Discover the story of the academics who helped invent modern spycraft and turn the tide of war.

Registration for this event has sold out. A limited number of standby tickets may be available on the day of the event.

At the outset of the Second World War, the United States found itself in desperate need of an intelligence agency. It hastily founded the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a precursor to today’s CIA. In an effort to quickly fill its ranks with experts, the OSS turned to academia, recruiting literature professors, librarians, and historians to perform undercover operations and investigative work. In her new book, Book and Dagger, Stony Brook professor Elyse Graham sheds light on these humanities scholars turned spies, drawing heavily on letters, declassified files, and the Library’s Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division.

Graham will discuss her research at the Library and how our cultural institutions were reshaped by their war efforts.

To join | Please register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open around 1:30 PM. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Elyse Graham is a historian and professor at Stony Brook University, a flagship university in the SUNY system. She holds degrees from Princeton, Yale, and MIT, and has learned how scholars whisper, scheme, launder information, and guard secrets. She is the author of three academic books: You Talkin’ to Me? (Oxford University Press), A Unified Theory of Cats on the Internet (Stanford University Press), and The Republic of Games (McGill-Queens University Press).

READ THE BOOK:

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog


• E-Book app: SimplyE, available on iOS and Android

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ACCESSIBILITY

In-Person | You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template. This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

CONNECT

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Elyse Graham © Becca Farsace