In her book Mischievous Creatures, historian Catherine McNeur uncovers the lives and work of Margaretta Hare Morris and Elizabeth Carrington Morris, sisters and scientists in early America. Margaretta, an entomologist, was famous among her peers and the public for her research on 17-year cicadas and other troublesome insects. Elizabeth, a botanist, was a prolific illustrator and a trusted supplier of specimens to the country’s leading experts. In conversation with Valerie Paley, McNeur reveals how New-York Historical’s library collections changed the course of her research and how these pioneering sisters contributed to the birth of American science.

Primary Source is a series of free and public programs exploring how the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library at the New-York Historical Society supports new research and historical inquiry. Join us for behind-the-scenes conversations about New York's past and present, deeply grounded in the Library's rich collections.

Registration required. The event takes place at 6pm Eastern, 3pm Pacific.

The American Philosophical Society was the first venue where Margaretta Morris published her research on wheat flies in December 1840. I’ll be speaking about the Morris sisters and the research behind Mischievous Creatures at this free event. It will be broadcast virtually as well at 6pm Eastern, 3pm Pacific. Registration required.

In this virtual book talk streaming over YouTube, I’ll be joining Christy Peterson of Vancouver, Washington’s Vintage Books to talk about the research and writing of Mischievous Creatures.