Colorado State University authors Katherine Browne and Lori Peek will host a launch party on Thursday, Sept. 10, at Avogadro’s Number in Fort Collins to celebrate the release of their new books on Hurricane Katrina.

Browne, an anthropology professor, is author of Standing in the Need: Culture, Comfort and Coming Home after Katrina, and Peek, an associate professor of sociology, co-authored Children of Katrina with Alice Fothergill of the University of Vermont.

The launch party, being held from 5 to 7 p.m., is an evening of music and celebration dedicated to those who endured hardship and loss from Katrina. In addition to Browne and Peek, the event will feature Louisiana-raised jazz and blues artist Hazel Miller and her band.

In her book, Browne presents an eloquent, in-depth account of an extended African-American family’s grueling eight-year recovery from Katrina, demonstrating how greater cultural understanding would enable disaster recovery organizations to better serve affected communities.

In Children of Katrina, Peek and Fothergill present a rare, seven-year study of how young people fare after disaster as documented through stories and analyses of shifts in their health and well-being, family life, housing situations and school contexts.

All proceeds from book sales at the event will be donated to the St. Bernard Project and Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools. Avo’s is located at 605 S. Mason St. in Fort Collins. The event is co-sponsored by the Departments of Anthropology and Sociology, with help from Center for Disaster and Risk Analysis.