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
Julie Satow with When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion
A glittering portrait of the golden age of American department stores and of three visionary women who led them. Journalist Julie Satow draws back the curtain to reveal the masterminds behind the creation and shopping experience at Hortense Odlum’s Bonwit Teller, Dorothy Shaver’s Lord & Taylor, and Geraldine Stutz’s Henri Bendel. Don’t miss hearing more about the New York Times and USA Today bestseller When Women Ran Fifth Avenue.
Moderated by Petra Slinkard, Curator of Fashion, Peabody Essex Museum
American Inspiration
The History of America’s Bookshops with Author Evan Friss and Owners David Sandberg, Dan Chartrand, and Ann Patchett
Join us for an evening centered on the history and impact of the American bookstore, looking at our country’s centuries-old passion for printed works and the bookshops’ central role in our cultural life. Author Evan Friss will reveal the findings of his affectionate and engaging new history and then converse with current-day bookstore owners David Sandberg, Dan Chartrand, and Ann Patchett.
American Inspiration
John Kaag with American Bloods: The Untamed Dynasty That Shaped a Nation
Join us for the tale of one family spanning centuries and continents. Inspired by the discovery of a mysterious manuscript in an old Massachusetts farmhouse, the celebrated author John Kaag follows eight members of the Blood family from seventeenth-century England through the founding of the colonies and the American Revolution to the beginning of the twentieth century.
Moderated by Megan Marshall
American Inspiration
Edward L. Ayers with American Visions: The United States, 1800-1860
In the early decades of the nineteenth century, remarkable individuals and communities charted new paths for America in the realms of art, nature, belief, and technology. Edward L. Ayers has come to understand these changemakers and their impact through decades of award-winning scholarship on the Civil War. In American Visions he brings them and their times to life.
American Inspiration