Events

Rosalie Edge was the first American woman to achieve national renown as a conservationist. Dyana Z. Furmansky draws on Edge’s personal papers andon interviews with family members and associates to portray an implacable, indomitable personality whose activism earned her the names “Joan of Arc” and“hellcat.” Her achievements form a crucial link between the eras defined by John Muir and Rachel Carson. An early voice against the indiscriminate use of toxins andpesticides, Edge reported evidence about the dangers of DDT fourteenyears before Carson’s Silent Spring was published. Today, Edge is mostwidely remembered for establishing Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, theworld’s first refuge for birds of prey. Dyana Furmansky’s articles on nature and the environment have appeared in The New York Times, American Heritage, Audubon, High Country News, Sierra, Wilderness, and many other publications.

Join us for an discussion and book signing with bestselling author Lyah Beth LeFlore, featuring poet and performing artist Shirley Bradley LeFlore. In her new novel, Wildflowers, 35-year-old Chloe Davis Michaels has it all. But no matter how things look from the outside, the reality of Chloe’s gilded life is far from perfect. Her husband has a violent streak that terrifies her, and she knows that the only way to protect her unborn child is to leave. And so with $23.11 to her name, Chloe seeks refuge in theloving arms of her Midwestern family, and returns to St. Louis to “get prayed up” and figure out her next move. By turns humorous and emotional, hopeful, honest, and poignant, Wildflowers is a beautifully written novel that explores the complexity of the love between mothers and daughters.

Today's National Football League is more successful, more exciting, and more popular than ever.  But the game in the 21st century is also rule by a constant quest for more money. Super Bowl-winning head coach Brian Billick has teamed up with sports journalist and St. Louis author Michael MacCambridge (whose book America's Gameis regarded as the definitive modern history of the NFL) for More than a Game,which examines how the relentless competition off the field affects the game on the field, delving into the NFL from every possible angle. More Than a Game explains how the spectacle that dominates fall weekends in America works, andwhy it has served all of football's interest groups--owners, players and fansalike--so well ove rthe years. It's an attempt to understand why the game is so compelling and what it will take to keep it that way.

From the writer of The Accidental and Hotel World comes Ali Smith’s brilliant retelling of Ovid’s gender-bending myth of Iphis and Ianthe, as seen through the eyes of two Scottish sisters. Girl Meets Boy is about girls and boys, girls and girls, love and  transformation, and the absurdity of consumerism, as well as a story of reversals and revelations that is as sharply witty as it is lyrical.

The creator of the Joe Sherlock, Kid Detective series, Dave Keane, teams up with the illustrator of the Junie B. Jones books to introduce an appealing new character that every boy can relate to in their new picture book, Sloppy Joe (ages 4-8).When it comes to being messy, Sloppy Joe is a pro. But being messy has its challenges. Dave Keane and Denise Brunkus will read from their book, demonstrate illustrations, answer questions, and sign booksat this Saturday morning storytime event.

As a specialized form of pot luck, a cookie swap has all the same traits that make a potluck so effortless to host. Guests share in the baking and cost burden bybringing their favorite recipes. Cookie Swap takes the popular idea ofthe cookie exchange party to new heights and in new directions. With dozens ofdecorating and invitation ideas, 58 delectable recipes, mouthwatering photos,and tips on hosting the best swap possible, this book is sure to get readers'creative juices flowing in bringing together friends through the generosity offood and spirit. Julie Usher, a celebrated pastry chef and food writer, hasdesigned desserts for Chocolatier, Better Homes and Gardens, Bon Appetit,and Modern Bride. She lives in St. Louis and Maine. She will do a cookingdemo and book signing at this event.

Judy Shepard, the mother ofMatthew Shepard, shares her story about her son's death and the choice she madeto become an international gay rights activist. For the first time in bookform, Shepard speaks about her loss, sharing memories of Matthew, their life asa typical American family, and the pivotal event in the small college town thatchanged everything. The Meaning of Matthew not only captures thehistorical significance and complicated civil rights issues surrounding oneman's life and death, but it also chronicles one ordinary woman's struggle tocope with the unthinkable. On the International Day of Peace, Judy Shepard willdiscuss and sign The Meaning of Matthew.

The celebrated pioneer in the field of no-punishment dog training and author of the bestseller Don’t Shoot the Dog! Explains her innovative training method that has changed the lives of millions of animals in Reaching the Animal Mind. Karen Pryorwas a founder of Sea Life Park in Hawaii, where she pioneered many dolphin-training techniques. She is the author of numerous papers and several books, and shehas served on the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission.  Tickets are $25. Register at www.hsmo.org by clicking on “Events and Programs” or call 314.951.1545.  This event is co-sponsored by the St. Louis Zoo and the Humane Society of Missouri.

Three Cups of Tea is the astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban’s backyard. Greg Mortenson was a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, became inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished moutain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth.

In this remarkable history of father-son relationships in his family, Alexander Waugh exposes the dynamic fraught with love and strife that has produced a succession of successful authors. Based on the recollections of his father and on a mine of hitherto unseen documents relating to his grandfather, the book skillfully traces the threads that have linked father to son across a century of war, conflict, turmoil, and change.

Chicago politics—past, present and future—take center stage in New York Times best-selling author Sara Paretsky’s brilliant new V.I. Warshawski novel. Chicago’s unique brand of ball is sixteen-inch slowpitch, played in leagues all over the city for more than a century.  But in politics, in business, and in law enforcement, the game is hardball.  V.I. Warshawski is asked to find a man who’s been missing for four decades, a search she figured would be futile becomes lethal in Hardball.  PLUS! Join us for a lunchtime reading group event with Sara Paretsky at our Downtown store!  RSVP to danielle@left-bank.com or call 314.367.6731; tickets include the new book (which Paretsky will sign) and a box lunch from City Grocer.

Lunchtime reading group, featuring each month's book at 20% off and a box lunch from CityGrocer on the discussion date.  Please order your box lunch at least 48 hours before each discussion by calling our downtown store at 314-367-6731 or email Kris at kris@left-bank.com. 

New YorkTimes best-selling author Kimberla Lawson Roby returns with the moving story of a family who learns to overcome betrayal and secrets with courage and love. On the outside, twelve-year-old Jillian Maxwell is the perfect child. Butinside, Jillian harbors a terrible secret. Too frightened to tell, convinced that her friends and loved ones, especially her mother, won't understand--and worse, will blame her--Jillian endures her pain in silence, believing that things will get better. With sensitivity and grace, Kimberla Lawson Roby addresses a very real and serious issue, while delivering the inspiring tale of one family's mission to shed light into the darkest corner of their lives.