Colorado State University will have a strong presence at the Fort Collins Book Fest, an event bringing together an impressive group of writers, poets, musicians and music insiders from across the country on Oct. 21.

This year’s event, Writings and Riffs, features a distinct musical flavor, reflecting the community’s passion and growing influence in music and creative arts. Many CSU faculty and alumni are participating in the Book Fest, now in its second year.

Prominent guests include Sonic Youth musician, artist and author Kim Gordon and singer, songwriter, actor and author Loudon Wainwright III.

“We’re thrilled with the success of last year’s Fort Collins Book Festival and programs and look forward to another exciting event this year,” said Anne Macdonald, festival co-founder and librarian at Poudre River Public Library District. “Attendees at this year’s festival will have the opportunity to experience, up-close from their favorite authors, how books and music are flip sides of the same artistic coin.”

About the Book Fest

Writings and Riffs celebrates books, poetry and music as a means of storytelling, self-expression and social conversation. The day-long event is free and open to the public, and will include presentations, panel discussions, writing workshops, author readings and book signings. The event takes place at venues throughout Old Town Fort Collins from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21. The full schedule and more information is available at www.FoCoBookFest.org.

Gordon will discuss her New York Times bestselling memoir, Girl in a Band, at 3:30 p.m. at Block One Events, 428 Linden St. Book purchases and signings will follow the headline panel discussion, “The Remix: Books that Made Me” at 5 p.m. at Block One Events.

Wainwright will discuss his recently published memoir, Liner Notes: On Parents & Children, Exes & Excess, Death & Decay, & a Few of My Other Favorite Things, and play a bit of music to accompany his presentation. He will speak at 1:30 p.m. at Block One Events with book sales and signing to follow.

Other guests

In addition to Gordon and Wainwright, featured authors include Steve Knopper, Craig Werner, G. Brown and Khadijah Queen.

• Knopper is a Rolling Stone contributing editor and author of MJ: The Genius of Michael Jackson and Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age.
• Werner, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominating committee member, is the author of a forthcoming book about the history of the 1960s as well as We Gotta Get Out of this Place: Music from the Vietnam War and other titles.
• Brown is the founding director of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame and is the author of recently published Red Rocks: The Concert Years and Colorado Rocks! A Half-Century of Music in Colorado.
• Queen is an award-winning writer and poet from Denver. Her most recent work is I’m So Fine: A List of Famous Men & What I Had On.

All of the featured authors will participate in “The Remix: The Books that Made Me,” focusing on the books and stories that had the most influence on who they are today. Each will also participate in various presentations, author readings and book signings throughout the day.

CSU ties

Scheduled participants with ties to CSU include Department of English faculty members John Calderazzo, Bill Tremblay, Leslee Becker, Matthew Cooperman and Sasha Steensen. Several CSU alumni will also be on hand, including 2014 Fort Collins Poet Laureate Chloé Leisure, 2016 Fort Collins Poet Laureate Aby Kaupang Cooperman, and Susan Ring deRosset, recipient of the 2011-12 Crow-Tremblay Creative Writing Fellowship and former teaching assistant.

Other CSU alumni who will be at the festival include Stephen “Brer Rabbit” Brackett of The Flobots, Stacy Nick of KUNC, and Lisa Zimmerman, poet and professor of English at the University of Northern Colorado.

The FoCo Book Fest is produced by Poudre River Public Library District in partnership with CSU Morgan Library and the City of Fort Collins Fort Fund. The event is supported through the generosity of Colorado State University Division of External Relations; City of Fort Collins Office of Economic Health; The Music District; KUNC/The Colorado Sound; KRFC; Intersect Brewing; New Belgium Brewing; Poudre River Friends of the Library; Old Firehouse Books; Wolverine Letterpress & Publick House; Anne and Bruce Macdonald; Friends of the Morgan Library; Liggett & Johnson, p.c.; Downtown Artery; First National Bank; Poudre River Library Trust; Front Range Community College Foundation; The Forge Publick House; Downtown Development Authority; Happy Lucky’s Teahouse; NoCo Hotspots; Library Executive Directors, and others.