The founder of KATIE’S Pizza & Pasta returns to Clayton High School, the school she dropped out of at 15, for a conversation with Explore St. Louis’s Catherine Neville

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Left Bank Books and the Left Bank Books Foundation are delighted to welcome Katie Lee, St. Louis native and founder of KATIE’S Pizza & Pasta, for a celebration of her debut memoir, Unemployable: The Katie Lee Story. The event takes place Thursday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. at Clayton High School, the same high school Lee dropped out of when she was just 15 years old. The event is free to attend and requires an RSVP here.

Lee will discuss the book and her journey in conversation with Catherine Neville, Executive Vice President of Community Engagement at Explore St. Louis. Following the talk, Lee will sign and personalize copies of the book.

“Katie’s propulsive memoir is the literary and culinary love child of Anthony Bourdain and Mary Karr. Her brutally honest self assessments, accounts of hair-raising misadventures, both hers and those of her parents, particularly her father’s, are delivered with empathy, hope, and a dash of humor,” said Kris Kleindienst, owner of Left Bank Books. “St. Louisans especially will love the familiar terroir –the neighborhoods and cultural landmarks–Lee brings so vividly to life. Brooklyn isn’t the only cool food town! The architecture of this immensely readable true tale is love. Do yourself a favor and read it!” 

Event Details

• What: Katie Lee in conversation with Catherine Neville, celebrating Unemployable: The Katie Lee Story
• When: Thursday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m.
• Where: Clayton High School, 1 Mark Twain Circle, Clayton, MO 63105
• Admission: Free; RSVP required here. Attendees can note any accessibility needs on the RSVP form.
• Signed copies: Can’t attend? Signed copies can be ordered here

This event is made possible by the Left Bank Books Foundation. Donations that help keep the literary community alive and accessible in St. Louis can be made at lbbfound.raiselysite.com.

About Katie Lee

Katie Lee is an award-winning restaurateur, entrepreneur, author, and speaker. She is the founder and owner of a consumer-packaged-goods business of fine Italian foods available at more than 5,000 retail outlets nationwide, four locations of KATIE’S Pizza & Pasta, and a 300-acre farm-to-table property. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with her daughter, Nadia. UNEMPLOYABLE is her first book.

About Left Bank Books

Left Bank Books opened in 1969 by a group of graduate students at Washington University who wanted to create a place where one could find all kinds of literature. The store is the oldest and largest independently-owned full-line bookstore in St. Louis, and offers a full-line of new and used books, gifts, cards, toys and services. 

Left Bank has grown and changed throughout the last 50 years, but its mission still remains the same – to spark public conversation by curating an intelligent, relevant, culturally diverse selection of books. Learn more at www.Left-Bank.com.

Media Contact: Patrick Barry
314-540-3865 / Patrick@ByrnePR.net

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SOURCE Katie’s; Left Bank Books