Beginning Saturday, we celebrate Women’s History Month throughout March. Established in 1981 as a memorial week, it grew to the entire month in 1987. It’s purpose is to commemorate and encourage the study, observance and celebration, “of the vital role of women in American history.” From Betsy Ross to Diana Ross, women have made a wide variety of contributions to our culture and society.

Join us for a few classes early in the month, and visit the library’s calendar often for more opportunities to celebrate. There’s an adage, sometimes attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, that says, “Well behaved women seldom make history.” It certainly holds true for Zelda Fitzgerald, DC’s madams, and Dorothy Parker!

Zelda Fitzgerald’s Journey
Sat, Mar 1 | 2 – 3 pm
HCLS Miller Branch
For adults. Register here.

Historian Jack Burkert gives glimpses into the fascinating life of Zelda Fitzgerald, the “First Flapper” of the Jazz Age. Born in comfortable circumstances in Montgomery, Alabama, the twenty-year-old Zelda Sayre married F. Scott Fitzgerald, beginning their tumultuous life together. Their adventures took them across America and through Europe, writing both short stories and novels, while Zelda sought artistic fulfillment. By 1930, early signs of her mental illness coupled with his alcoholism made their partnership of greatness a distant dream. Through twenty years of treatment, a maturing Zelda paints, dances, writes, and slowly recovers, creating a life story few could imagine.

Off the Mall, DC: Madams of DC
Fri, Mar 7 | 12 – 1 pm
online
For adults. Register here.

Step into the lesser known history of Washington, D.C.’s red light district and learn about the lives of the women who shaped it. Washington, D.C. experienced an unprecedented rise in prostitution during and after the Civil War. During this period, Pennsylvania Avenue became D.C.’s most notorious red-light district, from the ramshackle “boarding houses” of Murder Bay to the glamorous pleasure houses of Marble Alley, all within sight of the Capitol. Also, a new profession for women was rising, that of the “female lobbyist.” This virtual tour introduces you to some of the most notorious women of mid-19th century DC.

Presented in partnership with Off the Mall D.C. founder and guide, Katie Kirkpatrick

Dorothy Parker: Unique American Writer
Thu, Mar 13 | 7 – 8 pm
HCLS Glenwood Branch
For adults. Register here.

Writer, poet, screenwriter, playwright, and essayist Dorothy Parker was known as the wittiest woman in America in the mid-20th century. In an era when the printed word was powerful and readers voraciously consumed written comments, critiques, and opinions, her sharp writing appeared in the New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and other publications. Readers anxiously awaited her next words as her clever quotations became legendary, but her personal life was often troubling: alcohol, divorce, and suicide attempts continued through her life. Learn about the legacy of this unique contributor to the American literary tradition from historian Jack Burkert.