Contact:
Lisa Consiglio
Executive Director
Aspen Writers’ Foundation
970-‐925-‐3122, ext. 1# | Lisa@aspenwriters.org
Geraldine Brooks, Michael Chabon, Kathryn Stockett, Ann Patchett, and Tracy Kidder Headline 15th Season
November 21, 2011, Aspen, CO—The Aspen Writers’ Foundation (AWF), already elevated at 7,809 feet in the Colorado Rockies, goes stratospheric this ski season as its 15th annual Winter Words literary performance series draws the stars of the writing world to Aspen from February through April, 2012.
This sparkling season features a Pulitzer Prize-‐rich lineup of novelists, short story writers, journalists, nonfiction masters, and a poet who inhabit the magical intersection of critical acclaim and popular success, where award podiums and bestseller lists meet. The AWF, a program of the Aspen Institute, announces authors Kathryn Stockett, Geraldine Brooks, Tony Horwitz, Michael Chabon (interviewed by Andrew Sean Greer), Tracy Kidder, Ann Patchett, Daniyal Mueenuddin, and Jonathan Wells for its Winter Words program, which will be held at downtown Aspen venues. Individual tickets, season passes, and Author Salon packages, starting at $20, are available from Aspen Show Tickets at www.aspenshowtix.com and 970.920.5770 beginning December 1.
“We always shoot for the stars when it comes to Winter Words, and this year we exceeded our goal,” said AWF executive director Lisa Consiglio. “We consider all lovers of literature to be rock stars, and this line-‐up proves that Aspen is the place to be for anyone who is passionate about the written word.”
The season schedule is as follows:
- Feb 7, Ann Patchett, Wheeler Opera House
Orange Prize winner; bestselling author of Bel Canto; renowned for her brilliance on the page and podium - Feb 21, Michael Chabon in conversation with Andrew Sean Greer, Wheeler Opera House
One of the most celebrated writers of his generation; the genius behind The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay; winner of the Pulitzer Prize - Feb 27, Geraldine Brooks and Tony Horwitz, Wheeler Opera House
Pulitzer Prize-‐winning masters of form: fiction, journalism and nonfiction; bestselling authors of People of the Book (Brooks) and Midnight Rising (Horwitz) - Mar 1, Tracy Kidder, Wheeler Opera House
Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner; nonfiction powerhouse; bestselling author of Strength in What Remains - Mar 8, Daniyal Mueenuddin, The Little Nell
Debut author of In Other Rooms, Other Wonders; Story Prize winner; finalist for the Pulitzer and the National Book Award - Mar 19, Jonathan Wells, The Gant
Author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection, Train Dance; finalist for the Pushcart Prize; expert on the poetry of rock n’ roll - Apr 3, Kathryn Stockett, Wheeler Opera House
Author of the international sensation, The Help; the literary inspiration for the #1 box office hit film; book club phenomenon
The Details
Winter Words events take place at 5:30pm (doors at 5pm). Tickets are $20/event or $110/season subscription with deeper discounts available for AWF members, Aspen
Institute Society of Fellows, students, and educators.
Immediately following the public talk by each author, a private party for the guest of honor will be held at a downtown art
gallery. Author Salons are a rare opportunity to break bread and share conversation with a renowned author, all while participating in a private viewing of the gallery’s art collection. Author Salon Packages include an event ticket with reserved seating at Winter Words 2012 and a pass to the private after-‐party. These special gatherings are sponsored by Aspen Peak magazine.
Tickets, passes and packages may be purchased starting December 1 from Aspen Show Tickets at 970.920.5700 and through www.aspenshowtix.com. More information is available from the Aspen Writers’ Foundation at 970.925.3122 and www.aspenwriters.org.
The Aspen Writers’ Foundation (AWF) was founded in Aspen in 1976 as a cutting edge poetry conference and literary magazine. Today the Aspen Writers’ Foundation is one of the nation’s leading literary centers and a stage for the world’s most prominent authors, reaching over 1,150,000 literary enthusiasts globally. AWF programs employ literature as a tool for provoking thought, broadening perspectives, fostering connections, inspiring creativity, and giving voice. Since 2009, the AWF has partnered with the Aspen Institute, underscoring the highest humanistic ideals of Aspen Institute founder Walter Paepcke: to better understand human challenges by cultivating one’s inner life through the exchange of words, stories, and ideas.