Wm. Stage

Who is Wm. Stage?

Wm. Stage, also known as William Stage is an American journalist, author, and photographer, with a focus on the area and history of the American Midwest and St. Louis, Missouri. From 1982–2004 he worked for the weekly newspaper The Riverfront Times, producing three columns, with the best known being Street Talk, where over the years he photographed and interviewed more than 8,500 random individuals about miscellaneous topics. He is also known for his documentary work on a special kind of historical outdoor advertising: brick wall signs. He has authored several books, including Ghost Signs: Brick Wall Signs in America, Mound City Chronicles, and Litchfield: A Strange and Twisted Saga of Murder in the Midwest. His photographs have appeared in multiple works, including the cover photograph on the Oxford University Press book, For the Common Good. In 2001, Stage, who had been adopted at young age, tracked down his biological family, a search which led to a Canadian documentary as well as the 2009 memoir Fool for Life. Since 2007, Stage has been a guest commentator on the St. Louis NPR affiliate, KWMU-FM.