Halloween-related celebrations are legion in St. Louis, with wide-ranging revelry options available each year for enthusiasts of every sort. At the Campbell House Museum — located downtown and at the less ghoulish end of the Halloween spectrum — the holiday observance typically involves a lot of history as well as a coffin, leeches and more. This month marks 140 years since the death of the fur trader Robert Campbell, one of early St. Louis’ most prominent citizens and the museum property’s former owner, and on Friday evening members of the Mourning Society of St. Louis will be on hand to oversee this year’s iteration of the Twilight Tours. Three members of the small but active society join St. Louis Public Radio’s Jeremy D. Goodwin on this episode for a preview of the nearly sold-out event — and they talk about their historical reenactment work more broadly as well.
For 20 years, Gerry Marian has played the organ before movie showings at the Chase Park Plaza Cinema. He is one of a few people who still hold a job that dates back to the days of silent films. Marian will enter the spotlight this weekend to debut his newly written score for the 1925 silent film "The Phantom of the Opera."
Host Sarah Fenske talks about Missouri's Council on American Islamic Relations' past and future with its new executive director Mojda Sidiqi and her predecessor Faizan Syed.
Host Sarah Fenske talks with Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat, recipient of the 2019 St. Louis Literary Award given by the St. Louis University Library Associates.
Last week was a busy one for David Kvidahl, who covers high school sports for STLhighschoolsports.com and STLtoday.com. On Tuesday he was calling Cardinal Ritter College Prep to let school officials know he planned to publish a story about a football player at the Catholic school taking to the field while ineligible. The next day he was reporting that St. Louis Public Schools had terminated Roosevelt High School athletic director and head football coach Trey Porter. Then, on Friday, Cardinal Ritter announced that its entire football staff had been “permanently released” by the school. In this episode, Kvidahl joins host Sarah Fenske to go behind the headlines on the latest developments in both the Roosevelt and Cardinal Ritter stories. The conversation also includes comments from two Roosevelt football players who have come to Porter's defense and from St. Louis Alderwoman Christina Ingrassia (D-6th Ward).
Every week, thousands of people across the U.S. head to dance studios and clubs to move to Afro-Cuban, Puerto Rican and Dominican beats. Some of the most dedicated will arrive in St. Louis this week for the 10th Annual St. Louis International Salsa Congress, which starts today.
Through a “learn and earn” method, the organization BWorks, helps hundreds of kids each year, having expanded to include instruction in creative writing and computers as well. The organization was recently awarded a Quality of Life award from St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson’s office.
Drives around the St. Louis area have so far been a little less colorful this fall. That’s mainly due to unusual daytime and nighttime temperatures that are preventing chlorophyll from breaking down. The breakdown in chlorophyll causes leaves to lose their green color.
Continuity’s executive director and co-founder, Dan Parris, joins host Sarah Fenske to talk about the organization’s efforts. They are also joined by YouTuber Letisha Wexstten and continuity graduate Erica Renee Walker
The mayor of Woodson Terrace is sending a letter to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson asking for a say in whether the city privatizes the Lambert International Airport. Also, the mayor of Bridgeton and others involved in the Municipal League of Metro St. Louis are spearheading an impact study to discover how they could be affected if a private operator leases the airport.
East St. Louis has a rich history but much of it is at risk of being lost. East St. Louis native Reginald Petty has helped launch a society to preserve the city's history. He has written a book about major people who have come from East St. Louis and is concerned younger residents are disconnected from the community's history and culture.
St. Louis on the Air's Sarah Fenske Talks With STLPR's Kae Petrin And Local Attorney Mary Anne Sedey Host Sarah Fenske talks with St. Louis Public Radio reporter Kae Petrin and with local attorney and employment law expert Mary Anne Sedey about new efforts to give workplace protections to LGBTQ workers in Missouri. The state civil rights law is silent. But that’s not stopping some gay, lesbian and transgender activists.
Host Sarah Fenske talks with dean of the University of Missouri St. Louis Andrew Kersten and Associate Professor of History Priscilla Dowden-White about how James Baldwin’s 1974 novel is resonating across campus and the broader St. Louis community, decades after it was written. The conversation will also include the perspectives of several UMSL students and faculty members.
State Rep. Shamed Dogan returns to Politically Speaking to talk with St. Louis Public Radio’s Julie O’Donoghue and Jason Rosenbaum about his efforts to change how Missouri handles criminal justice.
The Ballwin Republican represents the 98th House District, which includes parts of Ellisville, Fenton, and Wildwood.
Florissant native Kevin Cox Jr. is a post-doctoral associate at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and one of 15 Hanna H. Gray Fellows named by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The more than one-million-dollar fellowship specifically seeks out scientists from underrepresented groups early in their careers. Cox is African American.
Growing up in Singapore, Washington University undergraduate Luka Cai was closeted, finding little support there for members of the LGBTQ community. But even in their new home of St. Louis, where Cai openly identifies as a pansexual transmasculine queer person, they’ve observed a need for more peer-to-peer support. “When I came to St. Louis I felt very much more affirmed and accepted by the St. Louis queer community, and I saw the same needs around me,” Cai said, “of people feeling isolated, rejected, discriminated against — and that comes out in terms of housing insecurity and employment security as well.” This led Cai to the idea for SQSH, the St. Louis Queer+ Support Helpline that they and a co-founder launched earlier this month. The all-volunteer effort aims to be “for the St. Louis LGBTQIA+ community, by the community,” inviting calls to 314-380-7774, with highly trained volunteers ready to provide support.
Month after month, Sauce Magazine joins our program for a monthly Sound Bites segment to showcase the latest food trends and highlight local chefs, farmers, restaurateurs and more. Host Sarah Fenske delves into the history of the food publication itself, which launched in St. Louis in 1999 when the Internet was still in its infancy. Twenty years later, Sauce Magazine is still going strong.
Jane Smiley recently came back to St. Louis for her 50th high school reunion. But unlike many of us, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist wasn’t content simply to explore what had changed around town. Smiley also wrote an essay about the city for the New York Times. In this interview with Sarah Fenske, Smiley discusses her essay, detailing her abiding love for St. Louis, particularly its foliage and its wonderful old houses.
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