The seven authors, former government officials, and journalists set to headline the 2015-2016 season of the St. Louis Speakers Series have some impressive credentials.
First up is bestselling novelist and Academy Award winner John Irving. He will usher in the season on October 13, 2015. Irving rose to fame in 1978 with his novel The World According to Garp. The book was later adapted to a film starring Robin Williams and Glenn Close, and since then four more of his novels have been adapted for the big screen. In 1999 he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules.
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Dr. Sanjay Gupta is up next on November 3, 2015. The Emmy Award-winning Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN and practicing neurosurgeon is the anchor of his own weekend medical program Sanjay Gupta, MD. On top of reporting health and medical news, Gupta is also a pop culture icon. In 2003, he was named one of People magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive,” and in 2011, Forbes deemed him one of the “Ten Most Influential Celebrities.”
On November 17, 2015, journalist and long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad will take the stage. Considered the “greatest long distance swimmer in the world,” Nyad gained attention in 1975 after she swam 28 miles around the island of Manhattan. In 1979 she swam the 102.5 miles between the Bahamas and Florida. On September 2, 2013, at the age of 64, she became the first person to complete the 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. Nyad is known for following her dreams and never giving up. She is also an accomplished sports broadcaster.
Renowned American Diplomat Dennis Ross is set to appear on January 19, 2016. Ross specializes in Soviet and Middle East policy and has served as an ambassador under four United States Presidents. He is also the author of many significant books on the peace process and now serves as a Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Husband and wife Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords will share their insights on February 9. Kelly is a retired astronaut and United States Navy Captain. He piloted four missions to space from 2001 to 2011. Giffords is a former congresswoman from Arizona. In 2011, Giffords survived an attempted assassination in Tucson. She was shot in the back of the head and survived. Doctors were shocked by her survival and called it “miraculous.” Kelly and Giffords co-wrote the 2012 memoir, Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love, and Resilience. In 2013, the couple became advocates for curbing gun violence.
Former CIA Director and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta will address the crowd on March 15. Panetta served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 16 years before being appointed Director of Office Management for President Clinton in 1993, and in 1994 was selected White House Chief of Staff. In 2009, President Obama chose him to run the CIA. He also served as Secretary of Defense from 2011 to 2013.
Pulitzer Prize winning author Dave Barry will cap off the season on April 5, 2016. The professional funnyman has written over 30 books and for 22 years was the author of a humorous column in The Miami Herald. Barry is known for using humor as a way of looking at and coping with significant issues. Some of his most notable works include Big Trouble, Lunatics, Tricky Business, and Insane City.
The St. Louis Speakers Series is presented by Maryville University and sponsored by St. Louis Public Radio, the St. Louis Regional Chamber, the Nine Network, PNC Bank, and Polsinelli. The lectures will take place on Tuesday nights at 8:00 PM from October to April at Powell Hall (718 N Grand). The St. Louis Speakers Series is open to the public by subscribing to the Series. Subscription prices range from $285 to $425. For tickets and more information visit stlouisspeakersseries.org or call (314) 534-1700.
