A special evening celebrating the launch of William Luers’s memoir Uncommon Company. Ambassador Luers will be in conversation with Stephen Heintz, the President of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, sharing stories of his incredible career as a US diplomat. Followed by a wine reception. The book will be available for purchase.

In his revelatory memoir, William Luers shares stories of his incredible career as a US diplomat to European and Latin American nations, where he introduced art and culture to forge common ground and community, improving the lives of citizens in many countries closed to Western ideas. From touring the Soviet Union with playwright Edward Albee in the 1960s to bringing such famous writers and artists as John Updike, Arthur Miller, William Styron, Peter Matthiessen, Francine du Plessix Gray, Richard Diebenkorn, and Frank Stella to Venezuela and Prague during his ambassadorships in Venezuela and Czechoslovakia, Bill Luers’ practice of cultural diplomacy became known as his ability to wield “soft power” that strengthened US relationships wherever he served.

“Uncommon Company is a Who's Who of cultural diplomacy. From Moscow to Caracas, Prague to Havana, Bill Luers has charmed autocrats and artists alike with his deep belief in the power of the arts to open channels and affect change. He's been in the room where it happens for over fifty years and this book is an invitation to listen in on some of the most delicate and necessary conversations of our time." — Mikhail Baryshnikov

Free and open to the public. RSVP through Eventbrite.

This event is organized by the Vaclav Havel Center, Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association, Consulate General of the Czech Republic, Czech Center New York, and the Foundation for a Civil Society.