Fontbonne Rescinds Speaking Invitation to Greg Mortenson

The Clayton school has rescinded the commencement invitation so that it can focus on student achievement, according to a statement issued Thursday.

Fontbonne University has rescinded its offer to let author Greg Mortenson speak at its spring commencement ceremonies, according to a statement issued Thursday by the school. The invitation to the writer of Three Cups of Tea was announced just days before a 60 Minutes report questioned Mortenson's truthfulness regarding his efforts to bring education to young people in Pakistan and Afghanistan. "This action was taken following recent allegations regarding Greg Mortenson's book and foundation, the university’s inability to reach Mr. Mortenson to discuss the matter, a Faculty General Assembly vote to rescind faculty approval of an honorary degree, and the Student Government support of the faculty vote," the statement reads in part. "'The …

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St. Louis Media Experts Offer Different Takes on '60 Minutes' Report About Author Greg Mortenson

The author has been invited to speak at Fontbonne University's commencement ceremony in Clayton this spring.

Two media experts from the St. Louis area are offering different perspectives on the journalistic integrity of a recent 60 Minutes broadcast questioning the truthfulness of bestselling author Greg Mortenson. Mortenson has been invited to speak at spring commencement ceremonies at Fontbonne University in Clayton. A school representative said earlier this week that officials will likely decide after Easter whether the invitation will still stand following the TV report. Repps Hudson is an adjunct instructor in journalism and international affairs at Washington University. He worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for 22 years and has used Mortenson's second book, Stones into Schools, as assigned reading in a class he teaches titled NGOs in …

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The Spotlight

Stage Adaptation of C.S. Lewis Novel to Make World Premiere Friday in Clayton

Artistic director Deanna Jent's production of "Till We Have Faces" will show through May 1 at the Mustard Seed Theatre.

C.S. Lewis first got the idea of rewriting the myth of Cupid and Psyche while he was an undergraduate. Lewis clung to the idea, and 35 years later he wrote Till We Have Faces. This weekend, Mustard Seed Theatre in Clayton will present the world premiere of artistic director Deanna Jent's stage adaptation of the book. The story is told from the perspective of Psyche's ugly sister, Arual. In the course of the play, Arual becomes afraid that Psyche has married a monster and urges her sister to look at her husband. Psyche does, even though Cupid has expressly forbidden her to do so. Cupid banishes Psyche for disobeying him, and Arual must live with the knowledge that she has caused her sister's banishment. Years of self-examination follow, and…

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Library Book Club Notes: Vonnegut's 'Cradle' Both Bleak and Hilarious

The Richmond Heights Memorial Library Book Club discussed Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s 'Cat's Cradle' at its January meeting.

It is a pleasure to read great literature. That pleasure is compounded by discussing the work with intelligent friends. This month, the Richmond Heights Memorial Library Book Club discussed Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. This hilarious, bleak, brilliant book has become a classic since its publication in 1963. The book club members are often divided about any given work, including the great works, but all in attendance gushed for Cat’s Cradle.  Part farce, part satire and part bleak rumination, the book is perhaps most famous for introducing the sharp, bittersweet religion of Bokononism—described as a religion the puts man at its center instead of any god.  Here we see Vonnegut channeling Mark Twain, particularly the Twain of later …

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Richmond Heights Fantasy Writer and Others Gather to Critique Works

Numerous St. Louis creative writers call Borders their home on Monday nights.

For the past year, the Borders location in Brentwood has served as an important meeting space for a group of writers from across St. Louis. Writers Under the Arch, also known as WUTA (pronounced "woota"), has turned the back corner of Borders into a site of artistic inspiration. Every Monday at 6:30 p.m., between 12 and 20 authors of poetry, fiction and screenplays convene for readings and roundtable discussions of writing craft. Sixteen people attended the group's Jan. 3 meeting. Led by charter member and organizer Cindy Fehmel, the group talked about the strong and weak points of a crime drama, a romantic comedy starring a cast of faeries, a war epic between humans and robots, a poem about poems and many more pieces that writers …

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