Alex Heuer

David Sheff is a journalist and New York Times best-selling author. 

In 2008, he wrote a memoir, Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction, about how his family dealt with his son‘s methamphetamine addiction.

In a new book, Sheff argues that addicts suffer from an illness and are not simply victims of their own bad choices.  “We must acknowledge addiction is an illness…and not just bad behavior…because we punish bad behavior…we treat illness,” Sheff writes.

On Friday, April 12th, a dozen acts in the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition will square off in the finals, competing for college scholarships, prizes and public appearance opportunities.

The Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation holds the event to “foster the emerging talent in the St. Louis performing arts community…and to present an adjudicated competition showcasing the splendidly talented teens of the St. Louis Metropolitan area.”

April is national poetry month and as part of the commemoration, the St. Louis Poetry Center holds “The Belle of Blueberry Hill: Emily Dickinson at the Duck Room.”

While the St. Louis Poetry Center features the work of many poets and writers over the course of a year, the influential work of Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) is on focus at the organization’s upcoming event.

In 1862, Dickinson sent a letter containing four poems to Thomas Wentworth Higginson, who would later write of her, a “wholly new and original poetic genius.”

Lee Rosenbaum is a cultural commentator who writes the award-winning blog, CultureGrrl.  Her work has been featured in numerous media including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and NPR.

In 2005, President Bill Clinton established the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI).  The goal of the ongoing project is to “create and implement innovative solutions to the world's most pressing challenges.”