Calendar
Check here for all of the upcoming events at UCPL. If you have questions about any of them, give us a call at 314-727-3150.
Have you ever wondered why the English spelling of words is sometimes… well… just weird? Come on a surprisingly hilarious journey through the history of the English language with an online conversation with author Gabe Henry, discussing troublemakers like Mark Twain who broke all the rules.
Anyone who has the misfortune to write in English will, every now and then, struggle with its spelling. In our erratic system, choir and liar rhyme, daughter and laughter don’t, and somehow you and ewe can’t agree on a single letter. So why do we still use it? If our spelling is so inconsistent, why haven’t we tried to fix it?
In Enough is Enuf, Gabe Henry humorously traces the “simplified spelling movement” from medieval England to Revolutionary America, from the birth of standup comedy to contemporary pop music, and explores its lasting influence in words like color (without a U), plow (without -ugh), and the iconic ’90s ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Finally, Henry brings us to the digital age, where the swift pace of online exchanges now pushes us all 2ward simplification.
Courtesy of WashU Public Affairs
The Friends of University City Public Library present an evening with Gerald Early at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7 in the UCPL auditorium. Dr. Early will discuss his latest book, Play Harder, an “authoritative exploration of how Black Americans have shaped baseball from its emergence after the Civil War to the Negro Leagues and Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier, up to today’s game.” Dr. Early teaches at Washington University and has consulted with Ken Burns on such documentaries as Baseball, Jazz, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, The War, and Muhammad Ali. He is a regular commentator on NPR‘s Fresh Air.
Intended for adults, this program is free and open to all. Copies of Play Harder will be available for purchase at the event.
Join us for a fascinating discussion with St. Louis author Christopher Alan Gordon as he discusses his latest book, Letters Home From World War II: St. Louis.
This nonfiction book captures the experiences of St. Louisans who served in World War II,
sharing their struggles, fears, and hopes through letters sent home. Through their own words, St. Louisans bring history to life, sharing the horrors of war, the pain of separation, and encounters with distant lands. Their letters preserve a deeply personal and powerful perspective on World War II.
Gordon is an American historian and museum professional living in St. Louis, Missouri. His 2018 book, Fire, Pestilence, and Death: St. Louis 1849, was a regional bestseller and won the American Association of State and Local History Award of Excellence in 2019. As a recognized authority on Missouri history, Gordon has appeared on numerous television shows, podcasts, and other media, including the Travel Channel, Fox Business, Atlas Obscura, New York Times, and The Washington Post.
Books will be available for purchase and signing. Recommended for adults. 7 p.m. Auditorium.
