American Inspiration Hero
American Inspiration Hero
American Inspiration
A best-selling author series by American Ancestors
Stories of American history, heritage, and culture
As part of our mission to educate, inspire and connect people to their family history, the American Inspiration Author Series explores themes of personal identity, families, immigration, and social and cultural history. Discover inspiring and thought-provoking stories of American families and the complex history which has shaped this country.
Brought to you by
The Brue Family Learning Center
Our Partners
American Inspiration Author Series partners with a variety of influential Boston institutions for many of our events, including Boston Public Library, GBH Forum Network, Museum of African American History, Porter Square Books, and the State Library of Massachusetts.
Upcoming Events
Author Event
Online
Free
"The Stained Glass Window: A Family History as the American Story, 1790-1958," author David Levering Lewis and Kendra Field
National Humanities Medal recipient and two-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize David Levering Lewis’s shares his own family history, which shifts our understanding of the larger American story. Don’t miss his conversation with historian Kendra T. Field.
Moderated by Kendra T. Field
February 27, 2025
American Inspiration Author Series
Author Event
In Person
Free
"Boutwell: Radical Republican and Champion of Democracy," author Jeffrey Boutwell with Robert D. Putnam
HYBRID EVENT | Venture back to the 19th Century to meet statesman George Boutwell, who fought for racial and economic equality alongside Presidents Lincoln and Grant. Hear from his biographer, also a distant relation, author Jeffrey Boutwell, and Harvard professor Robert Putnam about this remarkable man, his family, and this turbulent, formative period in American history.
Moderated by Robert D. Putnam
March 5, 2025
American Inspiration Author Series
Author Event
Online
Free
"After Lives: On Biography and Mysteries of the Human Heart" with Megan Marshall
Special for Women’s History Month: The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of celebrated American women Margaret Fuller, the Peabody Sisters, and Elizabeth Bishop, presents her own life and work. Don’t miss hearing from Megan Marshall, the "gifted storyteller” (New Yorker) at “the front rank of American biographers” (New York Times), her presentation and conversation with fellow biographer Janice Nimura.
Moderated by Janice Nimura
March 19, 2025
American Inspiration Author Series
Author Event
Online
Free
The Power of Learning Your Family History – A Panel Discussion Featuring Authors Lee Hawkins and Martha S. Jones
Family history can be a double-edged sword. In this unique program, our two author-panelists, Lee Hawkins and Martha Jones, will reveal how gaining knowledge of their family’s past and Black history in America became, first, a necessity and, finally, a powerful and productive force in their lives. Don’t miss hearing about their family history research, its impact on their lives, and how they and their families move forward.
Moderated by Thavolia Glymph
April 1, 2025
American Inspiration Author Series
