Missouri natives Mark Twain and Thomas Hart Benton were kindred spirits who found inspiration in Missouri’s people, places, and practices.

On Sunday, September 19, at 2 p.m., Joan Stack explores Benton’s illustrations for special editions of Twain’s books issued by The Limited Editions Club in the late 1930s and 1940s. The program will be held at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.

Stack, the curator of art collections at The State Historical Society of Missouri, will share original Benton illustrations and discuss how the artist’s approach complements Twain’s witty prose.

This presentation is part of the Missouri Valley Speakers Series, a program of the Missouri Valley Special Collections at the Central Library. The series is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.