The Aspen Institute

This event is FREE and open to the general public. Advance registration required. We will not be able to accommodate walk-ups until further notice.

Rain Plan: If the forecast is calling for rain (or weather), we will move the event to a virtual platform and email all registrants by 1pm on the day-of the event to confirm the plan and provide online access.

Health & Safety: The Aspen Institute and Aspen Words regard the health and safety of staff and participants as our highest priority, and are committed to doing our part to end the COVID-19 pandemic. All attendees at in-person events will be required to show they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or, if they are legally exempt from this requirement, take an onsite COVID-19 rapid test and show a negative result before entry. This applies for all indoor and outdoor Aspen Institute/Aspen Words events starting in June 2021, but is subject to change based on revised guidance from the CDC, and/or from the state of Colorado and Pitkin County. Click here for more information, including our policy around mask-wearing and social distancing.

About Casey Gerald

Casey Gerald is the author of “There Will Be No Miracles Here,” a memoir that stands the American Dream narrative on its head, while straddling the complex intersection of race, class, religion and sexuality. TWBNMH was named a Best Book of 2018 by NPR and The New York Times. The book was a finalist for the LAMBDA Literary Award, and a longlist selection for the Carnegie Medal for excellence in Nonfiction. Casey most recently published “The Black Art of Escape” in New York Magazine. The essay reflects on the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans’ arrival in Virginia, in 1619. It reframes that event and the history since, and articulates a new vision for black Americans in the 21st century. The essay was selected by Longform as one of the best essays of 2019. Casey’s two TED Talks have been viewed over five million times, and he has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, PBS, as well as in The Guardian, the New York Review of Books, and other outlets. He lives in Austin, Texas.

I’M REGISTERED TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, HOW DO I INDICATE MY VACCINATION STATUS? 

Thank you for registering to attend this event, we are looking forward to seeing!

• The Institute is using the ReturnSafe app to capture and securely store vaccination information. Please follow these steps to install and use the ReturnSafe app:
  • iPhone users:
    • Install the app from the Apple App Store.
  • Android users:
    • Install the app from the Google Play Store.
  • Web (Mobile or Desktop/Laptop):
    • https://desktop.returnsafe.com
• To use the app you will need the following information:
  • Workspace Code: aspeninstitute
  • Program Host or Group: Aspen Words
  • Event name: Casey Gerald – Writer in Residence
  • Event Start Date: October 19th, 2021, at 5:30 pm
• If you are planning to attend multiple Aspen Institute events, you will only need to answer questions and upload your vaccine documentation once.But you may be asked to return to the app to indicate any new events you may be attending.
• If you are fully vaccinated, you will be cleared to attend the event. Please bring your mobile device to the event to show you are cleared to attend. If you do not have a mobile device or neglect to bring it with you, someone can look up your status at the registration desk.
• If you are exempted from the vaccination requirement, you will be asked to arrive early to the event to take a COVID-19 rapid test onsite and show a negative result before entry. This test will be provided and paid for by the Aspen Institute. If you test positive for COVID-19, you will not be allowed to attend the event in-person but may be able to participate in a virtual option – we are doing our best to make this possible for our events.