Community Calendar

Dr. Steven Tuck, Professor of History and Classics in the Department of History at Miami University, will change the story of Pompeii from one of death and destruction to one of survival and hope. Through his research, he has traced those Romans who escaped the eruption of Vesuvius and discovered how and where they rebuilt lives, families, and businesses, while carrying with them reminders of their former lives.

An author and historian with expertise in early modern Europe and religion, Ralph Keen, Ph.D. will present the Kenneth H. Sauer Luther Symposium titled "Sources and Ends in Early Lutheran Educational Thought." Keen serves as the Schmitt Chair in Catholic Studies and Professor of History at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), as well as the Dean of the Honors College at UIC.

Christopher Gorham, a lawyer, an educator and acclaimed author of The Confidante, has written a book about a lesser-known segment of the life of Henri Matisse. Rather than focusing on his earlier Fauvist or postwar paintings, Gorham delves into Matisse’s wartime creativity and moral resolve. After a number of personal crises such as surgery, the dissolution of his 42-year marriage, and the departure of many of his friends in the artistic and intellectual community, Matisse decided to stay in France. This had horrendous consequences for him and his family. His daughter Marguerite was arrested, tortured, and deported to Ravensbrück but escaped when Allied bombing halted her transport. Two of his other children worked in the resistance movement. Through the horrors of war, Matisse continued to produce works of art even though they were condemned by the Nazis. He experimented with paper cuts and collage techniques and produced works such as The Fall of Icarus, and the much-lauded book, Jazz.

Judy James will read poetry and prose selections from her new book, Echoes, continuing the theme of soul connections from her first book, Whispers. Judy is retired from the U.S. Air Force. Following retirement, she taught part-time at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Charleston S.C. and Jacksonville Florida. Now, fully retired, she practices yoga and meditation, is a Reiki Master, an avid reader, and dabbles in all forms of art.

Books available for purchase at the event ($15 cash only) or may be purchased ahead of time at Amazon.com and Bookshop.org.
*A reception will follow the reading*

Meet a Ross Medical Education Center staff member today to talk about this semester’s classes to become a Certified Nurse Aide, Nursing Assistant, or earn your CNA Certificate!

Jeff Hobbs, New York Times bestselling author of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, will present the Fred R. Leventhal Family Lecture titled “Race, Class, and Identity in American Universities: How Students Experience School – And One Another.” Selected as a 2015 nonfiction finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace prize, Hobbs’ book was adapted into the 2024 film ROB PEACE. His latest work, Seeking Shelter, was named a best book of the year by Amazon and The New Yorker. A Q&A and book signing will follow the lecture; books will be available for purchase.

The Friends of the Libraries Proudly Present

From Wright State to the Space Station: Who Knows Where a Book Might Take You?

Emily Morgan, WSU Alumna, Educator, and Author

Wednesday, April 15, 2026
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Wright State Nutter Center, Berry Room

Join us as Emily Morgan shares her experiences as an education major at Wright State, the significance of libraries in her life, and how one of her books made it all the way to the International Space Station to be read by an astronaut. See our Library and Archives News blog for more details.

Registration is required for this event and due by April 8, 2026.

Register today!

In the early 1900s, prior to World War I, New York City was a vortex of vice and corruption. On the Lower East Side, then the most crowded ghetto on earth, Eastern European Jews formed a dense web of crime syndicates. As awareness of this underworld spread across America, so did antisemitism. This is why a coterie of affluent German-Jewish uptowners decided to take matters into their own hands. Worried about the anti-immigration lobby and the uncertain future of all Jewish Americans, the uptowners organized a secret vice squad. This squad, known as the “incorruptibles” took the fight to the heart of crime in the city, waging war on the sin they saw as threatening the future of the community. Dan Slater tells an epic saga of crime and redemption, exhuming a buried history that shaped our modern world. The Incorruptibles was described by the New York Times as “unrivaled” and was chosen as an editor’s pick.

Word of Mouth Cincinnati (WoMC), a literary event consisting of both an Open Mic and a Feature Performance, runs every LAST Sunday at 6pm, upstairs at MOTR Pub.

Word of Mouth Cincinnati, which began in January 2014, is co-hosted by fellow writers Jim Palmarini and Mark Flanigan. It was founded in memory of the late Aralee Strange who, after many years living, writing and producing work in the Cincinnati area, moved to Athens, Georgia where she co-founded Athens Word of Mouth.

WoMC is an intentional arc of both past and future utterance, inspired by our most revered voice, with a nod to her Athens, GA compatriots. Word of Mouth asks poets to Show Up, Mouth Off and Pay Attention.

Meet a Ross Medical Education Center staff member today to talk about this semester’s classes to become a Certified Nurse Aide, Nursing Assistant, or earn your CNA Certificate!