BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Kansas City - ECPv6.8.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Kansas City X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Kansas City REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20230312T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20231105T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20240310T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20241103T070000 END:STANDARD TZID:UTC BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:UTC DTSTART:20230101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240904T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240904T170000 DTSTAMP:20260407T112926 CREATED:20240904T190039Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240904T190042Z UID:1142-1725465600-1725469200@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:Happy Hour: Exploring Churchill's Public Service Through Period Memorabilia DESCRIPTION:Sponsored by the ESU Savannah Branch \n\n\n\n2024 marks the 150th birth anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill with events planned throughout the year which celebrate and explore his remarkable public service and enduring legacy. Brian E. Krapf\, is recognized internationally as an authority on the memorabilia made during Sir Winston’s public service\, which spanned over 65 years. Mr. Krapf has recently published A Churchill Treasury\, which is the first book to utilize period memorabilia to document Sir Winston’s public service in a biographical format. Mr. Krapf will discuss his book\, A Churchill Treasury\, and give us a rare tour of some of the Churchill pieces in his collection\, many of which have not been shown in public. In Antiques Roadshow fashion\, Mr. Krapf invites Happy Hour viewers to send photos of their Churchill memorabilia for show and tell. Upload photos here. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Savannah Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online\, free\, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required. All programs take place on Eastern Time. \n\n\n\nRegister Here\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout Brian Krapf\n\n\n\nBesides being an accomplished civil trial lawyer in Savannah\, Georgia\, Mr. Krapf has avidly collected period Churchilliana for over thirty years. According to fellow collectors\, he has assembled the premier collection of Winston Churchill memorabilia in the United States. \n\n\n\nHe is an active member of the International Churchill Society and has served as ICS’s collection columnist and published a monthly Churchilliana column in the organization’s Churchill Bulletin for the past six years. Likewise\, items from his collection have been reproduced several times as cover illustrations for ICS’s Finest Hour quarterly journal. Additionally\, Mr. Krapf is an avid collector and conservator of American presidential campaign memorabilia. He formerly served seven years as the national President of the American Political Items Collectors. He has been honored with APIC’s highest award\, induction into the organization’s Hall of Fame. He is also a published political historian\, and has been a guest on CNN\, MSNBC\, and NPR. American items from his collection have been featured in History Channel documentaries and in major printed media publications. Mr. Krapf served as an advisor to Congress on proposed amendments to the Hobby Protection Act. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCocktail\n\n\n\nJohnny Walker black\, neat. This was also Churchill’s drink of choice. Truly a wise man with excellent taste!  URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/hh-exploring-churchills-public-service/ CATEGORIES:Virtual Happy Hours ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/09/sept-4-24-hh-1024x536-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20240817T000000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20240817T235959 DTSTAMP:20260407T112926 CREATED:20240315T213342Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240710T004405Z UID:922-1723852800-1723939199@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:King Charles' Birthday Tea Party DESCRIPTION:Saturday\, August 17\, 2024 • 10:30 am or 2:30 pm Seatings \n\n\n\nBOTH SEATINGS SOLD OUT \n\n\n\nAll ESU Members and Friends of ESU are cordially invited to attend one of our biggest social gatherings of the year—a tea to celebrate King Charles III’s birthday. We will miss our wonderful Tea Parties for the Queen but our King’s Teas will be equally regal. We will be celebrating HRH King Charles’ 75th birthday. This will be an ESU Tea Party fit for a King!  \n\n\n\nOur tea party will include a variety of tea sandwiches\, sweets\, Brenda’s signature scones\, Mock Devonshire cream\, fine fruit butter or fruit jams and premium tea.  Brenda Hedrick\, the owner and proprietress of Anna Marie’s Teas proudly proclaims\, “This is not just any tea party–our tea experiences are delightfully extravagant!”  This is a special occasion not to be missed! \n\n\n\nThe English teas will be held in the Bohnet House in Liberty\, Mo.\, which is a stately 3-story\, 5\,000 square foot home built in 1913. The house boasts Frank Lloyd Wright details–oak trim\, 3 fireplaces and large open spaces. Its large wraparound porch and period American\, French and English antique furnishings create the perfect setting for tea parties–served on a special collection of china and silver.  \n\n\n\nOur teas will include a special champagne toast to HRH King Charles’ 75th birthday and we will again have our popular Trivia Quiz as well as some special door prizes. \n\n\n\nWhen: Saturday\, August 17\, 2024. Choose either 10:30 am or 2:30 pm seatings.   \n\n\n\nWhere:  Bohnet House              343 W. Liberty Dr.              Liberty\, MO.              Directions and map: Click here  \n\n\n\nTickets:  BOTH SEATINGS SOLD OUT \n\n\n\nFriends and Guests:  We welcome friends and guests so please bring your friends. Our ESU Teas have sold out the last ten years and we encourage you to purchase your tickets as soon as possible so you won’t be disappointed.  \n\n\n\nParking:  Parking is limited around Bohnet House.  Please carpool where possible.  If anyone wants to use their car to carpool to reduce the number of cars\, let us know and we’ll pass along information so members can contact the carpool drivers to make pick up arrangements. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Contact Ben Martin at (816) 522-8387. URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/king-charles-birthday-tea-party/ LOCATION:Bohet House\, 343 W. Liberty Drive\, Liberty\, Missouri\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/07/kc-birthday-tea-party.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240814T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240814T170000 DTSTAMP:20260407T112926 CREATED:20240709T201736Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240710T004044Z UID:1115-1723651200-1723654800@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:Happy Hour: C.S. Lewis and the Powerful Predicament of Language DESCRIPTION:Sponsored by the ESU Central Florida Branch \n\n\n\nC.S. Lewis (1898-1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. Lewis wrote more than thirty books\, reaching a vast audience and attracting thousands of new readers every year. \n\n\n\nIn his last\, best novel\, C. S. Lewis gives voice to a potent and glorious challenge facing writers\, readers\, and lovers of language when a wise character suggests that\, “to say the very thing you really mean\, the whole of it\, nothing more or less or other than what you really mean; that’s the whole art and joy of words”. As a deeply-committed and famously-accomplished scholar\, critic writer\, and reader\, C. S. Lewis has much incisive wisdom to offer in such matters. \n\n\n\nIn his talk\, Lewis scholar and Episcopal priest the Rev’d Andrew Lazo explores a number of Lewis’s most insightful and helpful observations arising from a lifetime devotion to the powerful predicament of language. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Central Florida Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online\, free\, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required. All programs take place on Eastern Time. \n\n\n\nRegister Here\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout Andrew Lazo\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Rev’d Andrew Lazo is an internationally-known speaker and writer specializing in C.S. Lewis and the Inklings. Andrew earned his Master’s in Modern British Literature from Rice University where he was a Jacob K. Javits fellow in the Humanities. He is a frequent speaker around the U.S. and U.K. and has written several articles on C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. In 2009\, Andrew published Mere Christians: Inspiring Encounters with C.S. Lewis. In 2014 he also was honored to transcribe\, edit\, and publish a previously unknown book by C.S. Lewis\, “Early Prose Joy\,” which was Lewis’s very first spiritual autobiography. For ten years he taught English and C. S. Lewis at St. Thomas and Houston Christian High Schools in Houston. \n\n\n\nAfter finishing studies for an M. Div. (with Honors) at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria\, VA in May 2022\, Andrew was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church in January 2023 and serves as the Apprentice Rector at Church of the Messiah in Winter Garden\, FL. He is also pursuing his doctorate in Romantic Theology at Northwind Seminary\, where he serves as a Distinguished Lecturer. Andrew is married to author and speaker Dr. Christin Ditchfield Lazo. \n\n\n\nFor more than fifteen years\, Andrew has been working on a long-awaited study of Till We Have Faces\, making groundbreaking discoveries all along the way. The results of his ongoing research have led him to give talks to the Mythopoeic Society in 2016 as Scholar Guest of Honor; in the summer of 2017\, Andrew served as a plenary speaker at the C.S. Lewis Foundation’s 2017 Summer Institute in Oxford and Cambridge. URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/happy-hour-c-s-lewis-and-the-powerful-predicament-of-language/ CATEGORIES:Virtual Happy Hours ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/07/image002.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240727T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240727T170000 DTSTAMP:20260407T112926 CREATED:20240709T202427Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240710T004135Z UID:1117-1722088800-1722099600@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:Membership Mixer DESCRIPTION:Saturday\, July 27\, 2024 at 2:00 PM \n\n\n\nThe Board of the English-Speaking Union Kansas City Branch cordially invites members and guests to our annual Membership Mixer.  This year the Board will provide BBQ as the main course and asks that you sign up to bring an appetizer\, side dish\, or dessert\, and to bring your favorite beverage.  The Potluck Party begins at 2:00 pm on Saturday\, July 27\, 2024. \n\n\n\nThis is a free event but we ask you to RSVP. Please go to the separate “Punchbowl” email Ben Martin sent to all ESU members on June 29. Click on “Open Invitation” and follow the directions. Be sure to click on “Select Potluck Items” button under the “To-Do Items” list. If you didn’t receive the Punchbowl email from Ben or if you are not a member but would like to attend\, please click here to RSVP. Fill in “Join the Guest List” with your name and email address then continue with “Select Potluck Items.” \n\n\n\nWe will meet at Ron Worth & James “JP” Paszkiewicz’s clubhouse at Patrician Woods. The address is:  12532 Cedar St.\, Leawood\, Kansas.  It is a gated community\, but the gates will be open during this event.  Please enter off of Roe Ave. at 126th St.  The Clubhouse is facing you as you enter the community.  Parking is behind the clubhouse next to the swimming pool.  Please fill in the parking lot from the far end so that anyone needing assistance can park closest to the clubhouse.  Enter through the swimming pool gate and into the clubhouse. \n\n\n\nWe hope to see you all at this event\, and ask that you update your attendance if you are not able to attend by going to Punchbowl.com and signing in under the email you received this invitation with\, or downloading the Punchbowl app on your smartphone. \n\n\n\nIf you have any questions\, please call Ben Martin\, Events Chairman\, at 816-522-8387. \n\n\n\nLooking forward to seeing all of you. \n\n\n\nSincerely\, \n\n\n\nJulie Robinson\, President URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/membership-mixer/ CATEGORIES:Virtual Happy Hours ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/07/image001.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240626T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240626T220000 DTSTAMP:20260407T112926 CREATED:20240315T224129Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240604T233327Z UID:923-1719432000-1719439200@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:ESU Festival Group Night DESCRIPTION:The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s 32nd season brings the political thriller Julius Caesar which is a true story of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. The play tells the story of the conspiracy against Caesar\, his assassination\, and the defeat of his conspirators. As the world spins out of control\, chaos and superstition lead to civil war. Julius Caesar is highly regarded for its incisive commentary on politics\, ambition\, and the power of rhetoric. This is a must-see production directed once again by Sidonie Garrett. ESU members and friends are invited to this special evening on Wednesday\, June 26\, 2024.Curtain is 8:00 pm. \n\n\n\nThis promises to be a spectacular production with lavish stage sets\, colorful costuming\, and featuring an all-star cast. Southmoreland Park is the perfect outdoor setting to bring Julius Caesar to life and share a beautiful evening in the park with friends and family. \n\n\n\nWhen: Wednesday\, June 26\, Curtain is 8:00 pm \n\n\n\nWhere: Southmoreland Park\, just west of the Nelson-Atkins Museum. \n\n\n\nSeats: We will have reserved seats near the stage at a discounted group price. \n\n\n\nTickets: We have arranged a group discount price of $22.00 per seat. To purchase your tickets\, click here and select number of chairs. In promo box use ESU24. You will receive an email confirmation. When you arrive at the Park\, just tell the staff at the entrance you are part of the ESU Group and have a reserved seat. \n\n\n\n6:00 PM—Gates open.  \n\n\n\n6:30 and 7:15 PM—Pre-Show Parody: The Festival’s teen apprentice troupe called Team Shakespeare presents a hilarious parody of the Festival play. The parody will amuse both children and adults while helping them understand the plot of Julius Caesar. You will find the performance between the Festival Gate and the seating area. Two performances: 6:30 or 7:15 PM. \n\n\n\n7:00 PM–Show Talk:  “Show Talk\,” gives audiences an entertaining and educational preview of the play. Show Talk begins at 7:00 pm located near Festival entrance. \n\n\n\n8:00 PM—This production runs approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes\, including a 15-minute intermission.  \n\n\n\nFood Options— \n\n\n\n\nYou may bring your own picnic basket with food and drink items of your choice.\n\n\n\nYou may purchase food and beverages from the various vendors at the park.\n\n\n\nOther snacks are available too…funnel cakes\, kettle corn\, soft drinks\, bottled water and more!\n\n\n\n\nParking: Allow yourself plenty of time to park and walk to the Festival’s entrance.   \n\n\n\nCarpooling:  If anyone wants to use their car to carpool to reduce the number of cars\, let us  know and we will pass along information so members can contact the carpool drivers to make pick up arrangements. \n\n\n\n Weather:  It’s usually very pleasant in the park by showtime. Watch forecasts and plan accordingly. \n\n\n\nFriends of ESU and Guests:  If you have friends or relatives who would like to join our group at the discounted price\, please feel free to invite them.  \n\n\n\nQuestions?: Call Ben Martin at (816) 522-8387. We hope to see you on June 26th at Southmoreland Park!  URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/esu-festival-group-night/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/03/festival-group.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240626T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240626T170000 DTSTAMP:20260407T112926 CREATED:20240529T063616Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240604T211720Z UID:1068-1719417600-1719421200@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:Happy Hour: What Hemingway Left in Sloppy Joe's Bar DESCRIPTION:Sponsored by the ESU Central Pennsylvania Branch \n\n\n\nShortly after Ernest Hemingway’s death in 1961\, his widow\, Mary Hemingway\, was contacted by the owner of Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West\, asking her to retrieve the materials that Hemingway had stored there since he moved to Cuba in 1939. With the aid of Hemingway’s longtime Key West friends Toby and Betty Bruce\, Mary sorted through mountains of papers and belongings\, took what she wished\, and left the rest to the Bruces in gratitude for their help. \n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n These materials remained in the family’s possession\, stored on their property in Key West\, for decades until their son\, Benjamin “Dink” Bruce\, decided that they should be in a safer place where they could be of use to scholars. He asked the advice of Sandra Spanier\, whom he had allowed to study the collection on site in her work as General Editor of the Hemingway Letters Project. In 2021 the largest known collection of Hemingway materials in private hands came to the Penn State University Special Collections Library\, where it was opened for research in 2022. \nDr. Sandra Spanier will talk about some of her adventures in scholarship (including the discovery of Hemingway’s first short story\, written at age 10) and some of the other treasures in this trove of thousands of documents\, photographs\, and artifacts. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Central Pennsylvania Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online\, free\, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required. All programs take place on Eastern Time. \n \n \n \n\n \n Register Here\n \n \n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n About Dr. Sandra Spanier\n \nSandra Spanier is Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of English at Pennsylvania State University and General Editor of the Hemingway Letters Project\, which is producing the authorized scholarly edition of the writer’s more than 6\,000 letters\, being published by Cambridge University Press in a projected seventeen volumes. She has a B.A. degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago\, and an M.A. and PhD. degrees from Pennsylvania State University. \nSpanier serves on the Editorial Board of The Hemingway Review and was a consultant to the PBS documentary film series HEMINGWAY\, directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. She has been active in international collaborative efforts to conserve Hemingway’s papers in Cuba and restore his long-time home outside Havana and is a founding member of the Board of the Finca Vigía Foundation\, which works to preserve Hemingway’s legacy in Cuba. \nIn addition to Hemingway\, her research has focused on American women writers. Spanier’s Kay Boyle: Artist and Activist (1986)\, was the first book about the life and work of Kay Boyle (1902- 1992)\, a distinguished and prolific writer whose work merits wider recognition. She also edited and introduced Boyle’s Life Being the Best and Other Stories (1988) and Process: A Novel (2001) –Boyles long-lost first novel\, the manuscript missing since the 1920s until Spanier discovered it in an archive. Her authorized edition of Boyles letters\, Kay Boyle: A Twentieth- Century Life in Letters\, Selected Letters 1919-1992\, was published in 2015. \nSpanier has also written about journalist and fiction writer Martha Gellhorn (1908-1998)\, who did not wish to be remembered as Hemingway’s third wife. She worked with Gellhorn to bring into print her previously unpublished 1946 play Love Goes to Press: A Comedy in Three Acts (1995; revised edition. 2010)—a comic battle of the sexes set during World War II\, featuring two women war correspondents and the ex-husband of one\, whom she had divorced on the grounds of plagiarism. The play\, a hit in London in 1946 and a flop on Broadway in 1947\, was produced to critical acclaim in 2012 by the Mint Theater in New York. \nCocktail: Daiquiri\nTwo versions from which to choose: \nHEMINGWAY SPECIAL (Circa 1937) \n2 oz. white rum \n1 tsp. grapefruit juice \n1 tsp. maraschino liqueur \n½ oz. fresh lime juice \nFrappe (chip or crush) some ice\, add to shaker\, then add remaining ingredients. Shake well\, then pour into a chilled cocktail glass. \nPAPA DOBLE (THE WILD DAIQUIRI) (Circa 1947) \n3 ¾ oz. white rum \n2 oz. fresh lime juice \n2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice \n6 drops maraschino liqueur \nBlend well with ice. Serve in a large\, chilled goblet. \nSuggested reading: Islands in the Stream (“Cuba”) URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/happy-hour-what-hemingway-left-in-sloppy-joes-bar/ CATEGORIES:Virtual Happy Hours ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/05/hh-sloppy-joes.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240612T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240612T160000 DTSTAMP:20260407T112926 CREATED:20240517T213055Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240604T183602Z UID:1001-1718204400-1718208000@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:Happy Hour: The Great Siege of Malta and the Fate of Empires DESCRIPTION:Sixteenth century European historians will find this ESU Happy Hour fascinating and one of tremendous significance. The Great Siege of Malta\, a four-month battle from May 18 to September 11\, 1565\, is considered one of the most ferocious conflicts in military history. Rarely have the odds been so unequal and the stakes so high. \n\n\n\nIn 1565 Malta was the key to Europe. And during the summer of that year\, the future of Western Civilization was decided. The Ottoman Empire had extended its control over most of the Mediterranean. If the tiny island of Malta could be captured\, it could become the staging ground for the invasion of critical ports in Europe. \n\n\n\nIt was an epic struggle\, a remarkable tale of resolve and leadership\, of disunity in command\, and disunity among allies. Historically\, the Great Siege of Malta was one of the bloodiest and most fiercely contested battles of the sixteenth century. \n\n\n\nDr. Wayne Bowen\, Professor of History and Associate Dean for the College of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Central Florida\, draws us into this four-month siege on the island of Malta. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Central Florida Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online\, free\, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required. URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/happy-hour-the-great-siege-of-malta-and-the-fate-of-empires/ CATEGORIES:Virtual Happy Hours ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/05/great-siege-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240522T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240522T160000 DTSTAMP:20260407T112926 CREATED:20240517T213600Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240517T213605Z UID:1003-1716390000-1716393600@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:Happy Hour: Discovering Faulkner’s American South in 1990s Pakistan with Dr. Saima Sherazi DESCRIPTION:Sponsored by the ESU Central Pennsylvania Branch \n\n\n\nThe 1990s found agrarian societies in Pakistan undergoing profound transitions\, not unlike the American South in the first part of the twentieth century. William Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury” captures the stark confrontation between waning Southern aristocracy (the Compson family) and the ascendant middle class represented by the Snopes family. \n\n\n\nDr. Saima Sherazi will take us through the experience of coping with societal change\, especially when that change occurs in a setting with entrenched social hierarchies and gender roles. That setting could be rural Pakistan\, or the American South of the 1920s. In either place there is upheaval – urbanization and industrialization collide with traditional dynamics of gender and class.  Dr. Sherazi will share her experience of teaching Faulkner in an all-girls college in a still conservative Pakistan – far removed from the American South\, but nonetheless undergoing similar social upheavals. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Central PA Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online\, free\, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required. All programs take place on Eastern Time. URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/happy-hour-discovering-faulkners-american-south-in-1990s-pakistan-with-dr-saima-sherazi/ CATEGORIES:Virtual Happy Hours ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/05/may-22-hh-header.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240508T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240508T210000 DTSTAMP:20260407T112926 CREATED:20240315T212619Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240530T001432Z UID:906-1715191200-1715202000@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:IRC WorldQuest 2024 DESCRIPTION:If you love trivia contests\, this event is for you! The International Relations Council is hosting WORLDQUEST 2024 again this year and all ESU members and Friends of ESU are invited to attend. \n\n\n\nTeams of eight representing area businesses\, universities\, nonprofit organizations\, community groups\, ambitious students\, and globetrotters put their global knowledge to the test. There will be six rounds of ten questions covering topics like global affairs\, geography\, world languages and cultures\, history\, and more in this fun and interactive competition. The winning team takes home the traveling trophy\, while second-place and third-place teams win valuable prizes. \n\n\n\nLast year ESU sponsored a table of eight and we would like to sponsor a table of eight again this year\, perhaps two ESU tables if enough interest. \n\n\n\nWhen: Wednesday\, May 1\, 2024\,  6:00 to 9:00 pm \n\n\n\nWhere: Pierson Auditorium\, 5000 Holmes Rd.\, on UMKC Campus.  \n\n\n\nTickets: $60 per person. Please contact Ben Martin at: (816) 522-8387 for payment details. The ticket price includes a buffet-style dinner. \n\n\n\nParking: Best covered parking is on levels 5 and 6 of the Cherry Street Garage\, 5005 Oak St.\, a short walk to Pierson Auditorium.  URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/irc-worldquest-2024/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20231030T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20231030T113000 DTSTAMP:20260407T112926 CREATED:20231016T230322Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240530T001440Z UID:921-1698660000-1698665400@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:The Questionable Identity of Shakespeare DESCRIPTION:Monday\, October 30\, 2023\, 10:00-11:15 am CT \nThe question may be met with chagrin by traditionalists\, but to some\, the identity of William Shakespeare is not positively decided. Dr. Felicia Hardison Londré\, Ph.D\, presents a thought-provoking analysis on the Shakespeare authorship question. This free lecture program is at 10:00 am on Monday\, October 30\, 2023 at Grant Hall Auditorium\, 5228 Charlotte St.\, Kansas City\, MO.\, University of Missouri at Kansas City Campus. Metered parking is immediately south of Grant Hall. \nWas it William Shaksper of Stratford-upon-Avon or Edward De Vere\, 17th Earl of Oxford or some other playwright of the time? Dr. Londré delves into the sensitive question of authorship in an illustrated presentation.  \nDr. Londré\, Curators’ Professor of Theatre at UMKC\, is the honorary co-founder of the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival and was the founding secretary of the Shakespeare Theatre Association of America. In 1999\, she was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Dr. Londré has held visiting professorships at Hosei University in Tokyo and at Marquette University in Milwaukee. She has lectured internationally in cities including Beijing\, Nanjing\, Tokyo\, Osaka\, Venice\, Rouen\, Caen\, Paris (Sorbonne)\, Brussels\, Moscow\, and a lecture tour of Hungary. She began presenting lectures on the Shakespeare authorship question in 1991 and has since presented this lecture to open-minded intellectuals (and others) to audiences in Hungary\, Japan\, China\, and many American cities. \nWhile the English-Speaking Union does not endorse any particular position on this controversy and remains neutral on the Shakespeare authorship question\, it does welcome and encourage debate on this centuries-old topic. Debate promotes critical-thinking skills so educators\, students\, scholars\, and the general public can begin to develop their own opinions on the controversy. \n“It’s the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”—Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC) URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/the-questionable-identity-of-shakespeare-2/ LOCATION:Grant Hall Auditorium\, 5228 Charlotte St.\, Kansas City\, MO\, United States CATEGORIES:Kansas City END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231020 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231023 DTSTAMP:20260407T112926 CREATED:20231006T012524Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240530T001251Z UID:746-1697760000-1698019199@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:ESU Annual Conference DESCRIPTION:The English-Speaking Union welcomes its members to Kansas City\, Missouri for the 2023 ESU Annual Conference. The conference\, under the theme of “Blueprint for Growth: Unity of Purpose\,” will cover diverse and enriching approaches for organizational growth in the ESU’s second century of programming. The conference program will include the ESU 2023 Annual General Meeting\, social events\, including receptions and meals\, breakout sessions\, panel discussions\, and local tours. We invite you to partake in the camaraderie and help us to advance our programs that support teachers\, students\, and recent immigrants. \nOur conference venue will be the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center\, 1 East Pershing Road\, Kansas City\, Missouri 64108. We are pleased to offer cultural activities as part of the conference\, available on a first-come\, first-served basis. Please contact Deborah Unger: dunger@esuus.org with any questions. URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/esu-annual-conference/ LOCATION:Westin Kansas City at Crown Center\, 1 East Pershing Road\, Kansas City\, MO\, United States CATEGORIES:Kansas City,National ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/08/AGM-Header.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20231019T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20231019T200000 DTSTAMP:20260407T112926 CREATED:20231006T012018Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240530T001454Z UID:919-1697738400-1697745600@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:Classical Shindig Book Signing at Nell Hill's DESCRIPTION:  \n \nJoin us on Thursday\, October 19 at 6:00 pm for an evening with two of New Orleans’ most beloved hosts and concert pianists\, Michael Harold and Quinn Peeper\, who sure do know their shindigs. From seasonal celebrations to iconic book clubs to lavish parties for family\, friends\, and non-profits\, Michael and Quinn have seen\, done\, and decorated it all. \nNell Hill’s\, Kansas City’s premier home décor store\, and the English-Speaking Union Kansas City Branch are co-hosting a book signing of Michael’s and Quinn’s newly published book\, Classical Shindig\, Amateur Artistry: From the Simple to the Sublime. \nThis gorgeous book is a feast for the senses with pages filled with over 375 delightful photographs\, thirty recipes for every occasion\, QR codes that link to recorded concertos\, and personal stories that take you on a journey from Mississippi County\, Arkansas to the streets of New Orleans by way of New York to a Royal Centennial Gala with Princess Anne. There’s nothing these two won’t do to celebrate their love of food\, music\, and people and they can’t wait to share it all with you! \nSpace is limited. Please RSVP by filling out this online form or by calling the shop at 816-746-4320. \nPurchase your book online in advance to reserve your copy. It will be waiting for you in the register area upon arrival. Only books purchased on Nell Hill’s website will be available at this in-store event. Click here to purchase your copy of the book. URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/classical-shindig-book-signing-at-nell-hills-2/ LOCATION:Nell Hill’s\, 4101 N Mulberry Dr.\, Kansas City\, MO\, 64116\, United States CATEGORIES:Kansas City END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20231011T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20231011T163000 DTSTAMP:20260407T112926 CREATED:20230906T000656Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240530T001515Z UID:918-1697034600-1697041800@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:A Candle Against the Dark DESCRIPTION:Ben Martin\, President of the English-Speaking Union Kansas City Branch\, has written a stage play titled\, A Candle Against the Dark premiering at the Englewood Arts Center in Independence\, Missouri in October. \nA Candle Against the Dark tells the true story of one Kansas City family’s experience with polio. In addition\, it tells the stories of others who have been affected by the disease. The story follows victims and doctors\, parents and nurses. It recalls a time in our history when we were helpless against a seemingly invincible foe and reminds us of all those who worked so hard to achieve near-total elimination of polio from the world. \nCarl Chinnery describes his family’s battle against polio. The year was 1942 and Carl was the youngest of five brothers who had all been struck with the disease. Carl reads a letter penned by his mother\, describing the family’s experience. That letter was the beginning of a story that Ben Martin turned into this moving and heartfelt stage play. \nAll ESU members\, Friends of ESU\, and guests are invited to be part of this special ESU Kansas City Group Event. \nWhen: Sunday\, October 15\, 2023\, 2:30 PM \nWhere: Englewood Arts Center\, 10901 E Winner Rd\, Independence\, MO. \nTickets: $40 per person. Seats non-reserved. Click below\, select October 15 and number of tickets needed. \nAll proceeds go to fundraising for PolioPlus—A program of Rotary International which established the world’s largest public health initiative: the global eradication of  polio. URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/a-candle-against-the-dark-2/ LOCATION:Englewood Arts Center\, 10901 E Winner Rd\, Independence\, MO.\, 10901 E Winner Rd\, Independence\, MO.\, Independence\, MO\, United States CATEGORIES:Kansas City END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR