Book lovers and those who fully appreciate the craft of book writing are in for a treat, as a new partnership between the St. Louis County Library and the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival, will keep the Library’s author series going, during the construction at the Library Headquarters on Lindbergh.

For years, the SLCL has brought in popular authors to speak and meet with fans looking to engage with their favorite writers.

With construction on a new library branch starting this summer, the nationally-renowned author series needed a new home. The new program “SLCL Authors at the J”  is taking place at the J’s Staenberg Family Complex in the Mirowitz Performing Arts & Banquet Center and starts on June 1.

“We are thrilled to partner with the J to offer SLCL author events in their Performing Arts Center while our headquarters is under construction. We look forward to combining our enthusiastic audiences and connecting the readers of St. Louis with many more nationally-renowned, popular authors,” said Kristen Sorth, St. Louis County Library Director and CEO.

“The J is beyond excited to partner with the St. Louis County Library,” said Lynn Wittels, J President & CEO. “The St. Louis Jewish Book Festival has a rich 44-year tradition in St. Louis, and this collaboration will further our efforts to promote authors, books, and literacy throughout the St. Louis region.”

On June 1, SLCL Authors at the J will kick off with an event featuring Jeff Nussbaum, speechwriter for President Biden and author of “Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches that Would Have Re-Written History.” Other highlights from the June line-up include Chris Pavone, bestselling author of international spy thrillers, and an event with St. Louis Olympic committee chairman Michael Loynd in conversation with Olympic legend and East St. Louis native Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Additional information about St. Louis County Library’s author series is available at www.slcl.org/authors. Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open to the public.

SLCL Authors @ the J – June schedule:

Wednesday, June 1, 7:00 p.m. 

Jeff Nussbaum, “Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches that Would Have Re-Written History”

For every delivered speech, there exists an undelivered opposite. In “Undelivered,” political speechwriter Jeff Nussbaum presents the most notable speeches the public has never heard. Examining the historic moments that almost came to be, Nussbaum considers not only what they tell us about the past, but also what they can inform us about our present.

Tuesday, June 7, 7:00 p.m.

Chris Pavone, “Two Nights in Lisbon”

Bestselling author of “The Paris Diversion,” Chris Pavone presents an expertly crafted thriller. Ariel Pryce wakes up in her Lisbon hotel room to discover her new husband has vanished. She starts with hotel security, then the police, then the American embassy, each confronting a question she can’t fully answer: Why does Ariel know so little about her husband?

Monday, June 13, 7:00 p.m.

B.A. Shapiro, “Metropolis”

Author of the bestseller “The Art Forger,” B. A. Shapiro presents a masterful novel of psychological suspense. The novel follows a cast of unforgettable characters whose lives intersect after a harrowing accident at the Metropolis Storage Warehouse. As the characters dip in and out of one another’s lives, Shapiro builds tension to an exciting climax.

Wednesday, June 15, 7:00 p.m.

Michael Loynd, “The Watermen: The Birth of American Swimming and One Young Man’s Fight to Capture Olympic Gold”

In Conversation with Olympic Legend Jackie Joyner Kersee

Sports attorney Michael Loynd is chairman of the St. Louis Olympic Committee. His new book “The Watermen” shares the underdog story of Charles Daniels, the first American swimmer to win Olympic gold. Interwoven with Charles’s story is the struggle to establish the modern Olympics in an era when competitive sports were still in their infancy.

Thursday, June 23, 7:00 p.m.

Lynne Cox, “Tales of Al: The Water Rescue Dog”

Internationally famous for swimming the world’s most difficult waterways, Lynne Cox celebrates all forms of athleticism in others, human or otherwise. When she saw a video of a Newfoundland dog leaping from a helicopter to save someone from drowning, Cox was captivated. “Tales of Al” is the inspiring story of Cox’s adventures with the spectacular dogs at SICS, the famed school that has trained hundreds of dogs for rescue operations.

Wednesday, June 29, 7:00 p.m.

Louis Bayard, “Jackie & Me”

The romance and marriage of charming and powerful Jack Kennedy and beautiful, mysterious debutante Jacqueline Bouvier would come to define an age. But how did these two come together? Taking place mostly during the summer before Jack and Jackie’s wedding, “Jackie & Me” is a searching novel about a young woman of a certain class with narrow options.

The J’s Staenberg Family Complex is located at 2 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146.