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Ursula Goodenough - Sacred Depths of Nature

Thursday, April 6, 6pm CT
In person at Left Bank Books
399 N. Euclid Ave
St. Louis, MO 63108
Please RSVP for the presentation here
Virtually at Left Bank Books' YouTube Page
Left Bank Books presents Professor Emerita of Biology at Washington University,
Ursula Goodenough,
who will discuss her beautifully written celebration of molecular biology with meditations on the spiritual and religious meaning, 
The Sacred Depths of Nature: How Life Has Emerged and Evolved,
in our store on April 6th at 6pm!
 
Join us in the store or on YouTube Live Page.
Order copies of
from Left Bank Books to support authors and independent bookstores!
 
Dr. Goodenough will personalize and sign copies for sale from Left Bank Books.
If you are unable to make it in person, leave a personalization note in your order.
 
Ursula Goodenough is Professor Emerita of Biology at Washington University. One of America's leading cell biologists, she is the author of a bestselling textbook on genetics, and has served as President of the American Society of Cell Biology and of the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science. She lives in Chilmark, Massachusetts, on Martha's Vineyard.
 
 
For many of us, the great scientific discoveries of the modern age--the Big Bang, evolution, quantum physics, relativity--point to an existence that is bleak, devoid of meaning, pointless. But in The Sacred Depths of Nature, eminent biologist Ursula Goodenough shows us that the scientific world view need not be a source of despair. Indeed, it can be a wellspring of solace and hope.

This eloquent volume reconciles the modern scientific understanding of reality with our timeless spiritual yearnings for reverence and continuity. Looking at topics such as evolution, emotions, sexuality, and death, Goodenough writes with rich, uncluttered detail about the workings of nature in general and of living creatures in particular. Her luminous clarity makes it possible for even non-scientists to appreciate that the origins of life and the universe are no less meaningful because of our increasingly scientific understanding of them. At the end of each chapter, Goodenough's spiritual reflections respond to the complexity of nature with vibrant emotional intensity and a sense of reverent wonder. This new edition offers a deepened consideration of emergent properties and emergent dynamics, as well as an exploration of their role as the generators of life's complexity. Goodenough also expands upon the ethic of ecomorality in a new chapter, and incorporates new quotes, figures, and poems in her analysis.

A beautifully written celebration of molecular biology with meditations on its spiritual and religious meaning that can be found at the heart of science, this volume makes an important contribution to the ongoing dialog between science and religion. This book will engage anyone who was ever mesmerized--or terrified--by the mysteries of existence.

 

"At once expansive and intimate, empirical and immanent, analytical and intuitive, material and spiritual―science and poetry get to dance joyfully together in these pages, allowing us to see and celebrate our fundamental kinship with all beings, united by the forces that propel life's improbable unfolding. In this time of crisis, we urgently need the planetary ethic that resists the degradation of the shimmering world." -- Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

"I am so glad this important book is being revised for our time. It is wise, calm, and compassionate; it treats us as the mature, complex, and fascinating creatures that we are; and it helps point the way towards a future where we act together far better than at present." -- Bill McKibben, Founder of 350.org and author of The Flag, the Cross, and Wonders What the Hell Happened and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at his Suburban Boyhood

"What a beautiful, lyrical, lively, fascinating, and outstanding book. Delightful to read. Awesome achievement." -- Richard Wrangham, Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, author of The Goodness Paradox

Thursday, April 6, 2023 - 6:00pm

Deb JJ Lee - In Limbo

Saturday, April 1, 3pm CT
In person at Left Bank Books
399 N. Euclid Ave
St. Louis, MO 63108
Masks required for in person attendance
Please RSVP for the presentation here
Virtually at Left Bank Books' YouTube Page
Left Bank Books presents highly anticipated, debut YA memoirist 
Deb JJ Lee,
who will discuss their new graphic memoir about a Korean-American teen's coming-of-age story,
In Limbo,
 a story that is "at once heartrending and triumphant" & "masterpiece status"
in our store on April 1st at 3pm!
Lee will be in conversation with bestselling author and illustrator
John Hendrix!
Join us for in the store or on YouTube Live Page.
Order copies of
from Left Bank Books to support authors and independent bookstores!
 
Lee will personalize and sign copies for sale from Left Bank Books.
If you are unable to make it in person, leave a personalization note in your order.
 

A debut YA graphic memoir about a Korean-American child's coming-of-age story--and a coming home story--set between a New Jersey suburb and Seoul, South Korea.

Ever since Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee emigrated from South Korea to the United States, she's felt her otherness.

For a while, her English wasn't perfect. Her teachers can't pronounce her Korean name. Her face and her eyes--especially her eyes--feel wrong.

In high school, everything gets harder. Friendships change and end, she falls behind in classes, and fights with her mom escalate. Caught in limbo, with nowhere safe to go, Deb finds her mental health plummeting, resulting in a suicide attempt.

But Deb is resilient and slowly heals with the help of art and self-care, guiding her to a deeper understanding of her heritage and herself.

This stunning debut graphic memoir features page after page of gorgeous, evocative art, perfect for Tillie Walden fans. It's a cross section of the Korean-American diaspora and mental health, a moving and powerful read in the vein of Hey, Kiddo and The Best We Could Do.

 

"[B]reathtakingly meticulous panels in grayish blues and white [elevate this] work to masterpiece status." --Bookliststarred review

"A raw, relatable memoir exploring mental health and immigrant experiences." -- Kirkus

"An emotionally tender, viscerally illustrated look at one teenager's struggles with identity and mental health." -- Publisher's Weekly

"In Limbo is a tour de force. Stunning from the first page to the last, and totally unforgettable. Upon getting to the end, I wanted to go right back to the beginning to read it again." -- Tillie Walden, creator of Are You Listening?

"Deborah Lee is a masterful storyteller who reminds us everyone we meet is an entire world while we are plunged into her own. I clutched my heart as hard as I clutched the pages of In Limbo." -- Sara Alfageeh, illustrator of Squire

"Deb Lee's beautifully delicate gray landscapes are a fitting backdrop for this coming-of-age tale that encompasses so many of the liminal spaces of life: between cultures, past and future, childhood and independence." -- Harmony Becker, creator of Himawari House

"With breathtaking art and poignant storytelling, In Limbo is a masterpiece in expressing one's truth as a queer Asian American." -- Laura Gao, creator of Messy Roots

"Deb JJ Lee's In Limbo is a stunning study in mood and detail. Her poetic black-and-white illustrations bring you into her world as a lonely high school student, struggling to communicate with her parents and few friends about her frustrations with fitting in as a Korean-born immigrant." -- Malaka Gharib, creator of It Won't Always Be Like This

"In Limbo lifts the comic memoir to new heights. At once heartrending and triumphant, with sumptuous artwork, this story will take your breath away." -- Rebecca Mock, illustrator of Salt Magic

 

Deb JJ Lee is a Korean American artist currently living in Brooklyn, NY. They have appeared in the New YorkerWashington PostNPRGoogleRadiolabPBS, and more. Books they have illustrated include The Invisible Boy by Alyssa Hollingsworth (Roaring Brook Press, 2020) and The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina Cho (HarperCollins, 2024). They enjoy reality tv, sparkling water, and pretending to be an extrovert.

John Hendrix is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. His books include The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler, named a Best Book of 2018 by NPR, and Drawing Is Magic: Discovering Yourself in a Sketchbook. His award-winning illustrations have appeared on book jackets and in newspapers and magazines. He is chair of the MFA Illustration and Visual Culture program in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. Hendrix lives in Webster Groves, Missouri.
 

 

Saturday, April 1, 2023 - 3:00pm

Liam Callanan - When in Rome

Thursday, March 30, 6pm CT
In person at Left Bank Books
399 N. Euclid Ave
St. Louis, MO 63108
Masks required for in person attendance
Please RSVP for the presentation here
Virtually at Left Bank Books' YouTube Page
Left Bank Books presents bestselling & award-winning author
Liam Callanan,
who will discuss his new novel,
When In Rome,
 a "heartfelt story of self-discovery and reinvention"
in our store on March 30th at 6pm!
Join us for in the store or on YouTube Live Page.
Order copies of
from Left Bank Books to support authors and independent bookstores!
 
Callanan will personalize and sign copies for sale from Left Bank Books.
If you are unable to make it in person, leave a personalization note in your order.
 

From nationally bestselling, award-winning author Liam Callanan, the story of an opportunity to start over at midlife, a chance to save a struggling convent in the Eternal City, and the dramatic re-emergence of an old flame . . .

Meet Claire: fifty-two, desperate to do something new and get a fresh start.

Enter the chance to go to Rome: Home to a struggling convent facing a precipitous end, the city beckons Claire, who's long had a complicated relationship with religion, including a "missed connection" with convent life in her teens. Once in Rome, she finds a group of funny, fearless nuns in a gorgeous villa, beautiful runs throughout a color-saturated city, and a chance to reflect. It all leads her to an unexpected question--should she join the convent?--and an answer that startles her as much as it does those closest to her.

It also startles Marcus, a once-buzzy actor, devastatingly handsome, who is eternally in love with Claire. Marcus has come and gone from Claire's life since college but now reappears in Rome just as she's about to decide what's next.

As Claire searches for her higher calling, she finds the key to her future may lay in her past--and involves an actual key. The nuns swear it unlocks nothing, but on a night when choices and voices swirl, Claire finds a long-hidden lock.

A look at faith, in oneself as much as a higher power, and love, romantic and familial, lost and found, this is the thoroughly charming story of one woman who sets out to rewrite her past and future, only to be surprised by the plot twists life plants . . . when in Rome.

 

"Love and faith are at the center of Liam Callanan's heartfelt story of self-discovery and reinvention. Claire at middle age, is at a crossroads as she faces the despair of her lost dreams and the hope that there's still time tofind happiness. Book clubs will go wild for Claire's new mission, shaped by a series of events propelled by nuns, the restorative beauty of the Eternal City and the urgency that comes from the determination to live life before it's over. When in Rome will delight readers everywhere." --Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone

When in Rome is a total delight. It has all my favorite things--a gorgeous setting, a fierce and funny female protagonist, and nuns! Best of all, it showcases Liam Callanan's trademark wisdom about the human heart, and reminds us that it's never too late to change your life." --J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times bestselling author of Friends and Strangers

When in Rome is a love story, a tug-of-war between fate and faith, and Claire is its funny, thoughtful, searching guide. In fact, she's one of the most delightful narrators I've encountered in recent fiction, full of genuine curiosity and relatable contradictions. I happily followed her through the winding streets of Rome, and I'd go anywhere else she'd care to take me." --Lauren Fox, New York Times bestselling author of Send for Me

"Liam Callanan's beautiful novel swept me away--right into the cobblestoned streets of Rome. His sumptuous descriptions are magically transportive, and his characters are as well, as they wrestle with questions of love, of faith, and of service to a higher power. This is a story for the mind and for the soul, and is one that will stay with me for a long time." --Jill Santopolo, author of Stars in an Italian Sky

 

Liam Callanan is a novelist, teacher, and journalist. His novel Paris by the Book, a national bestseller, was translated into multiple languages and won the 2019 Edna Ferber Prize. He's also the 2017 winner of the Hunt Prize, and his first novel, The Cloud Atlas, was a finalist for an Edgar Award. Liam's work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Slate, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The San Francisco Chronicle, and he's recorded numerous essays for public radio. He's also taught for the Warren Wilson MFA program for writers, Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and lives in Wisconsin with his wife and daughters.
 

Thursday, March 30, 2023 - 6:00pm

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