Hoofbeats and Heartbeats with Jessica Whitehead, Roda Feraro and Avalyn Hunter

Presented by The Kentucky Book Festival and Kentucky Humanities, this program is part of the main festival on November 2.

Jessica Whitehead

The History of the Kentucky Derby in 75 Objects

An independent writer and artist, Jessica K. Whitehead is curator of collections at the Kentucky Derby Museum, where she has worked for more than a decade. In The History of the Kentucky Derby in 75 Objects, she sets out to recover the accurate history of America’s longest continuously held sporting event and establish a balance between well-known narratives and those that are less widely shared with a personal tour of 75 objects from the museum.

Roda Ferraro

The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers

Roda Ferraro, Director of Keeneland Library, has more than 25 years of experience leading, assessing, and promoting library, museum, research, and educational services, including her work with National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The first comprehensive chronicle of its kind, The Heart of the Turf showcases 125 select stories of the countless African Americans from racetrack superstars to behind-the-scenes caretakers who forged their way in Kentucky and beyond making the racing industry what it is today.

Avalyn Hunter

The Kentucky Oaks: 150 Years of Running for the Lilies

Avalyn Hunter is a nationally recognized authority on Thoroughbred pedigrees and racing history whose work has appeared in Blood-Horse, Thoroughbred Times, MarketWatch, New York Breeder, and Louisiana Horse. In The Kentucky Oaks: 150 Years of Running for the Lilies, Hunter traces the evolution of the Kentucky Oaks through the stories of the men, women, and fillies that have made the race a symbol for women’s growing participation in the sport at all levels.