Jermaine Fowler

Join author Jermaine Fowler, host of the top-rated history podcast The Humanity Archive , for the launch of his new book of the same name. This sweeping survey of Black history challenges dominant perspectives and goes outside the textbooks to reveal America's hidden history.

Join author Jermaine Fowler, host of the top-rated history podcast The Humanity Archive , for the launch of his new book of the same name. This sweeping survey of Black history challenges dominant perspectives and goes outside the textbooks to reveal America's hidden history.

The Humanity Archive Book Launch with Author Jermaine Fowler

Greg Fischer

In The Power of Giving Away Power: How the Best Leaders Learn to Let Go, businessman and former U.S. Ambassador Matthew Barzun layers lessons from American history and business with insights from his career in tech, politics, and diplomacy to show how we can lead meaningful change in our companies, communities, and even our nation. Barzun served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom during the Obama administration and is the current owner/publisher of Louisville Magazine. 

In The Power of Giving Away Power: How the Best Leaders Learn to Let Go, businessman and former U.S. Ambassador Matthew Barzun layers lessons from American history and business with insights from his career in tech, politics, and diplomacy to show how we can lead meaningful change in our companies, communities, and even our nation. Barzun served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom during the Obama administration and is the current owner/publisher of Louisville Magazine.

Former U.S. Ambassador Matthew Barzun in Conversation with Mayor Greg Fischer

Robert Friedland

Aging is a subject of concern to many that is often misunderstood. However, it presents a wonderful opportunity to make informed choices and live to our potential. Dr. Robert Friedland will help you learn the steps to take in your activities, diet, and mental outlook, in order to grasp that opportunity.

Aging is a subject of concern to many that is often misunderstood. However, it presents a wonderful opportunity to make informed choices and live to our potential. Dr. Robert Friedland will help you learn the steps to take in your activities, diet, and mental outlook, in order to grasp that opportunity.

Successful Aging, with Dr. Robert Friedland

MARGO PRICE is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter.She has released three LPs, earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, performed on Saturday Night Live, and is the first female musician to sit on the board of Farm Aid.S.G. GOODMAN is a critically-acclaimed musician and Kentucky native. She was rightly coined an “untamed rock n roll truth-teller” by Rolling Stone.

MARGO PRICE is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter.She has released three LPs, earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, performed on Saturday Night Live, and is the first female musician to sit on the board of Farm Aid.S.G. GOODMAN is a critically-acclaimed musician and Kentucky native. She was rightly coined an “untamed rock n roll truth-teller” by Rolling Stone.

Grammy-nominated country singer Margo Price on her memoir "Maybe We'll Make it"

Andy Weir

Join us for a fun-filled evening where Andy Weir (The Martian, Artemis, Project Hail Mary) is interviewed by John Scalzi (Old Man's War, Redshirts). Sponsored by Carmichael's Bookstore and LFPL.

Join us for a fun-filled evening where Andy Weir (The Martian, Artemis, Project Hail Mary) is interviewed by John Scalzi (Old Man's War, Redshirts). Sponsored by Carmichael's Bookstore and LFPL.

Carmichael’s Bookstore Presents Andy Weir (The Martian) 

It’s a common rule of physical comedy. A successful fall on the keister requires that you know how a real pratfall looks. And feels. And who are more qualified to find laughs in the foibles of daily human behavior than those prone to such…foiblings, I guess? (This, by the way, means everyone on Earth is qualified.) Join actor/creator and physical comedy teacher Gregory Maupin for an evening of slapstick recognition that only by identifying patterns of Wrong can we even begin to identify what Right might look like.

It’s a common rule of physical comedy. A successful fall on the keister requires that you know how a real pratfall looks. And feels. And who are more qualified to find laughs in the foibles of daily human behavior than those prone to such…foiblings, I guess? (This, by the way, means everyone on Earth is qualified.) Join actor/creator and physical comedy teacher Gregory Maupin for an evening of slapstick recognition that only by identifying patterns of Wrong can we even begin to identify what Right might look like.

Gregory Maupin on how “Failure Is Success” 

We often think of science as the result of a gradual process of improvement. On this view, partially successful theories are replaced over time by ever more successful ones. In this class, I argue that deeply flawed theories – which even contemporaries immediately recognize as failures – can influence and encourage scientific investigation and thinking. Descartes’ hydrodynamic conception of neurophysiology provides a specific example of how it is possible to fail up in science.

We often think of science as the result of a gradual process of improvement. On this view, partially successful theories are replaced over time by ever more successful ones. In this class, I argue that deeply flawed theories – which even contemporaries immediately recognize as failures – can influence and encourage scientific investigation and thinking. Descartes’ hydrodynamic conception of neurophysiology provides a specific example of how it is possible to fail up in science.

Dr. Guy Dove on "Failing Up: Descartes and the Origins of Neuroscience"

This class discusses how our fear of failure ultimately impedes collective efforts in working towards establishing a racially equitable society. Many people find discussions about race to be extremely fraught and divisive, which is usually expressed as a fear of “saying the wrong thing”. This discomfort that arises when thinking and talking about racial inequity and injustice, I propose, arises from a collective social failure to be sensitive and attentive to racial privilege and oppression.

This class discusses how our fear of failure ultimately impedes collective efforts in working towards establishing a racially equitable society. Many people find discussions about race to be extremely fraught and divisive, which is usually expressed as a fear of “saying the wrong thing”. This discomfort that arises when thinking and talking about racial inequity and injustice, I propose, arises from a collective social failure to be sensitive and attentive to racial privilege and oppression.

Dr. Bailey Thomas on "Towards a 'More Perfect Union': Race, Failure, and Social Progress" 

Angeline Boulley

Angeline Boulley is a storyteller and proud Chippewa author who writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A former Director of the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education, her debut Young Adult novel Firekeeper’s Daughter was an instant #1 New York Times Bestseller. The book was named one of the top 100 YA novels of all time by TIME Magazine and is currently being adapted into a Netflix miniseries by Higher Ground Productions.

Angeline Boulley is a storyteller and proud Chippewa author who writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A former Director of the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education, her debut Young Adult novel Firekeeper’s Daughter was an instant #1 New York Times Bestseller. The book was named one of the top 100 YA novels of all time by TIME Magazine and is currently being adapted into a Netflix miniseries by Higher Ground Productions.

Angeline Boulley discusses her book - "Firekeeper’s Daughter"

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Kentucky Humanities, in partnership with the Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet and the Louisville Free Public Library, will host Louisville’s own musical group Linkin’ Bridge in conversation with inspirational speaker and humanities scholar Aminata Cairo. The group will discuss storytelling through song and the lessons we learn from each other’s stories in a world that is often fraught with division.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Kentucky Humanities, in partnership with the Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet and the Louisville Free Public Library, will host Louisville’s own musical group Linkin’ Bridge in conversation with inspirational speaker and humanities scholar Aminata Cairo. The group will discuss storytelling through song and the lessons we learn from each other’s stories in a world that is often fraught with division.

Harmonizing Stories featuring Linkin’ Bridge in conversation with Aminata Cairo

Welcome to LFPL's At the Library Series, an ongoing podcast featuring author talks, programs and events at the Louisville Free Public Library.

LFPL's At the Library Series

Tim Denevi

Hunter S. Thompson is often misremembered as a wise-cracking, drug-addled cartoon character. In the new book Freak Kingdom: Hunter S. Thompson's Manic Ten-Year Crusade Against American Fascism, professor and author Timothy Denevi attempts to reclaim Thompson for what he truly was: a fearless opponent of corruption and fascism, one who sacrificed his future well-being to fight against it, rewriting the rules of journalism and political satire in the process. Freak Kingdom tells the dramatic account of how Thompson saw the danger of Richard Nixon early and embarked on a life-defining campaign to stop it—and the devastating price he paid for it.Freak Kingdom is the second book from George Mason professor Timothy Denevi. His essays on politics, sport, and religion have appeared in The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Salon, and Literary Hub, where he serves as the nonfiction editor.

Hunter S. Thompson is often misremembered as a wise-cracking, drug-addled cartoon character. In the new book Freak Kingdom: Hunter S. Thompson's Manic Ten-Year Crusade Against American Fascism, professor and author Timothy Denevi attempts to reclaim Thompson for what he truly was: a fearless opponent of corruption and fascism, one who sacrificed his future well-being to fight against it, rewriting the rules of journalism and political satire in the process. Freak Kingdom tells the dramatic account of how Thompson saw the danger of Richard Nixon early and embarked on a life-defining campaign to stop it—and the devastating price he paid for it.Freak Kingdom is the second book from George Mason professor Timothy Denevi. His essays on politics, sport, and religion have appeared in The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Salon, and Literary Hub, where he serves as the nonfiction editor.

Tim Denevi 11-8-2018

Join Kentucky Opera and acclaimed lecturer, Dr. John Hale, as he explores the historical and mythological background of Mozart's beloved The Magic Flute. We go into the woods with Prince Tamino and his irreverent bird catcher pal, Papageno, in search of the perfect girl to marry. But not before being saved from a dragon, outsmarting the duplicitous Queen of the Night, and proving himself worthy through an epic set of challenges set forth by the mysterious high priest Sarastro!While most baroque and classical operas are based on Greek or Roman mythology, Mozart ventured into less explored territory by setting The Magic Flute in ancient Egypt. The gods Isis and Osiris dominate the world of Sarastro and his fellow priests, and the ancient world's emphasis on the supernatural power of music lies behind the use of the magic flute itself as the opera's most important symbol.

Join Kentucky Opera and acclaimed lecturer, Dr. John Hale, as he explores the historical and mythological background of Mozart's beloved The Magic Flute. We go into the woods with Prince Tamino and his irreverent bird catcher pal, Papageno, in search of the perfect girl to marry. But not before being saved from a dragon, outsmarting the duplicitous Queen of the Night, and proving himself worthy through an epic set of challenges set forth by the mysterious high priest Sarastro!While most baroque and classical operas are based on Greek or Roman mythology, Mozart ventured into less explored territory by setting The Magic Flute in ancient Egypt. The gods Isis and Osiris dominate the world of Sarastro and his fellow priests, and the ancient world's emphasis on the supernatural power of music lies behind the use of the magic flute itself as the opera's most important symbol.

Magic Flute 8-29-2018

Beatriz Williams

Love. Exile. Redemption. A perfect combination for a summer beach read. New York Times bestselling author Beatriz Williams' latest novel, The Summer Wives, is a postwar fable of love, class, power, and redemption set among the inhabitants of an island off of the New England coast, and a satisfying follow-up to her Schuyler Sisters series. Named a Best Book of Summer by Goodreads, BuzzFeed, and PopSugar, The Summer Wives will be in bookstores July 10.Beatriz Williams is the bestselling historical fiction author of A Certain Age, The Secret Life of Violet Grant, A Hundred Summers, and others. A graduate of Stanford University, with an MBA in Finance from Columbia University, Beatriz worked as a communications and corporate strategy consultant in New York and London before she turned her attention to writing novels that combine her passion for history with an obsessive devotion to voice and characterization. Internationally acclaimed, her books have won numerous awards and have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Love. Exile. Redemption. A perfect combination for a summer beach read. New York Times bestselling author Beatriz Williams' latest novel, The Summer Wives, is a postwar fable of love, class, power, and redemption set among the inhabitants of an island off of the New England coast, and a satisfying follow-up to her Schuyler Sisters series. Named a Best Book of Summer by Goodreads, BuzzFeed, and PopSugar, The Summer Wives will be in bookstores July 10.Beatriz Williams is the bestselling historical fiction author of A Certain Age, The Secret Life of Violet Grant, A Hundred Summers, and others. A graduate of Stanford University, with an MBA in Finance from Columbia University, Beatriz worked as a communications and corporate strategy consultant in New York and London before she turned her attention to writing novels that combine her passion for history with an obsessive devotion to voice and characterization. Internationally acclaimed, her books have won numerous awards and have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Beatriz Williams 7-18-2018

How to Tame a Fox and Build a Dog with Dr. Lee DugatkinUniversity of Louisville professor and author Lee Dugatkin shares the fascinating story of the science, politics, adventure, and love behind the research of a dedicated team of researchers in Siberia domesticating silver foxes to study the evolution of the dog in real time.Dr. Lee Dugatkin is a professor and university scholar in the biology department at UofL.

How to Tame a Fox and Build a Dog with Dr. Lee DugatkinUniversity of Louisville professor and author Lee Dugatkin shares the fascinating story of the science, politics, adventure, and love behind the research of a dedicated team of researchers in Siberia domesticating silver foxes to study the evolution of the dog in real time.Dr. Lee Dugatkin is a professor and university scholar in the biology department at UofL.

How to Tame a Fox 2-15-2018

Maureen Chiquet

"Women, Leadership and Success" with former Chanel CEO Maureen ChiquetMaureen Chiquet, the former global CEO of Chanel, is an expert on much more than fashion. Join her at the Main Library for a discussion of her new book: Beyond the Label: Women, Leadership and Success on Our Own Terms, an insightful read that blends Chiquet's own story with advice on creating a life that's uniquely your own.

"Women, Leadership and Success" with former Chanel CEO Maureen ChiquetMaureen Chiquet, the former global CEO of Chanel, is an expert on much more than fashion. Join her at the Main Library for a discussion of her new book: Beyond the Label: Women, Leadership and Success on Our Own Terms, an insightful read that blends Chiquet's own story with advice on creating a life that's uniquely your own.

Maureen Chiquet 5-25-2017

Chris Whipple

Filled with shrewd analysis and never-before-reported details, Chris Whipple's latest book, The Gatekeepers, offers an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the White House Chiefs of Staff, whose actions and inactions have defined the course of our country.Chris Whipple is an acclaimed writer, journalist, documentary filmmaker, and a multiple Peabody and Emmy Award-winning producer at CBS's 60 Minutes and ABC's Primetime.

Filled with shrewd analysis and never-before-reported details, Chris Whipple's latest book, The Gatekeepers, offers an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the White House Chiefs of Staff, whose actions and inactions have defined the course of our country.Chris Whipple is an acclaimed writer, journalist, documentary filmmaker, and a multiple Peabody and Emmy Award-winning producer at CBS's 60 Minutes and ABC's Primetime.

Chris Whipple 4-24-2017

Elliot Ackerman

American writer Elliot Ackerman is based out of Istanbul, where he has covered the Syrian Civil War since 2013. His writings have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The New York Times Magazine, among others. A former Marine, Ackerman served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart.

American writer Elliot Ackerman is based out of Istanbul, where he has covered the Syrian Civil War since 2013. His writings have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The New York Times Magazine, among others. A former Marine, Ackerman served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart.

Elliot Ackerman 2-23-2017

James Rebanks

Join bestselling author and international sensation James Rebanks for a discussion of The Shepherd's Life with Kentucky's own Wendell Berry.

Join bestselling author and international sensation James Rebanks for a discussion of The Shepherd's Life with Kentucky's own Wendell Berry.

James Rebanks 11-9-2016

Tim Shanahan

In a discussion of his first-ever book, Tim Shanahan will reflect on his forty-year friendship with Louisville’s own Muhammad Ali. Running with the Champ chronicles the real-life adventure of knowing a celebrity athlete, full of stories of Ali’s generosity, athleticism, and famous friends.

Tim Shanahan 5-17-2016

Darrin Lunde

Hunter, adventurer, statesman, and conservationist—perhaps no U.S. president is more popularly associated with nature and wildlife than Theodore Roosevelt. Join Smithsonian natural historian Darrin Lunde as he shares his new book, The Naturalist: Theodore Roosevelt, A Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History, a captivating new account of how Theodore Roosevelt’s lifelong passion for the natural world set the stage for America’s wildlife conservation movement.

Darrin Lunde 4-21-2016

Joby Warrick

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, Joby Warrick.

Joby Warrick 10-22-2015

Join author and journalist David Shipler for a discussion of his latest book Freedom of Speech: Mightier Than the Sword, an expansive, timely assessment of the state of free speech in America. We apologize for audio quality issues. We are working to correct this.

David K. Shipler 5-18-2015

Cokie Roberts

Bestselling author Cokie Roberts marks the sesquicentennial of the Civil War with her new book Capital Dames - a look at Washington, D.C. and the experiences, influence, and contributions of its women during this momentous period of American history.

Cokie Roberts 5-11-2015

Helen Prejean

In 1982, Sister Helen Prejean became the spiritual advisor to Patrick Sonnier, a convicted killer of two teenagers, who was sentenced to die in the electric chair of Louisiana's Angola State Prison. In the months before Sonnier's death, the Roman Catholic nun came to know the convicted felon, the families of his victims, and the men whose job it was to execute him. Out of Sister Prejean's experiences came the #1 national bestseller "Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States."This year marks the 20th anniversary of "Dead Man Walking." In celebration, the book has been re-released with a new preface by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and new afterwords by the author, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins.

In 1982, Sister Helen Prejean became the spiritual advisor to Patrick Sonnier, a convicted killer of two teenagers, who was sentenced to die in the electric chair of Louisiana's Angola State Prison. In the months before Sonnier's death, the Roman Catholic nun came to know the convicted felon, the families of his victims, and the men whose job it was to execute him. Out of Sister Prejean's experiences came the #1 national bestseller "Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States." This year marks the 20th anniversary of "Dead Man Walking." In celebration, the book has been re-released with a new preface by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and new afterwords by the author, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins.

Sister Helen Prejean 12-06-13

Allan Gurganus

If Allan Gurganus's first comic novel, "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All," mapped the late nineteenth-century South, his latest book, "Local Souls," brings the twisted hilarity of Flannery O'Connor kicking into the 21st century.This first work in a decade offers three novellas mirroring today's face-lifted South, a zone revolutionized around freer sexuality, looser family ties, and superior telecommunications, yet it celebrates those locals who have chosen to stay local.

If Allan Gurganus's first comic novel, "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All," mapped the late nineteenth-century South, his latest book, "Local Souls," brings the twisted hilarity of Flannery O'Connor kicking into the 21st century. This first work in a decade offers three novellas mirroring today's face-lifted South, a zone revolutionized around freer sexuality, looser family ties, and superior telecommunications, yet it celebrates those locals who have chosen to stay local.

Allan Gurganus 11-06-13

David Rohde

In his latest book, "Beyond War: Reimagining American Influence in a New Middle East," author David Rohde examines the cardinal failing of Washington's war on terror. A distillation of eleven years of reporting for The New York Times, Reuters, and The Atlantic Monthly, the book examines the evolving nature of war and exposes how mismanagement has failed to resolve conflict in the Middle East.

David Rohde 04-18-13

Jon Gertner

"The Idea Factory" is the definitive history of America's greatest incubator of technological innovation. In this first full portrait of the legendary Bell Labs, Jon Gertner takes readers behind one of the greatest collaborations between business and science in history.

Jon Gertner 03-08-13

Robert Massie

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Peter the Great", "Nicholas and Alexandra," and "The Romanovs" returns with the extraordinary story of "Catherine the Great," one of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in history.

Robert Massie 09-27-12

Led by historian Rick Bell, author of "The Great Flood of 1937," this panel discussion also features Keith Runyon, Courier-Journal editor, discussing the role of the local media; Kelley Dearing-Smith of Louisville Water and Jay Ferguson, historian, sharing the story of how a group of men fired up the old steam engines to provide the city with drinking water; and LFPL's Kentucky History Librarian Joe Hardesty, talking about how to research information on the Great Flood at the Louisville Free Public Library.

The '37 Flood - Remarkable Stories Remembered 02-07-12

Gabrielle Hamilton

World-class chef Gabrielle Hamilton's New York Times bestselling memoir, "Blood, Bones &amp; Butter," tells her unconventional story through the many kitchens she has inhabited over the years.

Gabrielle Hamilton 1-28-12

The best podcast episodes about true crime. For any thrill seeking podcast listeners who just can't get enough of the captivating stories of murderers and criminals. This topic has all the best episodes from many different true crime podcasts.  Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best True Crime Podcasts

The best podcasts on investing. For anyone interested in the stories in the investing industry, whether it's an interview with Ray Dalio or Ed Thorp to the writer of The Big Short. This topic includes the most fascinating stories from all the best investors. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!