What to Read this Winter

Aspen Words

will welcome authors at the height of their careers to discuss their work at the 22nd annual Winter Words series in Aspen. Even if you can’t make it to Aspen, here are seven titles to add to your reading list.

The Push: A Climber’s Search for the Path

by Tommy Caldwell
From the top of the sport-climbing circuit, to becoming a hostage in Kyrgyzstan, to the first free-climb of the Dawn Wall on Yosemite’s El Capitan, this memoir tackles startling and ambitious athletic feats.

Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right

by Jane Mayer
The investigative journalist traces the influx of special interest money in politics and the rise of an American oligarchy, while shining a light on democracy’s darkest corners.

 

The Underground Railroad

by Colson Whitehead
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, this novel follows a slave who escapes a Georgia cotton plantation by following a literal underground rail system.

 

You Think It, I’ll Say It

by Curtis Sittenfeld
Best-selling novelist Sittenfeld, a smart, funny observer of human relationships, takes on the short story in her new collection.

 

Everything Happens for A Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved

by Kate Bowler
This memoir—about a divinity professor’s search for answers as she battles a fatal cancer—is heartbreaking yet also manages to be funny, provocative, and inspiring.

 

Why Religion? A Personal Story

by Elaine Pagels
Why is religion still around in the 21st century? The Princeton scholar and Institute trustee looks to her own life for answers.

 

The News from The End of The World

By Emily Jeanne Miller
Set on Cape Cod during the off-season, this engrossing novel examines a family on the brink of catastrophe.

Placeholder
Blog Posts Publications

2024 Program Book: AEF Leadership Forum

Review the Program Book of 2020’s invitational symposium for artist-endowed foundation leaders, examining issues and innovations in practice and policy influencing the field, presented by AEFI and hosted by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Placeholder
Blog Posts Publications

2022 Program Book: AEF Leadership Forum

Review the Program Book of 2020’s invitational symposium for artist-endowed foundation leaders, examining issues and innovations in practice and policy influencing the field, presented by AEFI and hosted by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Placeholder
Blog Posts Publications

2025 Course Book: Seminar on Strategy for AEF Leaders

Review the Course Book of the sixth edition of the groundbreaking professional development program for artist-endowed foundation leaders, presented by AEFI and hosted by 500 Capp Street Foundation | David Ireland House; the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation; the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation; the Gordon Parks Foundation; and the Woodman Family Foundation.

Blog Posts

Announcing the 2025 Graduates of AEFI’s Seminar on Strategy

The Aspen Institute Artist-Endowed Foundations Initiative Welcomes New Foundation Leaders

A photo of attendees at the 2025 Local News Summit.
Blog Posts

Urgent Calls to Action from the Local News Summit

This is a moment of urgency for journalists as the Trump administration attacks major news organizations and blocks access to reporters.

Placeholder
Blog Posts

Ten Podcasts Focused on Rural Community and Economic Development

Check out our roundup of ten podcasts highlighting important issues about and to rural communities and Native nations.

A pattern of quotation marks.
Blog Posts

What the Winners Have to Say: The 2023 Reporting on AI Hall of Fame

Here’s what the winners of the 2023 Reporting on AI Hall of Fame have to say about the importance of good writing about AI.

Placeholder
Blog Posts

Aspen Institute Through the Lens: Daniel Bayer’s Photographic Legacy

Daniel Bayer’s artistic philosophy infuses his photography, which has been shaping the iconic tapestry of moments at the institute for the past two decades.