About this Event
Join us on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at 7:00 PM at the Palm Springs Cultural Center for the highly anticipated final event of Season Six of Palm Springs Speaks, featuring award-winning journalist and author Mary Louise Kelly.
As co-host of NPR’s flagship news program, All Things Considered, Kelly brings unparalleled insight into global affairs, having spent a decade as NPR’s national security correspondent. She has reported from the frontlines of history, covering intelligence agencies, international conflicts, and pivotal political moments—including live coverage from Helsinki during the Trump-Putin summit. Her assignments have taken her to the Khyber Pass, mosques in Hamburg, and Belfast’s backstreets, offering a deep and nuanced perspective on the world’s most pressing issues.
Beyond journalism, Kelly is also a celebrated author. Her debut espionage novel, Anonymous Sources (2013), and its follow-up, The Bullet (2015), showcase her expertise in international affairs and storytelling. Most recently, she turned the lens inward with her memoir, It. Goes. So. Fast. A Year of No Do-Overs, a New York Times bestseller that explores the fleeting nature of parenthood, the realities of aging parents, and the evolution of relationships. The paperback edition releases just days after her Palm Springs appearance.
Event Details
Location: Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Tickets: $45 General Admission | $65 Premium Seating (includes a copy of her book)
ADA-accessible seating available
Book Signing: Mary Louise Kelly will sign books following her presentation.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
This event is made possible by the generous support of The City of Palm Springs, LULU American Bistro, Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs, Steve Tobin & Johnny Kruppa Grace Helen Spearman Charitable Foundation, Palm Springs Unified School District Foundation, The Palm Springs Cultural Center, Henry Holt & Company, and Follett Books.
About Mary Louise Kelly
Mary Louise Kelly is a mother, a daughter, a journalist and a novelist. The order of these titles—the order by which she defines herself—might shift, depending on which moment you catch her. But since 2003, when her first child was born, “Mom” has been the name she is proudest to answer to.
When not driving soccer carpool, Mary Louise co-hosts All Things Considered, NPR’s flagship and award-winning newsmagazine. Previously, she spent a decade as national security correspondent for NPR News. Mary Louise’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, Newsweek, and other publications. A Georgia native, her first job was working as a staff writer at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. She is a recipient of the Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award from the Radio Television Digital News Foundation, a Gracie Award from the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation and the Award for Outstanding Broadcast Journalist from the Washington Women in Journalism Awards. She led the NPR team that was named Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2021, for on-the-ground reporting from Iran.
Mary Louise was educated at Harvard University and at the University of Cambridge in England. She lives in Washington, DC with her two sons.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 East Baristo Road, Palm Springs, United States
USD 49.87 to USD 71.21
