This book is as regal as it is revealing and compelling. Artisans, athletes, educators, entertainers, scientists, veterans of wars and the Race Riot of 1917 join political leaders and poets in this dream- and performance-storied portraiture of African American East St. Louis. Authors-compilers Reginald Petty (himself a storied vault) and Tiffany Lee place local heroes and sheroes in a quilt of regional, national and global import. These individual and familistic achievements are worth being read, taught, and shared around dinner tables-and with congregations. -Eugene B. Redmond, Poet Laureate of East St. Louis, Illinois and Emeritus Professor English, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

A Washington Post best nonfiction book pick of 2021 “It is biography as an expression of love.” – The New York Times New York Times–bestselling author Julie Klam’s funny and moving story of the Morris sisters, distant relations with mysterious pasts. Ever since she was young, Julie Klam has been fascinated by the Morris sisters, cousins of her grandmother. According to family lore, early in the twentieth century the sisters’ parents decided to move the family from Eastern Europe to Los Angeles so their father could become a movie director. On the way, their pregnant mother went into labor in St. Louis, where the baby was born and where their mother died. The father left the children in an orphanage and promised to send for them when he settled in California—a promise he never kept. One of the Morris sisters later became a successful Wall Street trader and advised Franklin Roosevelt. The sisters lived together in New York City, none of them married or had children, and one even had an affair with J. P. Morgan. The stories of these independent women intrigued Klam, but as she delved into them to learn more, she realized that the tales were almost completely untrue. The Almost Legendary Morris Sisters is the revealing account of what Klam discovered about her family—and herself—as she dug into the past. The deeper she went into the lives of the Morris sisters, the slipperier their stories became. And the more questions she had about what actually happened to them, the more her opinion of them evolved. Part memoir and part confessional, and told with the wit and honesty that are hallmarks of Klam’s books, The Almost Legendary Morris Sisters is the fascinating and funny true story of one writer’s journey into her family’s past, the truths she brings to light, and what she learns about herself along the way.

In 'Meet Me in St Louis', one of the most popular MGM musicals, Judy Garland stars as the classic American teenager. For this book, Gerald Kaufman interviewed many of the stars. This text captures the essence of Miss Garland's performance and the machinations of the legendary MGM studios.

This book discusses racial segregation in American cities. Using St. Louis as a point of departure, it examines the causes and consequences of residential segregation, and proposes potential mitigation strategies. While an introduction, timeline and historical overview frame the subject, nine topic-specific conversations – between invited academics, policy makers and urban professionals – provide the main structure. Each of these conversations is contextualized by a photograph, an editors’ note and an essay written by a respected current or former St. Louisan. The essayists respond to the conversations by speaking to the impacts of segregation and by suggesting innovative policy and design tactics from their professional or academic perspective. The purpose of the book, therefore, is not to provide original research on residential segregation, but rather to offer a unique collection of insightful, transdisciplinary reflections on the experience of segregation in America and how it might be addressed.

As a St. Louis resident, Brooke S. Foster knows the best ways to experience the Gateway City, from must-see sights like the Gateway Arch and the City Museum to great Northern Italian cuisine on the Hill. Foster provides travelers with unique trip strategies to help organize their visit, such as Blues, Barbecue, and Beer: A Legendary St. Louis Weekend; and From the Butterfly House to the Gigantic Slide: St. Louis with Kids. Including experienced advice on checking out the Victorian-era mansions in Lafayette Square, exploring the revived nightlife of downtown St. Louis, and seeing live music at the Blue Note in nearby Columbia, Moon St. Louis gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.

You are holding a ticket to one of the largest and most magnificent celebrations of all time -- the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair! For seven months nearly twenty million visitors from around the globe flooded the fairgrounds of Forest Park. Many explored the twelve mammoth palaces (made of plaster and horsehair!), which showcased amazing exhibits. Others enjoyed watching the first Olympic Games in the United States, keeping cool all summer with a new treat that became an instant hit -- the ice-cream cone. And everyone loved viewing all 1275 acres of fairgrounds from atop the 265-foot Ferris wheel. Robert Jackson describes the planning, building, events, and memory of a fair that enthralled millions with its magic. In fascinating detail, he captures the energy and imagination of turn-of-the-century America, when fairgoers begged friends and family to meet them in St. Louis.

Documents the deadly racial confrontation in 1917 East St. Louis between white and black citizens, describing the Jim Crow limits that prompted the move of half a million job-seeking African-Americans to northern industrial cities and the resulting backlash that took the form of deadly race riots, union disputes, and political corruption. 30,000 first printing.