The Mississippi watershed spans almost half the United States; its running water are intertwined with the nation’s culture and history: Mark Twain’s travels on the river inspired our first national literature; and jazz and blues were born in its floodplains and carried upstream. In this sweeping, landmark work of history, Boyce Upholt tells the epic story of this unruly river and Americans’ centuries-long efforts to make use of it—sometimes successfully, sometimes not. Following an illustrated presentation of images and insights from historians and conservationists alike, Upholt will be joined by author and essayist W. Ralph Eubanks. Their discussion of The Great River will illuminate what the river was and is—its power, purpose, and impact through time—from its source in northern Minnesota to where it meets the Gulf of Mexico below New Orleans. This is an online only event, 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm Eastern time.