The Lawrence Public Library is celebrating the 111th birthday of African American author, photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks.
Ann Dean, an artist and freelance photographer who teaches photography classes at the Lawrence Arts Center, will present on the impact and inspiration found in Parks’ books, according to the library’s event page.
Parks, born in Fort Scott, was well known for documenting American life and culture. The library describes him as “one of the most esteemed image makers of all time.”
Dean will present on three of Parks’ books: “The Learning Tree,” “A Choice of Weapons,” and “Half Past Autumn.”
The books help illustrate Parks’ mother’s teachings “centered in love, dignity, and hard work, and provide a starting point to talk about his struggles, choices, and triumphs – all great life lessons for those searching to find their way in this complicated world,” according to the website.
The event, “Learning from Gordon Parks,” is set for 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30 at the Lawrence Public Library auditorium, 707 Vermont St.
Visit this link and click the green bookmark icon to add this event to your Google, Apple, Outlook or other calendar.
If our local journalism matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters

This post is by the Lawrence Times news team.
If you have news tips, questions, comments, concerns, compliments or corrections for our team, please reach out and let us know what’s on your mind. Find our contact info (and a quick contact form) at this link.
Follow us so you won’t miss the local news that matters most to you:
Latest Lawrence news:
Contributed photos Quentin Rials and Zach Harwood are being promoted from interim principals to the permanent positions at Lawrence High School and Lawrence Virtual School, respectively.
In the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve south of Lawrence, stately oaks and hickories rise 50 to 100 feet into the air. But far below their canopy, something worries scientists.
Winter flocks have come together. Concentrated further with each snow storm we get chickadees, cardinals, bluejays, juncos, nuthatches and titmouse; give yourself a ringside seat by putting out a birdfeeder this winter.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times Lawrence school board members on Monday will hear a report on the district’s curriculum and structured literacy and consider adding some STEM courses.
