True crime has long fascinated readers and audiences—not just for the who and the how, but for what these stories reveal about power, prejudice, and the societies that produce them. In this gripping opening night event, three remarkable storytellers dissect the scandals, injustices, and dark psychology at the heart of their work, and explore why true crime continues to dominate our cultural imagination. Filmmaker and author Barry Avrich in The Devil Wears Rothko takes us inside the billion-dollar scandal that brought down one of New York’s most storied galleries. Journalist Anaïs Renevier’s 50 States of Crime visits the case of Alice Crimmins, a mother vilified by a justice system shaped by misogyny and moral conservatism; And in Code Name: Pale Horse, journalist Michelle Shephard recounts FBI agent Scott Payne’s time undercover in America’s most violent white supremacist networks. From glamorous deception to moral panic and domestic terror, this panel lays bare the stories behind the headlines and asks why we’re so compelled to look.
Moderated by Terry Fallis.
Renevier’s appearance is supported by Institut français du Canada.
Generously supported by The Goring Family Foundation at Toronto Foundation.
The Devil Wears Rothko charts the explosive demise of Knoedler Gallery, one of New York’s oldest and most prestigious art galleries, with detailed and salacious insight into the art fraud scandal of the century.
The Devil Wears Rothko charts the explosive demise of Knoedler Gallery, one of New York’s oldest and most prestigious art galleries, with detailed and salacious insight into the art fraud scandal of the century. From the moment an eccentric woman walked into the Knoedler Gallery with a Mark Rothko painting, everyone was fooled.
New York, Summer of 1965. Two children disappear . . .
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER •
The thrilling true story of one man who risked his life to infiltrate the most dangerous neo-Nazi group in the United States, an “urgent and exciting look into the life of an FBI undercover agent” (Joe Pistone) by “one of the top undercover agents in the Bureau” (Joaquin “Jack” Garcia).
When Scott Payne was growing up, an ‘80s kid with a big attitude and a taste for sleeveless shirts, he could never have envisioned where he’d find himself on Halloween night 2019. Having transformed into “Pale Horse” and infiltrated the nation's most dangerous, fastest-growing white supremacy group, The Base, he was huddled with a cell of neo-Nazis in the backwoods of Georgia as they slaughtered a goat and drank its blood in a ritual sacrifice.
Barry Avrich is a veteran documentary filmmaker and producer that has directed and produced over fifty films including Made You Look, Born Hungry, Prosecuting Evil, Blurred Lines, and David Foster: Off The Record. Avrich has authored five books including Moguls, Monsters and Madmen (2017) and built the world’s first movie theater in a hospital.
Source: Simon & Schuster Canada
Anaïs Renevier is a French independent journalist and true crime writer. She regularly travels across the United States on investigative assignments, telling the country’s story from the perspective of those living at its margins.
Michelle Shephard is an award-winning journalist, author, filmmaker and podcast host and producer who has covered issues of terrorism and civil rights since the 9/11 attacks. During her two decades at the Toronto Star, she reported from more than 20 countries, including Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Pakistan and the U.S.
Fri, June 27, 2025
A book signing will follow this event
