Over the weekend, fans of literature and the arts held a ceremony for a local celebrity hailing from the Central West End. Although that celebrity couldn’t make it to the event (because he died in 1965!), many still attended the event so they could get a rare look at T.S. Eliot and celebrate his life and works in grand fashion.

The Central West End Association, with support from the Regional Arts Commission and the T.S. Eliot Society, installed a bust of the heralded author at the corner of Euclid and McPherson Avenues, in front of Left Bank Books. Many of those involved with the arts in St. Louis were in attendance and shared words about the author and even recited some of his poems.

The bust is similar to the pre-existing bust of Tennessee Williams, located across the street in front of Rothschild’s Antiques. Additionally, this piece of art is the second of four busts that are planned to be installed at this intersection, creating a “Writer’s Corner”.

WUMCRC Community Development Manager Brooks Goedeker helped plan the event as part of his work with the Central West End Association.

Melanie Fathman, St. Louis Architectural Historian

Sculpture Vlad Zhitomirsky