EVPL SPEAK 2025 series continues with Ralph Shayne
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Event organizers say Ralph Shayne, who is an author, entrepreneur, finance professional and son of a Jewish girl saved from the Holocaust, will be the next speaker in Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library's (EVPL) 2025 SPEAK series.
Event organizers say Shayne's free presentation will be held on April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Victory Theatre in downtown Evansville. Shayne's graphic novel, 'Hour of Need,' depicts the story of a Danish Jewish family in need of rescue from the German army, who were occupying the country. The narrator of the story, Mette, is nine-years old at the time of her escape, but she tells the story from the perspective of a grandmother talking with her grandchildren during a visit to Denmark. Her story includes recognizing the defiance of the Danish king, the resistance fighters and the bravery and kindness of many non-Jewish citizens.
48th annual Easterseals Telethon happening now
'The authors selected for SPEAK 2025 encourage us to reflect on our individual and shared pasts, connect through past human experiences and then build a more thoughtful future,' said Erika Qualls Barnett, Director of Programming and Outreach, EVPL.
Officials note SPEAK events are free and open to all. 'SPEAK: An Explorative Lecture Series,' an evolution of 'One Book, One Community,' is a lecture and discussion series that brings authors and 'thought leaders' to Evansville. Through SPEAK, EVPL says it hopes to further its vision of communities 'united through shared exploration and understanding by supporting and encouraging conversation.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
‘The Last Twins' Review: A Rare Holocaust Story
The documentary 'The Last Twins' tells the harrowing true story of Erno Spiegel, a Jewish man who was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp, but was spared for one reason: He was a twin. Dr. Josef Mengele, the Nazi physician, considered twins to be the ideal subjects because they allowed him to conduct what he believed were controlled genetic studies. He made Spiegel preside over a group of around 60 twin boys — many of whose lives Spiegel would save. Directed by Perri Peltz and Matthew O'Neill, 'The Last Twins' is a conventional documentary made up of talking heads, archival materials and somber narration by Liev Schreiber. The speakers are mostly Holocaust survivors — some of the very boys whom Spiegel protected by forging documents or keeping crucial information secret. After the camps were liberated, Spiegel ended up leading his group of twins on a brutal winter trek through Poland and back home to Hungary. Hearing these survivors, now well into their 90s, talk about their experiences is devastating and poignant. But a cynical part of me wonders to what extent a documentary like 'The Last Twins' simply scratches the same itch, allowing viewers to indulge a kind of morbid (if sympathetic) curiosity in the Holocaust. Should every unique survival story be packaged into the same kind of storytelling blueprint? One answer might be that real heroes — in the Holocaust and other histories of genocide — are often the stuff of fiction. Here, heroism is presented less as a feat of preternatural bravery than a series of choices made by someone who simply refused to give up his humanity. The Last TwinsNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 25 minutes. In theaters.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Billy Joel's Message As Doc ‘Billy Joel: And So It Goes' Opens Tribeca Festival Without Him — ‘Getting Old Sucks, But It's Still Preferable To Getting Cremated'
An ailing Billy Joel was not in attendance tonight at the world premiere HBO documentary about his life and music but sent word to a packed Beacon Theater in NYC via its director. 'Billy wishes he were here tonight, and he asked us to convey his greetings to you all. He said 'getting old sucks, but it's still preferable to getting cremated',' relayed Susan Lacy, who helmed and produced the doc Billy Joel: And So It Goes with Jessica Levin. Part 1 of 2 opened the Tribeca Festival Wednesday. More from Deadline Billy Joel's Wife Thanks Fans For Outpouring Of Support Following Musician's Brain Disorder Diagnosis: "We Are Hopeful For His Recovery" Tribeca Festival Co-Founders Robert De Niro And Jane Rosenthal Express "Love And Full Support" For Ailing Billy Joel; "Deeply Honored" To Open Fest With Documentary About Him - Update Scarlett Johansson Ushers In 'SNL' Season 50 Finale With Musical Tribute Set To Billy Joel's 'Piano Man' - And Joke That Sarah Sherman Is Leaving 'Billy may be considered the poet laureate of New York. You feel the essence of our city in his lyrics,' said Tribeca Enterprises' Robert De Niro introducing the festival and the film with co-founder Jane Rosenthal. Joel's scrappiness and immense talent are both vivid in the film about the Long Island bard who formed his first cover band, The Lonely Souls, at age 14. That led to a group called The Hassles, then Attila with drummer Jon Small, until he fell in love with Small's wife Elizabeth Weber. That turned messy, she left. Joel attempted suicide. He eventually rallied. Elizabeth returned, they moved to California and married. She became his manager and his career slowly took off. He kept his chip. A cold, abusive father, also a pianist, left the family, and his possibly bipolar and alcoholic single mother was left to raise him and his sister. He described them as a rare Jewish and at times dirt poor family in his middle-class town. But he had music and his mother made sure he always had lessons. He felt alienated in California, went through a few producers, was down his first label and a music business that exploited talent and wrote songs about it all, making him somewhat unpopular. We see him expending significant effort in the doc trying to debunk frequent comparisons between himself and the other rising piano playing pop rock star Elon John. Back in New York he formed his band, went on tour opening for most every big act of the era, sold out Carnegie Hall connected with producer Phil Ramone and put out The Stranger in 1977, launching an era of hits, Grammy awards and full on stardom to drinking, drugs a motorcycle accident and split with Weber, ending Part 1. Music royalty dots the film. Paul McCartney said Joel's I Want You Just The Way You Are is the one song he wished he had written. Bruce Springsteen praised Joel's melodies. Nas described the wonders of Piano Man, about Joel's stint working at The Executive Room Bar in LA to make ends meet, and New York State of Mind, expressing relief as her returned to his home coast. 'Although we always wanted the music to speak for itself, we are immensely grateful that he was convinced that there was more to it than that,' Lacy said. 'It wasn't always easy, but he peeled back the layers of his music and his life with courage and humor and vulnerability. No matter where you're from, Billy's music reaches across geography and generations and in this increasingly fractured world it's a privilege to celebrate an artist whose music has connected for so long.' 'He will be back,' she said. The HBO Original has unprecedented access to never-before-seen performances, home movies, and personal photographs, along with extensive, in-depth one-on-one interviews of the rather private artist. An HBO Documentary Films presentation of a Pentimento Production in association with Hazy Mills Productions and Playtone Productions. Directed and produced by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin; executive producers, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Todd Milliner, Sean Hayes, Steve Cohen; producer, Emma Pildes; edited by Kris Liem, James Pilott, Steven Ross. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez. The doc will debut on HBO and be available to stream on Max in July. Joel last month postponed all tour dates disclosing a diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), stemming from an onstage fall during a concert last February in Connecticut. The Rock and Roll Hall Of famer posted on social media that his condition led to 'problems with hearing, vision, and balance' and that was undergoing physical therapy. In an update late last month, his wife Alexis Roderick said the family 'is hopeful for his recovery' and thanked fans for an outpouring of support. Best of Deadline 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Artists and events coming to the Indiana State Fair
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — Organizers are announcing the musical artists coming to this years Indiana State Fair. Organizers say this years artists are some of music's most legendary and diverse acts. All shows start at 7:30 p.m.. The Indiana State Fair will be at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis on August 1-17. The fair is closed on Mondays. Below is the list of artists scheduled to hit the stage in August: ● Three Dog Night – August 1● Disney Throwback DJ Night – August 2● Babyface – August 6● Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers – August 8● Melissa Etheridge – August 15 Organizers say the list of artists is expected to grow. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
