"She's the Mother of Us All" with author and historian Maryjean Wall (2026)
David sits down with acclaimed local historian and author Maryjean Wall to talk about her latest book, She’s the Mother of Us All: Sweet Evening Breeze and the Queer Community of Lexington Kentucky. They discuss Sweet Evening Breeze’s influence on Lexington, Kentucky, and how she challenged conventional ideas of who could access and wield power in midcentury Lexington. They also talk about Lexington’s rich queer history, centering especially on the building now known as the Bar Complex. Maryjean’s book is available for checkout from the library, and for purchase from your favorite bookstore.
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About The Hosts
Tales from the Kentucky Room is hosted by David Bryant and produced by Erin West.
David is the Manager of Central Library, and has worked many years in the Kentucky Room. After several guest host spots, David moved to full time host of Tales from the Kentucky Room in 2025. Local History and Genealogy are passions of his, and he's excited to share them with our audience.
Erin is the Virtual Services Librarian. She's worked for Lexington Public Library since 2003 and began her work with audio editing in 2012 while working at the Northside Branch. Erin enjoys listening to history, true crime and tv show recap podcasts.


