April 2010 | Vol. VIII No. 8

One Civilized Reader Is Worth a Thousand Boneheads Tales From The War Rooms The Center for Review of Illinois who was a former law professor and the Humanities Advisory Board : Obama and the Clintons, community organizer (Barack Obama), and a 2009–2010 McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Life- former senator from North Carolina who was Nancy Berg time a successful trial attorney (John Edwards). No Professor of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures By John Heilemann and novelist could have invented a more extraor- Ken Botnick Harper, 2010, 448 pages including index dinary cast of characters, complete with flaws Associate Professor of Art Gene Dobbs Bradford and virtues. Iowa was the beginning of the Executive Director If you found the 2008 presidential prima- Jazz St. Louis ries and debates as compelling as watching the end for all three. Lingchei (Letty) Chen Associate Professor of Modern Chinese Olympics, go to Amazon.com or your near- Through revealing anecdotes Game Language and Literature Elizabeth Childs est bookstore and purchase Game Change: Change shows how and why Barack Obama Associate Professor and Chair of Department of Art History and Obama and the won the Democratic Archaeology Clintons, McCain and nomination and the Mary-Jean Cowell Through revealing anecdotes Game Associate Professor of Performing Arts Palin, and the Race Oval Office and, more Phyllis Grossman Change shows how and why Barack Retired Financial Executive of a Lifetime by John importantly, why his Michael A. Kahn Heilemann, journal- Obama won the Democratic nomina- rivals lost: Obama Author and Partner Bryan Cave LLP ist, author, and col- tion and the Oval Office and, more im- seemed conciliatory Zurab Karumidze umnist for Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia New York portantly, why his rivals lost... but clever and stra- Chris King magazine, and Mark tegic while his main Editorial Director The St. Louis American Newspaper Halperin, author and rivals, Olivia Lahs-Gonzales Director senior political analyst for Time. The account and Republican nominee John McCain, Sheldon Art Galleries Paula Lupkin of the 2008 presidential election by these saw themselves as fighters and seemed at Assistant Professor of Architecture times pugnacious and desperate. Obama’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts seasoned political writers reads like a thriller, Erin McGlothlin and brings to mind the wonderful series of campaign valued competence; Clinton and Associate Professor of German Steven Meyer presidential campaign books covering the McCain prized loyalty, the drug of choice for Associate Professor of English Joe Pollack elections of 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972 by most politicians. Ironically, Clinton’s and Mc- Film and Theater Critic for KWMU, political journalist Theodore H. White. This Cain’s campaign organizations not only were Writer Anne Posega engaging narrative opens with the Democrats’ dysfunctional but, with all the post-election Head of Special Collections, Olin Library Qiu Xiaolong three-ring circus of United States senators recriminations, were lacking in loyalty as Novelist and Poet who would be president and recounts how well. Heilemann and Halperin character- Henry Schvey Professor of Drama they reacted to what happened in the Iowa ize Obama as possessing “overweening” and Wang Ning caucuses – a senator from New York who was “otherworldly” self-confidence, yet this did Professor of English, Tsinghua University James Wertsch former First Lady and successful corpora- not estrange him from voters. His demeanor Marshall S. Snow Professor of Arts and Sciences tion lawyer (Hillary Clinton), a senator from seemed reassuring rather than off-putting Director of International and Area Studies Ex Officio Edward S. Macias Provost & Exec VC for Academic Affairs Gary S. Wihl (Jian Leng’s column will return next month.) Dean of Arts & Sciences visit our blog site at http://cenhum.artsci.wustl.edu/pubs/blog.htm because it inspired the public. And who would ever vote was Bill really comfortable with Hillary running for the for a candidate who lacked confidence? presidency? Obama was punctual. He schmoozed delegates Obama appeared so besotted with Michelle that constantly, posed for photos with volunteers, brought he made it clear to those around him he would rather his organizers on stage at rallies. Most of this is a page be with her and their girls than with anyone else. He from the playbooks of Teddy Roosevelt, Harry Truman, became emotional when talking about them. He wept and John F. Kennedy, just as his at Valerie Jarrett’s book party for rhetoric about changing the tone in Audacity of Hope when describing Washington and reaching out across how difficult the campaign would the aisle was from the playbook of be on his family. They seemed the George W. Bush in 2000, but it all perfect “power couple,” and his worked wonderfully well. Successful “family man” image was greatly politics is mostly pouring old wine appealing to voters. “Mr. Cool,” into a new bottle. as he was sometimes called among Clinton, on the other hand, partisans and pundits, openly cried was socially tone deaf, surprisingly before a crowd of tens of thousands so, for someone with her political as he announced that his beloved experience. She had to be pushed grandmother, Toot, who reared into thanking donors and volun- him, had died two days before Elec- teers. She declined to phone super tion Day. A politician, of course, has delegates herself and had a staffer to be careful about seeming to try call Caroline Kennedy to come to too hard to get sympathy for family Iowa to campaign for her (Kennedy sacrifices. After all, no one is being ducked the call). Clinton wanted forced to run for the office. Obama, so badly to succeed yet seemed to it should go without saying, is far lack the leadership skills to focus her from perfect. The book reveals him campaign and rally her troops. She to have a potty mouth in private took her loss in Iowa badly, and she never quite recov- and an aloofness that has made it easy for his political ered her poise in the months that followed, although she enemies to characterize him as elitist. And the syco- did not lack determination. phantic belief by some of his staff like David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett in the transformational nature of Like the surprises in a Cracker Jack box, perspec- his candidacy (they called him “the black Jesus”) is not tives on three marriages have been tucked inside Game likely to prevent a swollen ego. “[Michelle’s] confidence Change: Bill and Hill, Barack and Michelle, and John in Barack was profound and unshakable,” write Heile- and Cindy. (There is the account of dissolution of mar- mann and Halperin, “[But she] has always been a gut- riage as well: John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth. Ed- level skeptic about the gaga-ness around her husband.” wards impregnated his mistress, Rielle Hunter. This was not a major story during the primary season of 2008, According to Heilemann and Halperin, “[the] Mc- although it should have been.) Cains fought in front of others, during small meetings The authors portray the Clintons as in awe of each and before large events, to the amazement and discom- other’s intelligence and drive. Because her husband fort of the staff. . . . She cursed him; he cursed her.” hates quitters, Hillary refused to drop out, even when Cindy had never wanted McCain to run for president the math was clearly against her. Some thought this and felt particularly scarred by the Bush campaign of courageous—others thought her simply stubborn. It 2000, which depicted her as a pill-popping “rich bitch” was unclear during the campaign if Bill helped or hurt drug addict and the couple’s adopted Bangladeshi Hillary, but they stuck to each other in such a way as to daughter as John’s illegitimate offspring from a liaison make it seem for the first time in American politics with a black prostitute. When told that his wife, who that a couple was running for the presidency. But has lived in Phoenix for decades, has apparently had a boyfriend for several years, John picked Delaware senator , vetted and recommended Alaska McCain told his staff to talk to her an experienced old pol who had governor Sarah Palin, a forty-four about it. McCain stalwart John run for president himself more than year old former beauty queen and Weaver told McCain that he had to once (never getting within sniff- devout Christian with five children handle the matter. McCain called ing distance of the nomination) and considerable expertise on the his wife. She denied having an affair. and who could counter the charge Alaskan energy industry, who at the He told her that she would have to about Obama’s lack of experience time had an eighty percent approval make more public appearances with with his own resume. Obama was rating. him to quash any rumors. She duti- efficient and careful in his selection. A. B. Culvahouse, another fully did so. But she felt his run for His campaign employed a vigorous McCain advisor, warned that the presidency was selfishness. screening process with focus groups Palin would bring more potential With a black candidate mount- and a selection committee. His aides land mines than other candidates ing a serious challenge for the ran a stealth ad lab to find which po- (although he was impressed with presidency, race naturally played a tential Republican attack ads would how Palin went though the vetting role in the campaign. “McCain was be most lethal and how to combat interview). “High risk, high reward,” on a hair trigger over accusations them and which vice presidential Culvahouse told McCain. McCain or imputations of racism,” writes candidate would do the least harm. liked the gamble. This was the final Heilemann and Halperin. “He had A week before the GOP Con- game change in an electric campaign warned his team to steer clear of vention, McCain had yet to pick a that was full of them. McCain lost anything that might open him up running mate. He hoped “to shock with Palin, who became a divisive to that charge.” Yet McCain feared the world with” his choice. He and controversial figure, uninformed Obama’s smearing him as a racist, wanted his close friend, Connecticut about foreign policy and completely as McCain felt Obama had done Independent senator Joe Lieber- inexperienced on the national politi- successfully with the Clintons. Of man, but after overeager Republican cal scene. Yet she possessed a cha- course, after Obama won the South Senator Lindsay Graham leaked the risma and presence that attracted Carolina primary, it was Bill Clinton decision, conservative radio com- huge crowds. As and who belittled the victory, saying Jesse mentator Rush Limbaugh, who other politicos have pointed out: Mc- Jackson, the black activist minister, never liked McCain, considering Cain would have lost by more had had won the state when he ran for him too moderate, and former Bush he selected anyone else. the Democratic nomination in 1984. campaign manager Karl Rove, who Whether Game Change will When Obama spoke in Missouri on favored , condemned become a classic like Theodore H. July 30, saying that the Republicans the choice. Both Limbaugh and White’s The Making of the President would try to portray him as “too Rove, probably correctly, thought 1960 (1961) or Joe McGinniss’s The risky” and that “he [didn’t] look like McCain would never win the Re- Selling of the President (1969) re- all those other presidents on those publican base—already only luke- mains to be seen, but it is a cracking dollar bills,” McCain’s campaign warm about him—with Lieberman, good read. manager Steve Schmidt angrily told a former Democrat who ran for the McCain, “We gotta call bullshit on vice presidency on the ticket with Ellen Harris, a free-lance St. Louis this.” Of course, Obama felt he had Al Gore in 2000, conservative by writer, has written several reviews for to protect himself from the possibil- Democratic standards but not in the Belles Lettres, the literary review of the ity that the Republicans would use least by orthodox conservative stan- Center for the Humanities. a “southern strategy” of reminding dards. Advisors scrounged around white voters that Obama was not for another candidate, and over bur- truly one of them. ritos one of them told McCain, “We The most telling comparison need to have a transformative, elec- between the two nominees is in the trifying moment in this campaign.” selection of a running mate. Obama Campaign manager Steve Schmidt book of the month by Gerald Early

Review of than five hours. By the end of the the people who were affected by this afternoon, a mild morning on the storm knew about the only kind of Cold: Adventures in the World’s Plains had become an evening with absolute zero that human beings Frozen Places wind chills of 40 degrees below zero could know and possibly survive. By Bill Streever Fahrenheit. Imagine the sandstorm Cold that kills is what most humans Little, Brown, & Company, 2009, in David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia understand as some kind of absolute with index, notes, maps, and spot lasting for hours, not minutes, and zero, cold as a sort of inferno, cold as illustrations accompanied by unbridled air pres- mythic in its destructive power. This But science is closer to absolute zero sure change—the devil as columns storm represented cold on that scale. than to the speed of light. Science is of rapidly freezing sand. In this Bill Streever, in Cold: Adventures in within billionths of a degree of absolute blizzard, ice behaved as if it were the World’s Frozen Places, discusses zero, within spitting distance of ultima columns of furiously agitated sand, the Schoolchildren’s Blizzard in two Thule. different chapters, in two different --Bill Streever, Cold: Adventures in contexts: In his opening chapter on the World’s Frozen Places hypothermia and frostbite, he exam- ines how many of the victims died, including the sad story of nineteen- I. Ultima Thule as the Inferno year-old schoolteacher Etta Shattuck, It is called the Schoolchildren’s trapped for three days in a haystack Blizzard because so many children without food or water. Her exposed died that day, died going home feet and legs were frozen. As Streev- from school, never making it. It er reminds his readers, frostbite is was the blizzard of January 12, painless: “By the time the flesh 1888, that rushed violently and reaches a temperature of forty-five without warning across Montana degrees, nerve synapses no longer and North Dakota. The sky did fire. All feeling is gone. And then not change color as it does with a the tissue freezes. Ice crystals form tornado. There was no rising wind, first between the cells. Because ice no herald or sign from disturbed excludes salts, the remaining liquid pulverizing and freezing everything or fleeing animals. One minute it between the cells becomes increas- it touched. Children and cattle was a warm thaw-like day on the ingly salty. Osmosis draws water were frozen in place, bewildered prairie. The next minute ice crystals from within the cells toward the salt- and helpless. Three boys, brothers, filled the air with such ferocity that ier fluid outside the cell walls. The were found after the storm frozen to people’s eyelids were sealed shut, cells become dehydrated. Proteins death, holding hands. They could their mouths clogged; farmers who begin to break down. . . . The flesh not be buried until they were thawed were only a short distance from their dies. . . .” This is what happened and separated. Many of the chil- homes were hopelessly disoriented to Shattuck’s feet and legs. She did dren stood no chance, as they were and could not discern a familiar not begin to feel pain until her flesh lightly dressed because the day had path. An eyewitness described the began to thaw when she was placed been warm. David Laskin provides crystals as being “as fine as sifted in a heated room. The pain of her a book-length account of this terrible flour.” Gale force winds at 40 miles thawing flesh was unbearable. She storm in his The Children’s Blizzard per hour whipped the crystals about died from infection as a result of two (2004). Dakota and Montana may as if they were buckshot blasted from rounds of amputation. Streever tells not have been ultima Thule, the a shotgun. Within three minutes, this story to distinguish between scientific imaginary of a place of ab- the temperature dropped by 18 frostbite, which attacks the extremi- solute zero. No place on earth could Fahrenheit degrees. It dropped ties, and hypothermia, which attacks be. But on January 12 and 13, 1888, forty Fahrenheit degrees in less the body’s inner core. “At windchills of minus forty degrees, with ser- were not expecting something that car. That’s not tragic or biblical; it’s viceable clothing, it is reasonable to was going to give the apocalypse a pathetic. What a declension! expect the core temperature to drop run for its money. II. Cold: Rare and Common at something like one degree every thirty minutes. When the core On the whole, the earth without drops to ninety-five, . . . [people] the greenhouse effect would be only shiver uncontrollably. They become marginally more tropical than Mars. argumentative. They feel detached --Bill Streever, Cold: Adventures in from their surroundings. . . . the World’s Frozen Places “At ninety-one degrees, apathy Streever is a biologist who lives settles in. Muscles by now are stiff in Alaska and who has spent time and nonresponsive. . . . in some of the coldest places in the “It is possible to survive core Bill Streever, author, chairs the world. His book is about his travels temperatures as low as eighty-seven North Slope Science Initiative’s Sci- to some of those places (he also goes degrees, but only with rescue and ence Technical Advisory Panel in to warm and temperate places too; rewarming. At this temperature, Alaska and serves on many related much of the book centers, naturally, self-rescue is impossible. Halluci- committees, including a climate in Alaska) and what those places nations are common. The mind change advisory panel. are like, how animals and plants imagines warm food and dry sleep- survive in the cold, and people as ing bags.” Of course, the Schoolchildren’s well. But his book is, more remark- Blizzard occurred back in the day ably, a lyrical hymn to cold, a year’s Many of the dead children who when we all thought the weather— journey through the life cycle of our died of hypothermia were found heat and cold--was an act of God. planet’s cold. Cold is something half-dressed. In their final mo- Today, we think of temperatures most of us want to avoid and largely ments, they thought they were as the creation of mankind, the complain about. But how much do experiencing unbearable heat. expression of our economic system, we understand the sheer miracle of In a later chapter Streever consid- the result of our capitalistic greed, cold, of being cold, of experiencing ers the Schoolchildren’s Blizzard our mad-scientist-like mania for where and when the world is cold, from the perspective of weather fossil fuels. It is the code of the of seeing, and understanding it ef- forecasting. Why were the me- Marxist to politicize everything, fects. “We fail to see cold for what teorologists of the day unable to and I suppose our ancestors of the it is,” writes Streever, “the absence predict this terrible storm? Partly, 19th century might be surprised at of heat, the slowing of molecular weather forecasting was still a bit the extent to which we have politi- motion, a sensation, a perception, primitive in some respects in the cized hot and cold. If the Plains a driving force.” Streever’s book late 19th century, but at the time the people of 1888 lacked warning of will put some readers in the mind US government supported the na- the coming natural catastrophe, of Thoreau’s Walden (1854), but in- tional weather service in the United we today are all Cassandras and stead of extracting the cosmos from States well. There was a large net- oracles, giving warning each hot day a place as Thoreau did, he extracts it work of weather reporters, a consid- that the end is near or that it is here from a climatic condition. Cold is erable number of weather maps, and as we live on a feverish earth. Well, one of God’s wonders. a telegraph that moved information I suppose dying by cold or heat is as One of the paradoxes of our quickly. The bad weather of Janu- good as going by fire or flood, but planet is that it is warm, apparently ary 12 had, in fact, been predicted the Ancients had the right imagina- getting warmer, yet large swaths of but timidly, not as a warning but tive touch: better to go as rebellious it are quite cold. And the planet, rather simply that bad weather was sinners in the hands of an angry, for a good deal of its history, has coming. The people of the Plains capricious God than as ciphers been far more cold than warm. were used to bad weather. They clutching to the steering wheel of a In a way, earth is Janus-like, a book of the month continued two-faced residence, offering both wet sleeping bags. We are warned the same thing; certainly there is warmth and cold and the collision not to wear cotton in extreme cold not the same objective.) Subjects of the two that seems to be the and instructed how to build igloos. are revisited, examined in different dynamic that makes our climate We learn why Westminster Abbey contexts, but never repeated during work as it does. Critters are always is not air-conditioned (it is indeed the course of the book. trying to stay warm, but we find it very hot in the summer) and how Cold is a wonderfully informa- easier to produce heat than cold. It entrepreneur Frederic Tudor made tive book and a delight to read. So fact, we cannot reach absolute zero money shipping ice from Walden much does Streever care for his in a lab because of the heat it takes pond to India. Streever tells us subject that, after reading his book, to produce it. about finding frozen mammoths I wanted to outfit an Arctic expedi- Streever tells us the story of and the story of our three ways of tion, while there was still an Arctic, hypothermia, frostbite, the School- measuring temperature: Fahrenheit, so much does Streever make cold children’s Blizzard; he also tells us Celsius, and Kelvin. There is the seem an almost elegiac topic. In the about overwintering: hibernating topic of refrigeration and Clarence end, he convinced this reader that bears, shivering squirrels, cud- Birdeye’s idea of selling frozen foods cold is pretty cool. chewing moose, and frogs that to the masses. (Comedian and food freeze themselves in winter. Did faddist Dick Gregory once spoke you know that otters have more out against frozen food by asking hair per square body inch than any what your hand would be like if you other animal? That’s why they can froze it, then thawed it. It would, swim in freezing water. It’s all in of course, be unusable as a normal the enzymes why these critters can hand, but I would not think this survive extreme cold. We learn to be a good analogy to the nutri- of the Arctic expeditions: Scott, tional worth of frozen food unless I Amundsen, Greely, how extraor- wanted to eat my hand after I had dinary and perhaps somewhat thawed it. Streever discusses Cry- deranged these men were to live in onics, the freezing of dead people murderously cold conditions, man- with the hope of resuscitating hauling sleds, whacking off frostbit- them; it does not seem that freezing ten toes, and sleeping in thawed, people and freezing food are quite

April 2010 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation The Rise and Fall of Jazz as Popular Music

Thursday, April 1st , 4 p.m. Thursday, April 15th, 4 p.m. Jazz Study Group Hurst Lounge, Duncker 201 Hurst Lounge, Duncker 201 Friday, April 9th, 12 noon Session Nine: What Jazz Is and Session Ten: The Origins of Cool in Hurst Lounge, Duncker 201 Its Context of American Life and Postwar Jazz Culture Discussion: Amiri Baraka’s Blues Culture By Joel Dinerstein, Associate Pro- People By Scott DeVeaux, Associate Profes- fessor in the Department of English Led by Jerome Camal, Dissertation sor of Musicology in the McIntire at Tulane University. Fellow of the Andrew W. Mellon Department of Music at the Uni- Foundation Sawyer Seminar versity of Virginia. Events in Light of Evening by Edna O’Brien. 6pm, 301 E. Lockwood, 961-3784. St. Louis Poetry Center invites you to Ob- April servable Readings, which will feature poets Left Bank Books is pleased to present Mary Ruth Donnelly, Seido Ray Ronci author Elisa Glick as she discusses and and James Arthur. 8pm, Schlafly Bot- signs her book Materializing Queer Desire: tleworks in Maplewood, 7260 Southwest Oscar Wilde to Andy Warhol. 7pm, LBB, Ave., 973-0616. All events are free unless otherwise indi- 399 N. Euclid, 367-6731. Saturday, April 10 cated. Author events generally followed by signings. All phone numbers have 314 pre- Wednesday, April 7 Join Thomas Dunn Memorials and fix unless otherwise indicated. The St. Louis Public Library invites you the St. Louis Scottish Rite for discus- to a workshop with SIUE emeritus profes- sion of Dan Brown’s The Lost Sym- Thursday, April 1 sor of English Eugene B. Redmond, who bol. 10am, 3113 Gasconade, 353-3050. Walter Bargen, Missouri’s first Poet Laure- will present a writers’ workshop on the ate and author of Days Like This Are Nec- “kwansaba” (a poetic form he created) fol- Left Bank Books invites you to a reading essary: New & Selected Poems, will read lowed by a poetry reading. His books and and signing with Anne Lamott, the author from his work. Free and open to the pub- CDs will be available for purchase, includ- of Imperfect Birds. 7pm, Christ Church Ca- lic. 1:30pm, Webster University’s Pearson ing Eighty Moods of Maya. 6pm, SLPL- thedral, 1210 Locust. For more information, House, 8260 Big Bend Blvd., 968-7170. Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid, 367-4120. call 367-6731.

Friday, April 2 Borders Book Club will meet in the Sun- Sunday, April 11 Poets Howard Schwartz, Eve Jones, Amy set Hills Cafe to discuss Zookeeper’s Wife The BookClub will hold its 411th discus- Debrecht, Robert Lowes, Nancy Powers, by Diane Ackerman. 7pm, Borders - Sunset sion on The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hun- and Eric Schramm will read from their Hills, 10990 Sunset Hills Plaza, 909-0300. dred Days and the Triumph of Hope by Jon- work at 7:30pm, the Regional Arts Com- athan Alter. For more information, venue mission, 6128 Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis. The St. Louis Jewish Book Festival in- and time, email [email protected], or Admission is free. vites you to join author Stephen Fried as he call 636-451-3232. Saturday, April 3 discusses and signs his book Appetite For Monday, April 12 America: How Visionary Businessman Fred St. Louis Writers Guild invites you to the Harvey Built a Railroad Hospitality Empire The Central Book Discussion Too! invites workshop “The Story Behind the Story: that Civilized the Wild West. 7:30pm, Jew- you to discuss Pygmy by Chuck Palahn- Conducting Background Research for a ish Community Center, #2 Millstone Cam- iuk. 6pm, SLPL-Central Library, Meeting Book” by Jeffrey Copeland. 10am, Kirk- pus Dr., 442-3152. To purchase tickets visit Room 1, 1301 Olive St. Call Popular Library wood Community Center, 2nd floor, 111 the website: www.stljewishbookfestival.org. at 539-0396 for details. S. Geyer Rd., www.stlwritersguild.org. Thursday, April 8 Tuesday, April 13 You are invited to the Saturday Afternoon St. Louis Public Library invites you to The Foreign Literature Group will meet Book Club as they discuss Three Men in a join the author of The World is Mine, Lyah to discuss The Beginning of Spring by Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Jerome Beth LeFlore, for a reading and signing. P. Fitzgerald. 7:30pm, WU West Cam- K. Jerome. 2pm, Webster Groves Public 6pm, SLPL-Carpenter Branch, 3009 S. pus Building, 7425 Forsyth, 727-6118. Library, 301 E. Lockwood, 961-3784. Grand Blvd., 772-6586. Left Bank Books Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Li- Monday, April 5 will have books available to purchase. brary invites you to an Author Lecture Main Street Books invites you to a discus- Public Contemplation, a philosophy by Laurie Strongin on her new book sion of Cutting for Stone by Abraham Ver- and religion book discussion group, will Saving Henry – A Mother’s Journey. Ad- ghese. 7pm, 307 S. Main St., St. Charles, meet to discuss And Then There’s This: mission is $7. 7:30pm, Kopolow Bldg., 636-949-0105. How Stories Live and Die in Viral Cul- 12 Millstone Campus Dr., 442-3720. Tuesday, April 6 ture by Bill Wasik. 7pm, SLPL-Carpen- ter Branch, 3309 S. Grand Blvd. To re- St. Louis Writers Guild invites you to Join the Machacek Book Discussion Open Mic Night at Wired Coffee, a family- Group for their discussion. 10am, SLPL- serve a copy, call Michael at 772-6586. friendly event that offers readings of poetry Machacek Branch, 6424 Scanlan Ave. and prose and an occasional musical per- Call 781-2948 for the current selection. Left Bank Books and BellaSpark Pro- ductions Extraordinary People Series formance. 7pm, WIRED COFFEE, 3860 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 974-2395. Webster Groves Public Library Book presents Don Miguel Ruiz, author of Discussion Group will discuss The The Four Agreements. 7pm, 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., 367-6731. continued on insert Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Financial assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, and the St. Louis, MO Regional Arts Commission. Permit No. 2535

The Center for the Humanities Campus Box 1071 Old McMillan Hall, Rm S101 One Brookings Drive St. Louis, MO 63130-4899 Phone: (314) 935-5576 email: [email protected] http://cenhum.artsci.wustl.edu

April 2010 Faculty Fellows’ Lecture and Workshop Series

Tuesday, April 13th, 4 p.m. Friday, April 23rd, 10 a.m. Michigan and a highly respected Hurst Lounge, Duncker 201 Hurst Lounge, Duncker 201 cultural historian in American Faculty Fellow Lecture: Guest Faculty Workshop: studies. Thinking Dialectically: Home Reconstructing Early Islam and Homeless between the Wars By Chase Robinson (invited Wednesday, April 28th, 12 noon By Angela Miller, Professor of by 2010 Faculty Fellow Asad Hurst Lounge, Duncker 201 Art History and Archaeology in Q. Ahmed). Chase Robinson is Guest Faculty Workshop: the Department of Art History Provost, Senior Vice President, and Margin and Mainstream: The & Archaeology at Washington Distinguished Professor of History Radical Left in the United States, University in St. Louis. at the City University of New York. 1945-2005 By Howard Brick (invited by Thursday, April 22nd, 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 27th, 4 p.m. 2010 Faculty Fellow Angela Hurst Lounge, Duncker 201 Hurst Lounge, Duncker 201 Miller). Howard Brick is Professor Guest Faculty Lecture: Guest Faculty Lecture: A Long and Louis Evans Chair in US The Politics of Early Islam View of the U.S. Radical Left History at the University of By Chase Robinson (invited Since 1945 Michigan and a highly respected by 2010 Faculty Fellow Asad By Howard Brick (invited by cultural historian in American Q. Ahmed). Chase Robinson is 2010 Faculty Fellow Angela studies. Provost, Senior Vice President, and Miller). Howard Brick is Professor Distinguished Professor of History and Louis Evans Chair in US at the City University of New York. History at the University of st. louis literary calendar continued Wednesday, April 14 in Webster Groves Public Library’s Join the Urban Book Discussion Group N a t i o n a l P o e t r y M o n t h R e a d - for their discussion of Resurrecting Mid- Enjoy Wordstock: Short Stories from ing. 2pm, Webster Groves Public Li- night by Eric Jerome Dickey. 7pm, SLPL- Steve Moiles and Matt McCarter during brary, 301 E. Lockwood, 961-3784. Carpenter Branch, 3309 S. Grand Blvd., the Southwestern Illinois College Fine 772-6586. Arts Festival. Moiles and McCarter will de- L e f t B a n k B o o k s w e l c o m e s light audience members as they read their Derek Blasberg for a reading from Thursday, April 22 own fiction. 4pm, SWIC Belleville Campus his book Classy. 2pm, LBB-Down- You are invited to an evening with William Schmidt Art Center, 2500 Carlyle Ave. 618- town, 321 North 10th St., 436-3049. Iseminger, the author of Cahokia Mounds: 235-2700, ext. 5585. America’s First City. 6pm, Left Bank Books Thursday, April 15 You are invited to a Whitman Scholars Downtown, 321 N. 10th St., 436-3049.

The Bernard Becker Medical Library in- Poetry Reading with Ruth Bohan, Jes- St. Louis Public Library invites you to a vites you to the lecture “Diagnosing Sex: The sica DeSpain, Benjy Kahan, Carl Phil- discussion of Half of a Yellow Sun by Chi- Theories and Contributions of Paracelsus lips, Vivian Pollak, Jeffrey Skoblow and mamanda Adichie. 7pm, SLPL-Schlafly (1493-1541) to Pharmacological Literature” Jason Stacy. 4pm, Left Bank Books, 399 Branch, 225 N. Euclid Ave., 367-4120. by Amy Eisen Cislo, PhD. 5:30pm, Ken- N. Euclid, 367-6731. ton King Center, Bernard Becker Library, Monday, April 19 Friday, April 23 7th floor, 660 S. Euclid Ave., 362-7080. Main Street Books invites you to a Left Bank Books welcomes Jeffrey Cope-

discussion of Picking Cotton by Jen- land for a reading and signing of his book St. Louis Public Library and Left Bank nifer Thompson-Caninno. 7pm, 307 S. Olivia’s Story. 7pm, LBB Downtown, 321 N. Books invite you to an evening with au- Main St., St. Charles, 636-949-0105. 10th St., 436-3049. thor Ridley Pearson as he reads from and signs his new book, Kingdom Keepers 3. Saturday, April 24 River Styx welcomes Karen Salyer 7pm, SLPL-Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Eu- McElmurray and Erin Keane for a reading. Join the Cabanne Book Group to dis- clid. Books available for purchase. LBB, Admission is $5 or $4 for seniors, students cuss what you are currently read- 367-6731. and members. 7:30pm, Duff’s Restaurant, ing. 1 pm, SLPL-Cabanne Branch, 392 N. Euclid, 533-4541. 11 0 6 U n i o n B l v d . , 3 6 7 - 0 7 1 7 . Friday, April 16 St. Charles Community College welcomes Tuesday, April 20 Dianna and Don Graveman will sign their creative writers and guests to share their po- St. Louis Public Library invites you to newest local history book, Missouri Wine etry or prose at SCC Open Mic Night. 7pm, a book discussion group. Call for cur- Country, St. Charles to Hermann. 1pm, 307 Daniel J. Conoyer Social Sciences Audito- rent selection. 10am, SLPL-Machacek S. Main St., St. Charles, 636-949-0105. rium, 4601 Mid Rivers Mall, 636-922-8407. Branch, 6424 Scanlan Ave., 781-2948. Sunday, April 25

Dr. George Frein, Mark Twain scholar and St. Louis Public Library invites you St. Louis Poetry Center presents a benefit historic interpreter, will present “An Evening to a discussion of The Book Thief by reading, “Published and Perished,” featur- with Mark Twain.” Dr. Frein appears cour- Markus Zusak and Annie Barrows. ing work by ten poets associated with St. tesy of the Missouri Humanities Council. 6:45pm, SLPL-Kingshighway Branch, Louis but no longer with us. Readers in- 7pm, Fine Arts Theatre at Jefferson College 2260 S. Vandeventer Ave., 771-5450. clude Joe Adams, Christine Brewer, Wil- in Hillsboro, 636-677-8689. liam Gass, Jan Greenberg and Bill Mc- Saturday, April 17 Left Bank Books invites you to a reading Clellan. 4pm, Blueberry Hill, 6504 Delmar, and signing with Rosemary Neidel-Green- 973-0616. $50 admission, $25 tax deduct- You are invited to join The Mystery Lovers ible. Book Club as they discuss The Bone Garden lee, author of A Few Good Women. 7pm, Left by Tess Gerritsen. 10am, SLCL-Caronde- Bank Books CWE, 399 N. Euclid, 367-6731. Tuesday, April 27 let Branch, 6800 Michigan Ave., 752-9224. Left Bank Books invites you to a read- St. Louis Writers Guild invites you to ing and signing with Karen Tack and Join the Buder Branch Book Discus- Loud Mouth Open Mic Night. This event is Alan Richardson, authors of What’s sion Group as they discuss Read- for writers and attendees 18+. 8pm, The New, Cupcake? 7pm, Left Bank ing the OED by Ammon Shea. Groups Mack, 4615 Macklind Ave., 974-2395. Books CWE, 399 N. Euclid, 367-6731. of 5+ call ahead. 1 pm, SLPL-Buder Wednesday, April 21 Branch, 4401 Hampton Ave., 352-2900. Left Bank Books invites you to a read- The St. Louis Poetry Center presents Mis-

ing and signing with Angie O’Gorman, souri’s first Poet Laureate, Walter Bargen, River Styx invites you to a poetry read- the author of The Book of Sins. 6pm, LBB and poet Charles Sweetman reading for ing with Richard Newman and Adri- Downtown, 321 N. 10th St., 436-3049. Poetry @ the Point. 7:30pm, Focal Point, an Matejka, who will be featured 2720 Sutton in Maplewood, 973-0616. st. louis literary calendar

Wednesday, April 28 org or http://www.mwgconference.org. Louis metro area. Students should send up to five poems to River Styx Found- You are invited to join the Central Book Washington University Performing ers Award, 3547 Olive, Suite 107, St. Discussion Group for their discussion of Arts Department is pleased to pres- Louis, MO 63103. Deadline is April 23, any book by Rafael Sabatini. 4 pm, SL- ent Metamorphoses, based on the myths 2010. Poems should be anonymous, but PL-Central Library, 1301 Olive St. Call of Ovid. 8pm, April 23-24 & April 30-May make sure to include a cover letter with Popular Library at 539-0396 for details. 1; 2pm, April 25 & May 2. Edison The- name, phone number, email, school,

ater, WU Danforth Campus, 935-5858. and poem titles. Winner receives $150 You are invited to a reading and signing plus the opportunity to read at the River with Michael Harvey, the author of The 61st Annual Greater St. Louis Book Styx Literary Feast on May 3rd, 2010. Third Rail. 7pm, Left Bank Books CWE, Fair, April 29-May 2, 2010. Free admis- 399 N. Euclid, 367-6731. sion Friday, Saturday and Sunday, $10 River Styx magazine is sponsoring its 15th Thursday, April 29 admission on Thursday, opening night. annual International Poetry Contest. First The Southwestern Illinois College Fine West County Center lower level of Ma- prize will receive $1500 and publication in Arts Festival invites you to enjoy Four cy’s East parking garage. More informa- the fall issue. All entries will be considered Voices Poetry Reading, a gathering of four tion is available by calling 993-1995 or at for publication. This year’s judge is Maxine eclectic poets sharing their unique per- the website www.StLouisBookFair.org. Kumin, a former U.S. Poet Laureate. En- spectives. Featured poets include: Tess trants should send up to three poems, total- Farnham, Melody Gee, Wayne Lanter Dave Carkeet, May 4, Gallery 210, UMSL. ing no more than 14 pages, to River Styx and Treasure Williams. 7pm, SWIC Bel- This event is free and open to the public. Poetry Contest, 3547 Olive, Suite 107, St. leville Campus Schmidt Art Center, 2500 David Carkeet is the author of five novels, Louis, MO 63103. Deadline is May 31, 2010. Carlyle Ave. 618-235-2700, ext. 5413. including three New York Times Notable All entrants will be notified by S.A.S.E., and Books—Double Negative, The Full Ca- there is a required $20 reading fee that in- Left Bank Books invites you to a read- tastrophe, and The Error of Our Ways, all cludes a one-year subscription (3 issues). ing and signing with Areva Martin, who featuring linguist-protagonist Jeremy Cook. On the cover letter, please include contact will read from and sign her book The 7pm, 44 East Dr., One University Blvd., information, but do not place this informa- Everyday Advocate. 7pm, Left Bank 516-5590. For more information, see Da- tion on your poetry submission. Books CWE, 399 N. Euclid, 367-6731. vid’s web site at www.davidcarkeet.com. Abbreviations

STL: Saint Louis; B&N: Barnes & Noble; Kirkwood Public Library invites you to A reading by poet Randall Mann, May LBB: Left Bank Books; SLCL: St. Louis an evening with Christopher Limber, 6, Gallery 210, UMSL. This event is free County Library; SLPL: St. Louis Public Education Director for the Shakespeare and open to the public. Randall Mann, Library; SCCCL: St. Charles City Coun- Festival, as he discusses how actors an American poet, is the author of Break- ty Library; UCPL: University City Pub- draw their characterization from Shake- fast with Thom Gunn, Complaint in the lic Library; WU: Washington University; speare’s text. 7pm, Kirkwood Commu- Garden (winner of the 2003 Kenyon Re- WGPL: Webster Groves Public Library. nity Center, 111 S. Geyer Rd., 821-5770, view Prize in Poetry), and co-author of http://www.kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org. the textbook Writing Poems. 7pm, 44 Check the online calendar at cenhum. East Dr., One University Blvd., 516-5590. artsci.wustl.edu for more events and ad- The St. Louis Jewish Book Festival in- ditional details. To advertise, send event vites you to join author Neil Bascomb as The 15th annual Washington University details to [email protected], fax 935- he discusses and signs his book Hunt- Summer Writers Institute will be held in 4889, or call 935-5576. ing Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors St. Louis June 14-25, 2010. Workshops & a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the will include fiction, poetry, creative non- World’s Most Notorious Nazi. 7:30pm, Jew- fiction, and the Young Writers Institute ish Community Center, #2 Millstone Cam- (for high-school sophomores, juniors and pus Dr., 442-3152. To purchase tickets visit seniors). Held each June, The Summer the website: www.stljewishbookfestival.org. Writers Institute consists of two weeks of daily, intensive writing workshops. There Upcoming Events are also personal conferences, read- and Notices ings by guest faculty, craft talks, and panel discussions with writers and edi- 95th Annual Missouri Writers Guild Con- tors. See the website: http://swi.ucollege. ference, April 16 – 18, 2010. Drury Plaza wustl.edu, or telephone (314) 935-6720. Hotel, 355 Chesterfield Center East. For registration information and cost, please River Styx magazine sponsors a poetry visit: http://www.missouriwritersguild. contest for high school students in the St.