February Author Talks

Book covers (left to right): Fire, Sword, and Sea by Vanessa Riley. The Conjuring of America by Lindsey Steward. Smithson's Gamble by Tom D. Crouch.

Join us this February as we hear from award-winning authors and academics! Each talk features the chance to submit questions for an author Q&A.

Registration is required for the live events. If you can’t attend live, register anyway and you’ll receive a recording after the event concludes.


Vanessa Riley

A Tale of 17th-Century Buccaneers and Black & Female Liberation
Feb. 5, 2026 at 4:00 PM


Dr. Lindsey Stewart

Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic
Feb. 12, 2026 at 11:00 AM


Smithsonian Curator Emeritus Tom Crouch

Smithson’s Gamble: The Incredible History Behind the World’s Largest Museum
Feb. 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM