Writers of the Purple Sage with Jim Turner

Sedona Public Library 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ, United States

This presentation covers five Arizona novelists: Zane Grey spent his honeymoon at the Grand Canyon and went on to be one of the first and most famous Western writers of all time; Harold Bell Wright came to Tucson with lung problems and became a bestseller from 1900 to 1930. University of Arizona writing professor Richard […]

FREE

They Beat the Heat: How Arizonans Survived the Desert Heat in the Days Before Air Conditioning with Christine Reid

Mohave County Library Lake Havasu Branch 1770 McCulloch Blvd N., Lake Havasu City, AZ, United States

Drawing from multi-cultural influences of the variety of people who helped build Arizona, discover how creative adaptations in lifestyle, architecture, building materials, town planning and even humor all contributed to surviving intense desert temperatures. What have we forgotten and what can we learn from the wisdom of those who came before as climate becomes a […]

FREE

Water in the Southwest: Where Have We Been, and Where Are We Going? with Jennifer Richter

Pima County Public Library - Flowing Wells 1730 W. Wetmore Rd., Tucson, AZ, United States

It has been said that “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting.” This is especially true of water politics in the American Southwest, a region defined by its lack of water. The massive 20th century federal investments into dam systems controlled the great rivers of the West, allowing cities like Phoenix to “bloom like […]

FREE

Water in the Southwest: Where Have We Been, and Where Are We Going? with Jennifer Richter

Pima County Public Library - Dunsberry Library 5605 E. River Rd., Ste. 105, Tucson, AZ, United States

It has been said that “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting.” This is especially true of water politics in the American Southwest, a region defined by its lack of water. The massive 20th century federal investments into dam systems controlled the great rivers of the West, allowing cities like Phoenix to “bloom like […]

FREE

Jerome-Too Stubborn to Die-How the Town Survived Numerous “Near-Death” Experiences with Jay Mark

Apache Junction Library 1177 N. Idaho Rd., Apache Junction, AZ, United States

  Numerous fires, landslides, floods, labor strikes, polluted air, epidemics, Depression, recessions, financial collapse, one adversity after another. Any one of these might spell the end of a lesser community. But, in Arizona, one town survived these “near-death” experiences, and more; yet managed to survive. Some might even say, “thrive.” This presentation looks at the […]

FREE

Water in the Southwest: Where Have We Been, and Where Are We Going? with Jennifer Richter

Pima County Public Library- Eckstrom-Columbus Branch 4350 E. 22nd St., Tucson, AZ, United States

Dr. Jennifer Richter is an assistant professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and School of Social Transformation. Her research interests are at the intersections of science and society, especially how federal policies are enacted locally. By examining how science and technology policies collide with local expectations and understanding of their […]

FREE

The Evolution of an Icon — The History of Arizona Highways Magazine with Win Holden

Coolidge Public Library 160 W. Central Avenue, Coolidge, AZ, United States

The first issue of Arizona Highways magazine was published in April, 1925. In this presentation, former publisher Win Holden will share the fascinating story of how a brochure produced by the Arizona Highway Department evolved into one of the most respected and revered publications in the world. With annual economic impact of over $65 million, […]

FREE

From “Chief” to Code Talker: Four Profiles of the Navajo Code Talkers with Laura Tohe

Casa Grande Public Library 449 N. Dry Lake St., Casa Grande, AZ, United States

During WWII a group of young Navajo men enlisted in the Marines without knowing that they would be called on to develop a secret code against the Japanese military. This select group of Code Talkers devised a Navajo language code that was accurate, quick, never broken, and saved many American lives. This talk profiles four […]

FREE

The Underground and Overground Railroad with Dr. Tamika Sanders

Tempe Public Library 3500 S Rural Rd., Tempe, AZ, United States

Using storytelling, historical artifacts and songs, this presentation will depict the ingenuity and resiliency used by those involved in the Underground Railroad to help over 100,000 enslaved people escape to freedom between 1810 and 1850. We’ll then fast forward to the Jim Crow era and explore the Overground Railroad created by the Green Book which […]

FREE

Metalsmith Matriarchs: Makers, Memory, and Reciprocity with Nanibaa Beck

Apache Junction Library 1177 N. Idaho Rd., Apache Junction, AZ, United States

Nanibaa Beck addresses the ways Native women metal smith integrate indigenous knowledge, practice and tradition into their craft. She focuses on four to five metal smiths with a rotation in place, person, and style. This presentation and Nanibaa’s work demonstrate the connection of Native artists to Arizona and beyond as a place and identity. This […]

FREE

Fill out the info below to sign up for our E-Newsletter.