Profit and Punishment: An Evening with Tony Messenger and Nancy Allen
November 29, 2021 — Adults are invited to hear “Profit and Punishment” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, in the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch Library community room, when Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author Tony Messenger sits down for a conversation with author Nancy Allen about debtors' prisons – the underlying theme in each of their latest books.
The authors will discuss how minor crimes often result in monumental financial catastrophes for some of America's poorest citizens and perpetuate the cycle of poverty. Books from both authors will be available for purchase and for signing.
Messenger, a former editorial writer for the Springfield News-Leader, is an award-winning columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Messenger's work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Society of New Editors and the Scripps Howard Foundation. In 2016 he was awarded the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism by the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
Allen, author of the Ozarks Mystery Series, practiced law for fifteen years as Assistant Missouri Attorney General and Assistant Prosecutor in her native Ozarks. She is currently co-authoring with James Patterson on a legal thriller to be published in James Patterson’s BookShots series for Hachette/Little Brown.
For more information, call 417-883-1974.