Posted 10:26 a.m. Fri., 03.19.10 - The author of a new biography of Joseph Pulitzer notes that new things turned up in his research that allowed this book to paint a broader picture of the Gilded Age icon. For instance, the real publisher was not a warmonger as he is usually portrayed in relation to the Spanish-American war.

Posted 11:42 a.m. Tues., 02.23.10 - Starting in the blistering summer of 1967, Jabari Asim's 18 stories accrue through the fiery spring of 1968, building a story of the neighborhood, mostly through the eyes of 7-year-old Crispus Jones and his family, who are solid, working-class African Americans in a big city. A parallel can be drawn with "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Posted 4:57 p.m. Fri., 02.19.10 - The St. Louis County and City library systems are, for the second year, working together to sponsor a Read St. Louis program. The first of the five books that will be part of this series is "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave. Cleave will be at the County Library headquarters March 4 for a book reading and discussion.

Posted 10:15 a.m. Fri., 02.12.10 - As a boy growing up in Clayton, James Hirsch was a big Cardinals fan. He never saw Willie Mays on the field. But the idea of writing a biography of Mays appealed to him immensely. After some persuasion, he got the always-wary Mays to trust him enough to work together. He talked with the Beacon about the life and legend of the Say Hey Kid.

Posted 3:00 p.m. Fri., 02.05.10 - What's the story behind the new book "New Madrid to Claverach: How an Earthquake Spawned a St. Louis Suburb"? Learn how a research project for an application to be on the National Register of History Places led from one discovery to another.

Posted 12:56 p.m. Mon., 02.01.10 - Kirkwood native Richard Whitmire looks at an education gap that people don't want to talk about. But gender is a distinction that is showing up in standardized tests, grades, admission to the National Honor Society and those who earn college degrees. (Photo of Whitmire from the book's website )

Posted 6:46 p.m. Thurs., 01.28.10 - Literary experts look at what made J.D. Salinger, who died Wednesday at the age of 91, so important. The centerpiece of the conversation has to be "The Catcher in the Rye," which was a showcase for what one called the author's "fantastic sense of voice." (Photo is from 1950)

Posted 3:56 p.m. Thurs., 01.28.10 - "The Catcher in the Rye" has maintained huge sales because it's still getting banned somewhere, but it is also almost seamlessly well-written. And Salinger remained in the public focus because of his skill and his insistence that he maintain his privacy.

Posted 11:06 a.m. Wed., 01.27.10 - The Climatron has been welcoming visitors for 50 years, and the Missouri Botanical Garden has a new book looking back at those decades -- one that comes with 3-D viewing. After focusing on those 3-D photographs, the Beacon talks with architect and author Eric Mumford about the architectural significance of the building.