Former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, the founding director of the Center for the New Energy Economy, will be one of many CSU community members playing a role in the 2018 Fort Collins Book Festival this month.
Ritter will deliver the keynote address of the free two-day festival at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 20 at Block One Events, 428 Linden St. His presentation, “The Energy Transition in America,” will focus on why states, local governments, and businesses continue toward decarbonization. The keynote will also include book sales and signing of his book Powering Forward — What Everyone Should Know About America’s Energy Revolution.
Following the morning keynote, Ritter will participate in a discussion on human ingenuity and innovation from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the CSU Powerhouse (430 N. College Ave.). He will be joined by Richard Munson, author of Tesla: Inventor of the Modern; local artist-inventor Jennifer Spencer; and others.
About the Fest
The Fort Collins Book Fest, which takes place Oct. 19-20 at venues throughout Old Town Fort Collins, will explore the confluence of science, technology, literature and society. Keynote author Andy Weir, who wrote The Martian and Artemis, will give the closing keynote at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 20 in the Lory Student Center Ballrooms C and D.
“The community’s enthusiastic support for the book festival has made it possible for us to continue to expand and bring in notable authors and speakers,” says Anne Macdonald, Fort Collins Book Fest director and librarian at Poudre River Public Library District. “We’re excited to offer additional opportunities for attendees to connect with their favorite authors and to elevate their own creativity and writing practice.”
The third annual Fort Collins Book Festival will include expanded writing workshops, panel discussions, author readings, speaker presentations, book sales and signings, and other activities. The event features local, national, and international authors, poets, and big thinkers.
Other CSU connections
In addition to Ritter, CSU community members participating in the Book Fest include Gillian Bowser, a research scientist in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability; retired English faculty members John Calderazzo, Bill Tremblay and SueEllen Campbell; Stephanie G’Schwind, director of the Center for Literary Publishing and editor of the Colorado Review; Rocky Mountain Student Media CEO Peter Waack; Fort Collins Mayor Wade Troxell, a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering; and Department of English faculty members Ellen Brinks, Matthew Cooperman, Todd Mitchell and Sasha Steensen.
Abigail Chabitnoy, Aby Kaupang, JC Lynne, Joe Petrone, Erin Udell, Kathleen Willard and Michael McLane are among the CSU alumni participating in the Book Fest.
The 2018 festival theme, “The Big Think,” arises from curiosity and is designed to engage the community in an exchange of ideas and knowledge at that unique intersection where science, technology, and community collide.
“The Big Think asks the most fundamental questions: ‘why?’ ‘what if?’ and ‘what else?’” says Macdonald. “They’re simple enough questions, but contained within them is a real depth of curiosity, exploration, and possibility that has launched humans into space, developed driverless cars, and created amazing works of art and literature.”
The FoCo Book Fest is produced by Poudre River Public Library District in partnership with Colorado State University’s Morgan Library. More information about the free two-day event can be found online at www.FoCoBookFest.org.
