16 OCTOBER 16 & 17 2020
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO Free Literary Arts Festival
#FoCoBookFest

Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky Added to The Big Think Lineup

September 19, 2018 by

The Fort Collins Book Festival is excited to bring Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky to this year’s event. Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky is an established composer, multimedia artist and author whose fourth book, The Imaginary App, was released in 2014.  Miller is the 2017-2018 recipient of the The Hewlett 50 Arts Commission Award which will support the creation of “Sonic Web,” a multimedia performance and an installation based on the history and evolution of the internet, which will premiere at San Francisco’s Internet Archive in January 2019. Upcoming album releases include “Phantom Dancehall” with premier reggae label VP Records and his first blockchain album, “The Invisible Hand,” commissioned by SingularDTV.

During his presentation at the book festival, “The Imaginary App,” Miller discuss and demonstrate how technology has shaped creativity throughout history and continues to guide how we actualize the future including how apps have changed everything. (FREE)

Later that night, you won’t want to miss DJ Spooky: The Hidden Code at the OtterBox Digital Dome Theater at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. Presented by The Music District. (TICKETED)

Imagine a visual odyssey through the cosmos, driven by lush musical compositions and inspired by complex themes of astronomy, engineering, biology, and psychology. The Hidden Code is the newest work by Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid. Commissioned by Dartmouth College’s Neukom Institute for Computational Science, Miller composed the album based on conversations with several of Dartmouth’s leading researchers. Come experience stunning 360° visuals along with the sounds of DJ Spooky at the OtterBox Digital Dome Theater October 20, 2018.

“The Hidden Code” is Saturday, October 20. Doors open 7:00 pm. Two showtimes beginning at 7:30 pm & 9:00 pm. Cash bar available. Tickets: $20/$16 for FCMoD members.

 

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Bill Ritter Jr. to Present Opening Keynote at Fort Collins Book Festival

September 12, 2018 by

Clean energy expert, author of “Powering Forward,” and former Colorado Governor to discuss the energy transition in America toward decarbonization

(FORT COLLINS, Colo., Sept. 12, 2018) — Poudre River Public Library District today announced that Bill Ritter, Jr., a clean energy expert, author, and former Colorado Governor, will present the opening keynote at the free 2018 Fort Collins Book Festival, The Big Think. His presentation, “The Energy Transition in America,” will focus on why states, local governments, and businesses continue toward decarbonization.

Ritter’s keynote presentation and audience discussion is scheduled for Saturday, October 20 from 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. at Block One Events*. A book signing will follow hosted by Old Firehouse Books, the official bookseller of the festival.

Following the morning keynote, Ritter will participate in a discussion on human ingenuity and innovation from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the CSU Powerhouse. He will be joined by author Richard Munson (Tesla: Inventor of the Modern), Colorado State University professor Ellen Brinks, local artist-inventor Jennifer Spencer, and others.

“We are very excited to have Bill Ritter opening the book fest this year. His passion for clean energy solutions, from as far back as when he was Colorado’s governor, has made a significant impact on energy innovation and advocacy in our region,” says Anne Macdonald, director of Fort Collins Book Festival and librarian at Poudre River Public Library District.

Bill Ritter, Jr. is the founder and director of the Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) at Colorado State University. The Center works directly with governors, legislators, regulators, planners, policymakers, and other decision makers. It provides technical assistance to help officials create the policies and practices that will facilitate America’s transition to a clean-energy economy. Ritter authored the 2016 book Powering Forward – What Everyone Should Know About America’s Energy Revolution. He is the chair of the Board of Directors of the Energy Foundation and a senior fellow and member of the board of directors of the Advanced Energy Economy Institute. Ritter previously served as Colorado’s 41st governor.

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Sneak Peek: Acclaimed Scientists & Storytellers Join “The Big Think” Lineup

August 21, 2018 by

Book presentations feature inventor Nikola Tesla, the making of 2001: A Space Odyssey, wormholes and warp drives, quantum physics, and much more.

We’re excited to announce additional authors for the 2018 Fort Collins Book Festival. These eight authors are set to present their books over the festival weekend, October 19 and 20, at venues throughout Old Town Fort Collins. The full lineup of authors presenting at the 2018 festival will be released in September.

Dr. Adam Becker is an astrophysicist and author. The New York Times praised his recent debut, What Is Real? The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics, as “a thorough, illuminating exploration of the most consequential controversy raging in modern science.”

Dr. Amanda Hendrix is a Senior Scientist with the Planetary Science Institute, based in Boulder. She worked for twelve years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and was the Deputy Project Scientist for the Cassini–Huygens mission (2010-2012). She co-authored the book Beyond Earth: Our Path to a New Home in the Planets.

Dr. Sheila Rowan is an experimental physicist, professor, and director of the Institute for Gravitational Research at the University of Glasgow in the UK. She pioneered research on aspects of the technology of gravitational wave detectors which were responsible for picking up the first gravitational wave signals from colliding black holes in 2015.

Michael Benson is an artist, writer, and filmmaker who works at the intersection of art and science. His book Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece was published in April.

Sam Kean is the New York Times bestselling author of Caesar’s Last Breath, The Dueling Neurosurgeons, The Disappearing Spoon, and The Violinist’s Thumb.

Nicholas (Nik) Money is a mycologist and professor at Miami University (Ohio). He will present his most recent work, The Rise of Yeast: How the Sugar Fungus Shaped Civilization, along with Mushrooms: A Natural and Cultural History.

Richard Munson is an author, businessman, and activist in the field of clean energy and industrial energy efficiency. He directs the Environmental Defense Fund’s clean energy efforts in the Midwest. His most recent book, Tesla: Inventor of the Modern, was released in May.

Carolyn Collins Petersen is a Colorado-based science writer who specializes in astronomy and space-science topics. She is the author of Space Exploration: Past, Present, Future along with Astronomy 101: From the Sun and Moon to Wormholes and Warp Drive, Key Theories, Discoveries, and Facts about the Universe.

This year’s festival, The Big Think, includes more than 35 authors, storytellers, scientists, and creative visionaries participating in writing workshops, author readings, panel discussions, and much more. Learn more about the authors online at www.FoCoBookFest.org.

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Bestselling Sci-Fi Author Andy Weir Joins FoCo Book Fest

July 24, 2018 by

Andy Weir, Author of the New York Times Bestsellers The Martian and Artemis, Joins the 2018 Fort Collins Book Festival

Popular sci-fi writer and “lifelong space nerd” to present Closing Keynote

(FORT COLLINS, Colo., July 24, 2018) — Poudre River Public Library District today announced that internationally acclaimed author Andy Weir will present the closing keynote at the 2018 Fort Collins Book Festival, The Big Think. This is the third consecutive year of the free community festival which features diverse local, national, and international authors, poets, and innovators.

Photo credit: Aubrie Pick

Weir’s evening presentation is scheduled for Saturday, October 20 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the Lory Student Center* on the Colorado State University campus. A book signing will follow the presentation. Old Firehouse Books, the official bookseller of the FoCo Book Fest, will be on-hand before and after Weir’s session for book sales.

Prior to the evening keynote, Weir will participate in a discussion on space colonization at Block One Events Center beginning at 3:00 p.m. that explores the possibilities, realities, and challenges of humans living on other planets. He will be joined by featured Colorado author and planetary scientist Dr. Amanda Hendrix (Beyond Earth: Our Path to a new Home in the Planets).

“I’m excited to share my love for space exploration with fellow sci-fi fans during the Fort Collins Book Festival,” says Weir. “It’s a great opportunity to discuss how science, technology, and literature come together to envision future possibilities.”

Andy Weir built a career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full time. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects such as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail. His most recent novel, Artemis, was published in November 2017 and was a New York Times bestseller. Geneva Robertson-Dworet is set to adapt Artemis for the big screen, and Phil Lord and Chris Miller will direct.

*Schedule subject to change. Seating for presentations is on a first come basis. No ticket required. A final schedule and author lineup will be released prior to the event.

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Loudon Wainwright III Joins FoCo Book Fest Lineup

September 25, 2017 by

Legendary Folk Singer-Songwriter to Discuss New Memoir

We’re excited to announce that singer/songwriter, actor, and author Loudon Wainwright III has joined the Writings and Riffs lineup of presenters. His memoir, Liner Notes: On Parents & Children, Exes & Excess, Death & Decay, & a Few of My Other Favorite Things, was published earlier this month, and he’s going to join the FoCo Book Festival to discuss his life, lyrics, relationships, and major influences.

Plus, he’s even going to play a bit of live music for us!

Wainwright, the son of esteemed Life magazine columnist Loudon Wainwright, Jr., is the patriarch of one of America’s great musical families. With a career spanning more than four decades, Wainwright has established himself as one of the most enduring singer-songwriters who emerged from the late 1960s. Not only does he perform regularly across America and in Europe, but he is a sought-after actor, having appeared in many movies and TV series.

He joins fellow headliner, Kim Gordon, of Sonic-Youth fame, and featured authors G. Brown, Steve Knopper, Khadijah Queen, and Craig Werner, among many other exciting voices at this year’s book fest.

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Author Lineup Sneak Peek Continues

September 11, 2017 by

Okay, quick recap of where we are with the 2017 FoCo Book Fest author lineup.

Exciting featured authors Kim Gordon, G. Brown, Steve Knopper, Craig Werner, and Khadijah Queen.

√Check.

Amazing Colorado poets including Chloe Leisure, Aby Kaupang, Bill Tremblay, and Lisa Zimmerman.

√Check.

Now, we’re excited to announce more great authors joining us at #FoCoBookFest Writings and Riffs. Take a look and let us know what you think.

Mark Pedelty is an author, professor, and Fellow at the Institute on the Environment. His most recent book is A Song to Save the Salish Sea: Musical Performance as Environmental Activism.

Journalist Stephen Witt is the author of How Music Got Free: the End of an Industry, the Turn of the Century, and the Patient Zero of Piracy, the definitive history of digital music piracy.

Rick Beyer is a best-selling author, award-winning documentary producer, and long-time history enthusiast. His most recent book is Rivals Unto Death: Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. He’s also the author of The Greatest Music Stories Never Told.

Professor Kip Lornell is an award-winning author of 14 books focused on various topics in American vernacular music, with books about Texas Blues and D.C. Bluegrass slated for publication in 2018. He’s a Grammy winner for program notes for Anthology of American Folk Music and is the co-editor of The Music of Multicultural America along with our next author, Anne Rasmussen.

Anne Rasmussen is a professor of music and ethnomusicology and the director of the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble at the College of William and Mary. She recently authored Women, the Recited Qur’an and Islamic Music in Indonesia.

Colorado musician, singer-songwriter, and author Rick Roberts has written two recent books: Lame Brain: My Journey Back to Myself and a collection of stories from his musical career, Song Stories and Other Left-Handed Recollections.

More information about each of these authors and presenters can be found on our Speakers page.

Stay tuned for more additions to the festival!

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