Life it ain’t real funky
Unless it’s got that pop
Dig it
Pop life
Everybody needs a thrill
Pop life
We all got a space to fill
— Prince, “Pop Life”

Welcome to PopLifeSTL.com, a new arts, entertainment and lifestyle website curated by veteran journalist Lynn Venhaus.

Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis area publications since 1978 and has worked as a reporter, feature writer, reviewer and editor for daily and community newspapers and other platforms in the region. She has taught journalism and media at three area colleges as an adjunct instructor.

“We will spotlight local events but also cover a wide spectrum of entertainment,” she said.

Venhaus has written movie and theater reviews for many years. From 2008 to 2017, she wrote entertainment reviews for the Belleville News-Democrat, and currently covers film reviews for the Times newspapers (Webster-Kirkwood Times, South County Times and West End Word), KTRS Radio and the Reel Times Trio podcast. She also has a partnership with OnSTL.com for the podcast and content. This will be home to her theater reviews but she will also feature other local reviewers.

“We want to explore the local arts scene with enthusiasm and insight, but also with an informed critical eye,” she said.

Local contributors include reviewers CB Adams, Connie Bollinger, Andrea England Braun, Joe Pfaller and Jeff Ritter. We will welcome more experts as we grow.

Currently, we are a work in progress and will be placing fresh content as much as possible and after that, get the archives up to speed.

As a founding member of the St. Louis Theater Circle in 2012, which awards excellent in St. Louis regional professional theater, she has enjoyed getting to know the local theater community.

Film is a major force in her life, and she has been a vetted member of the St. Louis Film Critics Association since 2008 and its elected secretary since 2012.
She has been accepted into the national Alliance of Women Film Journalists and the Critics Choice Association (formerly the Broadcast Film Critics Association).

She is also a volunteer and member of Cinema St. Louis, and frequently serves on juries for the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, 48-Hour Film Project and St. Louis International Film Festival.

She has served on the Arts for Life board since 2010, which recognizes outstanding work in community theater.

“We are going to spotlight local people and places, including food and drink too – the whole leisure experience.”

She is a former feature writer, food editor and reviewer at the defunct St. Louis Globe-Democrat and wrote for niche publications at the Belleville News-Democrat, so promoting what the metropolitan area has to offer is important to her.

“We have hidden gems to explore, and there are so many untapped subjects in the region. I look forward to informing people of our colorful heritage and the interesting people who enrich our area,” she said.

Venhaus is a graduate of Illinois State University, with a comprehensive mass communications major and a minor in theatre. Born and raised in the metro-east, she currently lives in St. Louis. Her son, Charlie, lives in New York City and her son Tim passed away in December 2018.

Currently, she covers news and features for several local publications as an independent contractor, Venhaus Creative. Editing and writing services are also available.

For more information, she can be reached at lynnvenhaus@gmail.com or 618-917-8175.