1-29 SEPTEMBER | VARIOUS TIMES
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 2 hours in length and are wheelchair accessible. $20–$35. Tour starting/ending points are included in your booking details.
Sept. 1: The Hill; Sept. 3: Downtown Origins, Soulard South; Sept. 4: Central West End; Sept. 10: Tower Grove, Gay Liberation in the Gateway City; Sept. 11: Downtown Evolutions, Benton Park; Sept. 17: Soulard North and LaSalle Park; Sept. 18: Forest Park; Sept. 24: Beyond the Grave; Sept. 25: Laclede’s Landing; Sept. 29: Old North and St. Louis Place.
Missouri History Museum
2-30 SEPTEMBER | VARIOUS TIMES
Drop-in Collection Tour: Global Ancient Art
Join a Saint Louis Art Museum docent for a lively and engaging tour of the Saint Louis Art Museum’s collection. Tours begin at the Information Center in Sculpture Hall, and they are limited to 10 visitors on a first-come, first-served basis.
Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Dr., Forest Park, St. Louis, 63110
3-5 SEPTEMBER
Japanese Festival
Celebrating the history, culture, and people of Japan, the Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the largest and oldest festivals of its kind in the United States. Since 1977 the garden has proudly hosted this unique event at one of the largest Japanese gardens in North America. A fruitful collaboration with several local Japanese-American organizations provides authentic Japanese music, art, dance, food and entertainment for thousands of visitors each year. See website for program and tickets.
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, 63110
3 SEPTEMBER | 2 PM
Brian Flaspohler, St. Louis Baseball History: A Guide (Author Talk)
Meet local author Brian Flaspohler and learn about some of the sites and players of St. Louis' rich baseball history from his book.
St. Louis Public Library - Carpenter Library, Auditorium, 3309 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 63118
6 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Deanna Raybourn, Killers of a Certain Age (Author Talk)
Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that’s their secret weapon. Deanna Raybourn presents an action-packed thriller about a deadly group of “retirees.” Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie have worked for an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school in an age that relies more on technology than people skills. When the foursome is sent on all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. To get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done. They’re about to give a lesson on what it really means to be a woman — and a killer — of a certain age. Seating is limited; early arrival is recommended.
St. Louis County Library - Daniel Boone Branch, 300 Clarkson Rd., Ellisville, 63011
8 SEPTEMBER | 9 AM
More Than a Bridge
AMANDA CLARK, manager of community tours and the See STL tour program with the Missouri History Museum, talks about James B. Eads and his engineering marvel of a bridge over the Mississippi River. RSVP required. 2022 Speaker Series, National Museum of Transportation.
National Museum of Transportation, Earl C. Lindburg Automobile Center on the Mezzanine, 2933 Barrett Station Rd, St. Louis, 63122
8 SEPTEMBER | 5:30 PM
Black Builders of St. Louis
Black people throughout the St. Louis area have always contributed to the built landscape with their ingenuity, resources and vision. Join us for an evening of dialogue that uncovers the legacy and impact of African Americans within the built environment, from the architecture of slavery to the story of 1820s bricklayer Joseph Blake to the contractors, engineers and designers who are actively working in the St. Louis community today to build a new vision for our region. Moderated by Cheeraz Gorman, the panel includes Elise Preston Mallory, Melisa Betts Sanders, Angela da Silva, Anthony Thompson and DeAna Carter. The conversation will center on the work of Black St. Louisans who are impacting the city’s built, unbuilt and rebuilt environments while creating family legacies, helping communities and establishing pipelines for underrepresented groups. Panel discussion begins at 6:30 pm.
Missouri History Museum, Lee Auditorium and MacDermott Grand Hall, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112
8 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Craig Johnson, Hell and Back: A Longmire Mystery (Author Talk)
What if you woke up lying in the middle of the street in the infamous town of Fort Pratt, Montana? What if the only way you know who you are is because your name is printed in the leather sweatband of your cowboy hat, and what if it says your name is Walt Longmire — but you don’t remember him. In Hell and Back, Johnson takes the beloved sheriff to the very limits of sanity to do battle with the most dangerous adversary he’s ever faced — himself. Seating is limited; early arrival is recommended. Organized by St. Louis County Library.
The J, Mirowitz Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Dr., St. Louis, 63146
9 SEPTEMBER | 6 PM
Kundiman Poetry Reading, Midwest Confluence Poetry Series
Kundiman is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing generations of writers and readers of Asian American literature, and creating a space where Asian Americans can explore, through art, the unique challenges that face the new and ever changing diaspora. Readers include Melody Gee, Kathryn Hargett-Hsu, STUTI and Andy Chen.
Subterranean Books, 6271 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 63130
9 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Panel Conversation—Catching the Moment: Perspectives on the Contemporary Print World
Focusing on the prints and drawings on view in the exhibition Catching the Moment: Contemporary Art from the Ted L. and Maryanne Ellison Simmons Collection, panelists will engage in a lively and informative conversation about their perspectives on building a strong collection of fine art prints. Panelists are: Enrique Chagoya, artist; Larissa Goldston, Universal Limited Art Editions; David Kiehl, curatorial advisor; Susan Sheehan, Susan Sheehan Gallery; and Elizabeth Wyckoff, curator of prints, drawings and photographs. $5 (free for members). Livestream also available.
Saint Louis Art Museum, Farrell Auditorium, 1 Fine Arts Dr., Forest Park, St. Louis, 63110
VIRTUAL - RSVP
10 SEPTEMBER | 11 AM
Panel Discussion: Great Rivers Biennial Artists & Jurors
Celebrate the 10th edition of the Great Rivers Biennial (GRB) in this panel conversation with GRB artists Yowshien Kuo, Yvonne Osei and Jon Young, and jurors Carmen Hermo, Jen Liu and Hamza Walker. Wassan Al-Khudhairi, chief curator, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, who organized the show, moderates the discussion.
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 63108
10 SEPTEMBER | 1 PM
Day One Screening & Discussion
The award-winning documentary Day One follows a group of teenage refugees from war-torn countries who are enrolled at a unique public school for refugees and immigrants-only in St. Louis, where they are guided through an inspirational program of education, healing and trauma intervention by devoted educators, some of whom have chosen to relocate to the inner city to support their students. Over the course of a year, we watch the kids progress through layers of grief and loss as they attend school, forge new friendships and prepare to be mainstreamed into local public high schools. The screening will be followed by an interactive panel discussion, “St. Louis Refugee and Immigration Initiatives: Past, Present, and Future,” with experts featured in the film including Betsy Cohen, executive director of St. Louis Mosaic Project; Kelly Moore, director of NCNAA (Nahed Chapman New American Academy); Peter Tao, architect and community organizer; and Anita Barker, vice president of education at the International Institute of St. Louis.
St. Louis Public Library - Carpenter Library, Auditorium, 3309 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 63118
10 SEPTEMBER | 1 PM
Pruitt-Igoe True Legacy - A Conversation With Former Residents
The Wendell O. Pruitt Homes and William Igoe Apartments, known collectively as Pruitt–Igoe, were joint urban public housing developments first occupied in 1954 in St. Louis. The complex consisted of 33 eleven-story high rises, designed in the modernist architectural style by Minoru Yamasaki. This conversation with former residents is necessary in order to focus on the residents who lived in Pruitt-Igoe and debunk the mythical narratives that have been repeated for decades. The purpose of this conversation is to share the true historic legacy of Pruitt-Igoe, of how families, despite the imposed challenges built meaningful lives, raised families, made lifelong friends, worshiped, lived, died, survived and, most importantly, loved there. That residents embraced the good times and became one family through these shared experiences stronger than ever. Moderated by Bernie Hayes, the conversationalists scheduled to appear are Adrienne Harris, Gregory Khalil Flenoid, Ben Phillips and Robert E. Green.
St. Louis Public Library – Central Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, 63103
12 SEPTEMBER | 6 PM
Bulletproof Screening & Discussion
Bulletproof depicts what Variety calls “the day-to-day normalization of the unspeakable.” With mass shootings persisting, and schools being among the top targets, Todd Chandler’s sobering documentary turns the camera to the often undiscussed and unseen reality of schools today in the context of an epidemic of gun violence. While most conversations focus on victims, perpetrators, mental health and gun control, Bulletproof examines the measures schools have taken in response to the growing threat of danger, such as increased surveillance, security, armed and armored teachers and drills, and how a burgeoning industry has emerged to capitalize on this new standard of defense over prevention. Parts of the documentary were filmed in High Ridge, Missouri. Director Todd Chandler will join virtually to talk about this highly informative and compelling film. See website for registration. Cinema St. Louis.
Kirkwood Public Library, 140 E. Jefferson Ave., Kirkwood, 63122
12 SEPTEMBER | 6 PM
Jonathan Escoffery, If I Survive You and LaToya Watkins, Perish (Author Talks)
About If I Survive You: In the 1970s, Topper and Sanya flee to Miami as political violence consumes their native Kingston. But America, as the couple and their two children learn, is far from the promised land. Excluded from society as Black immigrants, the family pushes on through Hurricane Andrew and later the 2008 recession, living in a house so cursed that the pet fish launches itself out of its own tank rather than stay. But even as things fall apart, the family remains motivated, often to its own detriment, by what their younger son, Trelawny, calls “the exquisite, racking compulsion to survive.” About Perish: Spanning decades, Perish tracks the choices Helen Jean — the matriarch of the Turner family — makes and the way those choices have rippled across generations: Julie B., a woman who regrets her wasted youth and the time spent under Helen Jean's thumb; Alex, a police officer grappling with a dark and twisted past; Jan, a mother of two who yearns to go to school and leave Jerusalem, Texas, and all of its trauma behind for good; and Lydia, a woman whose marriage is falling apart because her body can’t seem to stay pregnant. As they’re called home to say goodbye to their mother and grandmother, this family's “reunion” unearths long-kept secrets and forces each member to ask themselves important questions about who is deserving of forgiveness and who bears the cross of blame.
Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., St, Louis, 63108
13 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Sarah Kendzior, They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent (Author Talk)
SARAH KENDZIOR will be in conversation with St. Louis Public Radio political correspondent Jason Rosenbaum. They Knew discusses conspiracy culture in a rapidly declining United States struggling with corruption, climate change and other crises. As the actions of the powerful remain shrouded in mystery — like the Jeffrey Epstein operation — it is unsurprising that people turn to conspiracy theories to fill the informational void. They Knew exposes the tactics these powerful actors use to placate an inquisitive public and unearths decades of buried American history, providing an essential and critical look at how to rebuild our democracy by confronting the political lies and crimes that have shaped us. Livestream available; see website. Organized by Left Bank Books.
Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd., St. Louis, 63117
VIRTUAL
13 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Michael W. Twitty, Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew (Author Talk)
The James Beard award-winning author of the acclaimed The Cooking Gene explores the cultural crossroads of Jewish and African diaspora cuisine and issues of memory, identity and food. In Koshersoul, Michael W. Twitty considers the marriage of two of the most distinctive culinary cultures in the world today: the foods and traditions of the African Atlantic and the global Jewish diaspora. To Twitty, the creation of African-Jewish cooking is a conversation of migrations and a dialogue of diasporas offering a rich background for inventive recipes and the people who create them. $40-$55. St. Louis Jewish Book Festival.
St. Louis Jewish Community Center, Staenberg Family Center – Mirowitz Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Dr., St. Louis, 63144
14 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Louisa Treger, Madwoman (Author Talk)
Historical fiction author Louisa Treger presents the spellbinding true story of the world’s first female investigative journalist, Nellie Bly. In 1887, young Nellie Bly sets out for New York and a career in journalism, determined to make her way as a serious reporter, whatever that may take. Down to her last dime and desperate to prove her worth, she comes up with a dangerous plan: to fake insanity and have herself committed to the asylum on Blackwell’s Island. There, she will work undercover to expose the asylum’s wretched conditions. An extraordinary portrait of a woman ahead of her time, Madwoman is the story of a quest for the truth that changed the world. Seating is limited; early arrival is recommended.
St. Louis County Library - Daniel Boone Branch, 300 Clarkson Rd., Ellisville, 63011
15 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Ellen Barker, East of Troost (Author Talk)
Under the guise of a starting-over story, East of Troost deals with subtle racism today, overt racism in the past and soul-searching about what to do about it in everyday living. The novel’s fictional narrator has moved back to her childhood home in a neighborhood that is now mostly Black and vastly changed by an expressway that displaced hundreds of families. It is the area located east of Troost Avenue, an invisible barrier created in the early 1900s to keep the west side of Kansas City white, “safely” cordoned off from the Black families on the east side. When the narrator moves back to her old neighborhood in pursuit of a sense of home, she deals with crime, home repair and skepticism — what is this middle-aged white woman doing here, living alone? Supported by a wise neighbor, a stalwart dog and the local hardware store, we see her navigate her adult world while we get glimpses of author Ellen Barker’s real life there as a teenager in the sixties, when white families were fleeing and Black families moving in — and sometimes back out when met with hatred and violence.
Subterranean Books, 6271 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 63130
15 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Dan Chaon, Sleepwalk, and Erin Belieu, Come-Hither Honeycomb (Author Talks)
Poet Dana Levin, distinguished writer-in-residence at Maryville University, in conversation with Dan Chaon and Erin Belieu conversation about adoption, being Midwestern raised, friendship and other spontaneous topics spurred by their most recent books. About Sleepwalk: Sleepwalk’s hero, Will Bear, is a man with so many aliases that he simply thinks of himself as the Barely Blur. At 50 years old, he’s been living off the grid for over half his life. He’s never had a real job, never paid taxes, never been in a committed relationship. A good-natured henchman with a complicated and lonely past and a passion for LSD microdosing, he spends his time hopscotching across state lines in his beloved camper van, running sometimes shady often dangerous errands for a powerful and ruthless operation he’s never troubled himself to learn too much about. Out of the blue, he receives a call from a 20-year-old woman claiming to be his biological daughter. She says she's the product of one of his long-ago sperm donations; he's half certain she's AI. She needs his help. About Come-Hither Honeycomb: In Come-Hither Honeycomb, Erin Belieu turns her signature wit and intellectual rigor inward for an unguarded exploration of human vulnerability. The poems meditate on the impact of large and small traumas: the lasting thumbprint of abuse, the collective specter of disease, the achingly sweet humility of parenting. The bodies in these poems are trapped, held hostage, bleeding. And yet there is agency — structural dynamism, texture, the color green — while a woman climbs a metal ladder to the diving board, a girl climbs high into the branches. The speaker grapples with a lifelong pattern of brutality, then painfully breaks free. Livestream available; see website.
The High Low, 3301 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 63103
VIRTUAL
16 SEPTEMBER | 5:30 PM
Closing Reception: GatewayGIS Neighborhood Banner Project
Join the contributors to the “GatewayGIS Neighborhood Banner Project: Learning North St. Louis History Through Design” for the closing reception of an exhibition of eight banners on the museum’s west facade on Spring Street. The project was conceived as an opportunity for K–12 students to not only learn about past and present African-American leaders and landmarks in our neighborhoods, but also to celebrate them through digital graphic design. This celebration event welcomes back the young artists who created the banners and the Resident Teaching Artists who supported them for art making activities, food, and public comments.
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 63108
17 SEPTEMBER | 12-4:30 PM
Chuseok Korean Harvest Festival
Chuseok is a celebration of good harvest where families visit ancestral hometowns; enjoy song, dance and folk games; and share a feast of traditional foods. The Gateway Korea Foundation invites families and friends to learn about and experience the culture of Korea at our Chuseok Korean Harvest Festival. This in person celebration will feature performances by The Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago (KPAC), and several local groups. Cultural learning opportunities including crafts, games, calligraphy, Korean alphabet, food, and traditional Korean clothing. Gateway Korea Foundation.
Webster University Community Music School, 535 Garden Ave., St. Louis, 63119
17 SEPTEMBER | 12:30 PM
Golden Anniversaries: The Godfather (1972) Screening & Discussion
Winner of the Oscar for Best Picture — and now widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time — The Godfather, based on Mario Puzo’s novel of the same name, focuses on the powerful Italian-American crime family of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). When the don’s youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), reluctantly joins the Mafia, he becomes involved in the inevitable cycle of violence and betrayal. Introduction and discussion led by Vincent Casaregola, professor of English and director of the Film Studies Program at Saint Louis University. Cinema St. Louis.
St. Louis Public Library – Central Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, 63103
17 SEPTEMBER | 1 PM
Valerie Battle Kienzle, Main Street St. Charles, Mo.: A Walk Through History (Author Talk)
Each year thousands of visitors from throughout the world travel to the banks of the Missouri River to experience the history and architecture of Main Street in St. Charles, Missouri. History comes alive in St. Charles, and according to longtime resident, history enthusiast, and author Valerie Battle Kienzle, the best way to experience Main Street and nearby areas is on foot. So, grab a pair of comfortable walking shoes, slip this St. Charles walking tour into your backpack or purse, and prepare to be wowed.
Main Street Books, 307 S. Main St., St. Charles, 63301
18 SEPTEMBER
Sababa Arts & Culture Festival
Presented in collaboration between the St. Louis Jewish Federation and the J, Sababa is St. Louis’ premier Jewish arts & culture festival. Sababa is a cutting-edge, outdoor festival showcasing the vibrancy of contemporary Jewish culture. The festival features local, regional and national visual art exhibitors, culinary experiences and musical performances, as well as St. Louis Jewish organization booths.
Washington University, parking lot outside Simon Hall
19 SEPTEMBER | 6 PM
Banned Book Podcasting
This week is Banned Books Week! We are discussing and highlighting books that were or continue to be banned by various institutions for their themes or content. In this workshop, we’ll use the recording room at Julia Davis Creative Experience to create a limited series podcast discussing banned books. Each participant will be able to talk about their favorite banned book and its significance to them. Join us to learn about podcasting, recording and the importance of Banned Book Week!
St. Louis Public Library – Julia Davis Library, 4415 Natural Bridge Ave., St. Louis, 63115
20 SEPTEMBER | 11 AM
Brewing Architecture: Lemp Brewery
CHRIS NAFFZIGER, author of the architectural blog Saint Louis Patina, will talk about the history and architecture of the Lemp Brewery — built between 1864 and 1919, its story is far more intriguing than most people realize. Although the brewery’s architecture has previously been attributed to Edmund Jungenfeld, new research has revealed that two other architects are largely responsible for the iconic buildings we see today: Theodore Krausch, a pioneer in modern refrigeration and innovation in American brewhouses, and Guy Tyler Norton, the brewery’s full-time architect who designed the Lemp’s “newest” buildings in the decades before Prohibition. Using original photography that show little-known corners of the Lemp Brewery, this lecture will explain how St. Louis was the focal point of a revolution in brewing architecture.
Missouri History Museum, Lee Auditorium, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 63112
20 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Javier Zamora, Solito: A Memoir (Author Talk)
In one of the most critically acclaimed books of the year, a young poet shares the story of his harrowing migration to the United States at the age of nine. Javier Zamora recounts the 3,000-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador and across the U.S. border. Zamora faces perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns, arrests and deceptions alongside fellow migrants who will come to encircle him like an unexpected family. A memoir as gripping as it is moving, Solito provides an intimate account not only of a near-impossible journey, but also of the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most pivotal moments. Solito is Javier Zamora’s story, but it’s also the story of millions of others who had no choice but to leave home. Seating is limited; early arrival is recommended. St. Louis Country Library.
Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd., St. Louis, 63117
21 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Buzz Bissinger, The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II (Author Talk)
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, college football was at the height of its popularity. As the nation geared up for total war, one branch of the service dominated the aspirations of college football stars: the U.S. Marine Corps. Which is why, on Christmas Eve of 1944, when the 4th and 29th Marine regiments found themselves in the middle of the Pacific Ocean training for what would be the bloodiest battle of the war — the invasion of Okinawa — their ranks included one of the greatest pools of football talent ever assembled: former All Americans, captains from Wisconsin and Brown and Notre Dame, and nearly 20 men who were either drafted or would ultimately play in the NFL. When the trash-talking between the 4th and 29th over who had the better football team reached a fever pitch, it was decided: The two regiments would play each other in a football game as close to the real thing as you could get in the dirt and coral of Guadalcanal. The bruising and bloody game that followed became known as “The Mosquito Bowl.” Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Buzz Bissinger is author of the New York Times best-sellers Three Nights in August and Friday Night Lights. Livestream available; see website. Left Bank Books.
Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd., St. Louis, 63117
VIRTUAL
21 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Julius Hunter, Professor Julius K. Hunter’s Stuff You Never Knew About St. Louis History (Author Talk)
Join us at for an author visit from local TV legend and University City resident Julius Hunter. During this event, Hunter will discuss his new book and share the stories behind his previous books, his long TV career and his life in St. Louis. University City Public Library.
VIRTUAL - RSVP
21 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Eric Von Schrader, A Universe Disrupted (Author Talk)
In this follow up to A Universe Less Traveled, Billy Boustany has had the adventure of a lifetime. Now, all he wants to do is to go back to the amazing universe he discovered. But the power brokers over there warned him to stay away and keep his mouth shut. At the same time, Diyami Red Hawk, an idealistic young man from that universe has connected with Billy’s daughter and is on a mission to build a modern Native American city in our world. But he’s getting nowhere — until he finds support in unexpected places. A plea for help from the other universe gives Billy his chance to return. He and his wife immerse themselves in the beauty and splendor of this odd, intriguing world. Then they encounter dark secrets lurking beneath its surface. Billy, Diyami and their friends have to make the biggest decision of their lives, with the fate of two worlds hanging in the balance. Livestream available; see website.
Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 63108
VIRTUAL
22 SEPTEMBER | 10 AM-1 PM
Advancing Change: Retaining BIPOC Talent in Museums
This free, virtual summit will explore critical changes museums and cultural institutions must make to attract, support, and retain BIPOC talent. Last year, the Saint Louis Art Museum launched Advancing Change, an annual summit devoted to addressing best practices for nurturing diverse talent within museums and cultural institutions. This program is inspired by more than 30 years of the Museum’s Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellowship, one of the nation’s longest-running post-graduate training opportunities for museum professionals from historically underrepresented populations. Keynote address by Dr. Kelli Morgan, who will discuss anti-racist approaches and practices in art museums today. Three alumnae of the Bearden Fellowship — Channon M. Dillard, Dr. Nenette Luarca-Shoaf and Dr. Cherise Smith — will discuss their experiences developing careers in curatorial, education and interpretation departments, among other arts-related fields. Saint Louis Art Museum.
VIRTUAL - RSVP
23 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Collecting Wonders
CLAUDIA SWAN, the Inaugural Mark Steinberg Weil Professor of Art History, Washington University. Beginning in the 16th century in Europe, collectors assembled
Wunderkammern, or cabinets of curiosity — protomuseums engineered to evince wonder and awe. These collections housed weird and sometimes wild conjunctions of the natural and the manmade, the local and the exotic. What purpose did cabinets of curiosity serve? And how are these sorts of collections related to museums as we experience them today? This illustrated lecture will explore key features of early modern collecting practices — as seen in the newly reinstalled Lopata Gallery at the Saint Louis Art Museum — and the aesthetics of wonder. $5 (free for members).
Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Dr., Forest Park, St. Louis, 63110
23 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
Andrew Sean Greer, Less is Lost (Author Talk)
In this follow-up to the best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning Less: A Novel, the awkward and lovable Arthur Less returns in an unforgettable road trip across America. For Arthur Less, life is going surprisingly well: He is a moderately accomplished novelist in a steady relationship with his partner, Freddy Pelu. But nothing lasts: The death of an old lover and a sudden financial crisis has Less running away from his problems yet again as he accepts a series of literary gigs that send him on a zigzagging adventure across the U.S. Less roves across the “Mild Mild West,” through the South and to his mid-Atlantic birthplace, with an ever-changing posse of writerly characters and his trusty duo — a human-like black pug, Dolly, and a rusty camper van nicknamed Rosina. We cannot, however, escape ourselves. From his estranged father and strained relationship with Freddy, to the reckoning he experiences in confronting his privilege, Arthur Less must eventually face his personal demons. Livestream available; see website. Left Bank Books.
Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd., St. Louis, 63117
VIRTUAL
23 SEPTEMBER | 12 PM
Artist Talk: Sukanya Mani
Join artist Sukanya Mani with participants of the Teen Museum Studies programs and CAM Teen and Adult Programs Manager Brandon Barr for a discussion about the collaboration involved in the making of the exhibition Weight of Shadows.
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 63108
27 SEPTEMBER | 6:30 PM
Housing Blocs: Comparing Modernist Mass Housing Architecture Across the U.S. and Yugoslavia
MICHAEL ALLEN, director and architectural historian, Preservation Research Office, and senior lecturer, architecture, landscape architecture and urban design, Washington University. Sponsored by the St. Louis Public Library’s Steedman Architectural Library and the Society of Architectural Historians – St. Louis and Missouri Valley Chapters.
VIRTUAL - RSVP
28 SEPTEMBER | 7 PM
C.J. Box, Treasure State: A Cassie Dewell Novel (Author Talk)
Private investigator Cassie Dewell is working what's easily one of her strangest assignments ever. A poem that promises buried treasure to one lucky adventurer has led to a cutthroat competition and five deaths. But Cassie’s client doesn’t want the treasure. Instead, he claims to be the one who hid the gold and wrote the poem. And he’s hired Cassie to try to find him. In Montana, a killer view can mean more than just the scenery, and Cassie knows much darker things hide behind the picturesque landscape of Big Sky Country. Seating is limited; early arrival is recommended. St. Louis Country Library.
Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd., St. Louis, 63117
29 SEPTEMBER | 4 PM
Refugee Trauma and the Ambiguities of Miracles: A Historical Case Study of the Flying House of Loreto
KARIN VÉLEZ, associate professor of history, Macalester College, is author of The Miraculous Flying House of Loreto: Spreading Catholicism in the Early Modern World. Catholics and historians alike have made much of the miracle of the Holy House of Loreto, Mary’s house flown from Nazareth to Italy in the 1290s. Juxtaposing their often sharply opposed approaches, one can discern that the actual lived experience of refugees fleeing war zones was central to the history of the Loreto devotion, and was crucial to its global diffusion through the 18th century. As refugee crises continue to shake the world in 2022, the case study of Loreto’s miraculous flying house — overlaid with so many contrasting interpretations — offers one impressive example of how surviving disaster might be cumulatively processed across groups, cultures and generations. Center for Research on Global Catholicism Annual Lecture.
Saint Louis University, DuBourg Hall, Pere Marquette Room, 221 N Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 63103
30 SEPTEMBER | 6 PM
Artist Talk: Meleko Mokgosi
Hear Botswana-born artist Meleko Mokgosi discuss his exhibition, Currents 122, which features new paintings from his most recent series, Spaces of Subjection. This project explores space as a metaphor, a theoretical device, and a social construct to question conventional ideas of subjecthood and subject construction. Ticketed but free event. See website for details.
Saint Louis Art Museum, Farrell Auditorium, 1 Fine Arts Dr., Forest Park, St. Louis, 63110