Poet Jane Miller reads for Writing Program Feb. 4

The Boston Book Review once compared Jane Miller’s careening, associative verse to the painting of Jackson Pollock and Jasper Johns: inventive, energetic and risky. At 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, the celebrated poet will read from her work for The Writing Program in Arts & Sciences’ spring Reading Series.

Black Anthology at Edison Theatre Feb. 5 and 6

Black Anthology, in its 21st year as a student-run performance arts show celebrating black culture, will be held at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 5 and 6, in Edison Theatre. The show is held every year in February as a celebration of Black History Month.

Adhering to new government dietary guidelines may require changing habits

Are you looking to make the government’s new dietary recommendations part of your life? Begin by writing down what you eat, says Connie Diekman, director of University Nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis. The U.S. departments of Agriculture and Health & Human Services this week released new food guidelines that call for more fruits and vegetables, less sodium and more whole grain.

Eyes to the future

Henry S. Webber has spent a great deal of his time evaluating and planning for the physical development of Washington University’s campuses. As he works to shape WUSTL’s future, he also looks for guidance from its past.

Gene variation makes alcoholism less likely in some survivors of sexual abuse

Exposure to severe stress early in life increases the risk of alcohol and drug addiction. Yet surprisingly, some adults sexually abused as children — and therefore at high risk for alcohol problems — carry gene variants that protect them from heavy drinking and its effects, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Each One Teach One program looking for tutors

Each One Teach One, Washington University’s signature tutoring initiative that connects tutors with area elementary- and high-school students, is recruiting new participants.

Growth factor gene shown to be a key to cleft palate

Cleft palate has been linked to dozens of genes. During their investigation of one of these genes, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis were surprised to find that cleft palate occurs both when the gene is more active and when it is less active than normal. 

Government-subsidized home loans seldom necessary, says professor

Given ongoing agitation by a chorus of elected officials, the stage may be set for a major overhaul, if not outright abolishment of the nation’s largest home mortgage financing operations, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Radhakrishan Gopalan, who teaches finance at Olin Business School, tells Smart Money that the private market should be able meet home financing needs, in most cases.