood, secrets and murder. For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a “loving” foster mother, Miss Fairchild, but their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects? St. Louis County Library.
The J’s Staenberg Family Complex, Mirowitz Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Dr., St. Louis, 63146
