Birth City

Buffalo

Birth State

NY

Current Location

Colorado Springs, CO

Email (Public)

Author's Website

Occupation(s)

Journalist and author

Biography

I am a science journalist and author of a book about the history of humanity's relationship with the Moon. I grew up in Denver, graduated from Colorado State University, and am raising my family in Colorado Springs. I write for national magazines and my book is being published in multiple languages. I would love to be able to share it with my own neighbors and to see it in my own public library!

I am author of Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are, publishing Jan. 16, 2024, from Random House, an imprint of Penguin Random House International.

I also write articles for Scientific American magazine, The Atlantic, The New York Times, Atlas Obscura, and many others.

Awards/Honors

Education/Training

BA, History, Colorado State University

Local Authors Genres

Published Works

Published Works Book Jackets

Organizations

National Association of Science Writers, Society of Environmental Journalists, Authors Guild

Speaker Availability

Yes

Speaker Topics

Space exploration, stargazing, and the night sky, especially the Moon; history and prehistory, especially World War II, ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Rome; evolution of early life on Earth; planetary science, especially relating to Earth, the Moon, Mars, and other terrestrial worlds; space and science fiction; writing nonfiction, creative nonfiction, the writing life.

Pseudonym

Vincenzo

Birth City

Newport News

Birth State

VA

Current Location

Colorado Springs, CO

Email (Public)

Occupation(s)

Regional Senior Librarian Associate

Biography

Vincent Burke III is a cultural anthropologist and fiction writer who specializes in queer storytelling. His degree in Cultural Anthropology comes from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, where he began writing short horror fiction in 2016. Soon after having published his first story, The Remains of Adrian Hewitt, Vincent began formulating a plan for Flesh and Bone, a sprawling series that would encompass his studies, his love of reading, and his own tumultuous past. Growing up in a divided house, Vincent's experiences with abuse and survival ultimately led him into the United States Army where he started developing an understanding of his own queerness and spirituality. After briefly serving as a combat engineer, Vincent moved back to Colorado where he began pursuing his degree in Anthropology at UCCS. Now living safely and comfortably with his boyfriend, best friend, and their cat, Orpheus, he spends the day reading, writing, playing lacrosse and thinking of the next best American novel.

Education/Training

BA in Cultural Anthropology, concentration in History and Memory

Local Authors Genres

Published Works

Published Works Book Jackets

Organizations

Member of the Pikes Peak Library District - National Archives (Citizens Archivist)

Speaker Availability

Yes

Speaker Topics

Queer Storytelling, Embracing Gay Spirituality, Writing as Therapy, Fiction as Healing.

Birth City

Johnson City

Birth State

NY

Current Location

El Paso County, CO

Email (Public)

Author's Website

Occupation(s)

Freelance journalist and author

Biography

Alli Carter Close is a freelance journalist who lives in the shadow of Pikes Peak. She lives with her husband, two children and four dogs.

Awards/Honors

Local Authors Genres

Published Works

Published Works Book Jackets

Speaker Availability

Yes

Speaker Topics

The history of the Ute in Colorado

Birth City

Worms, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany

Current Location

Colorado Springs, CO

Author's Website

Occupation(s)

Writer

Biography

After growing up in Germany, Tanja Britton came to Colorado Springs thanks to her husband Mike, whose family, like many, was transplanted to the Pikes Peak region because of their affiliation with the military. Her interest in medicine led her to explore the fascinating history of tuberculosis in the area, which catalyzed wider historical studies. Increasingly fond of nature, photography, and writing, she was inspired to combine her interests by starting a blog in 2016 and by writing her first book.

Education/Training

Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany

Local Authors Genres

Published Works

Published Works Book Jackets

Speaker Availability

Yes

Speaker Topics

Colorado Springs parks - Colorado Springs history - Colorado's avifauna

Birth City

San Diego

Birth State

CA

Current Location

Pueblo, CO

Email (Public)

Occupation(s)

Scholar and Writer

Biography

Long time resident of Colorado Springs until 2018. Graduate William J. Palmer High School. Numerous instructor positions teaching English Rhetoric and Composition at CU-Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Community College, and CSU-Pueblo. Have taught British Literature 18th- to 20th-century, American literatures including Latino/Latina, Chicano/Chicana, Native American, and African American, and Introduction to Humanities.

Awards/Honors

Education/Training

Ph.D., “Comparative Literature,” Department of Comparative Studies, State University of New York at Stony Brook; full residency. Dissertation: “The Liberty-Genocide Paradox: American Indians in European and American Travel Writing, 1795-1991.” Degree awarded: 1996. -- M.A., “The Sociology of Literature,” Department of Literature, University of Essex, Colchester, England; full residency. Thesis: “The Concrete Human Subject,” on Georg Lukács’s concept of world history and heroism in American novels. Degree awarded: 1991. -- B.A., “English,” The University of Colorado, Colorado Springs; full residency. Includes Junior Year Abroad at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, England. Degree awarded: 1988.

Local Authors Genres

Published Works

Organizations

The Rocky Mountain chapter of the Modern Language Association (meets in various locations from Albuquerque, NM, to Boulder, Colorado).

Speaker Availability

Yes

Speaker Topics

The Reverend Charles Kingsley (1819-1875), Canon of Westminster Abbey, visited Colorado Springs in the summer of 1874 with his daughter, Rose Georgina Kingsley. He was a Broad Church Anglican who promoted medical science, trade's unions, and individual improvement. He knew Palmer's English business partner, William A. Bell, when Bell was a student, and Kingsley gave history lectures at Cambridge University (1860 to 1869).

Rose Kingsley was the first to write about the infant town, Colorado Springs, in her book "South by West" (1874).

William A. Bell and William Henry Blackmore were General Palmer's English financial advisors. Bell was a graduate of Trinity Hall, Cambridge University; in contrast, Blackmore was the talented son of a highly successful tradesman from Salisbury, England.

Pseudonym

JoRayma C

Birth City

Nuernberg, Germany

Current Location

Colorado Springs, CO

Email (Public)

Occupation(s)

Writer - Journalist - English professor - Seminar leader

Biography

A writer, seminar leader, and former English professor, Durthy A. Washington has taught graduate, undergraduate, and adult education courses at several colleges and universities including The Colorado College, UCCS, and the US Air Force Academy. Durthy is the founder of LitUnlocked, which offers workshops and seminars dedicated to the art of mindful, culturally responsive reading. Each workshop centers on the LIST Paradigm, an innovative approach to critical reading that helps readers unlock the power of literature with four keys to culture: Language, Identity, Space, and Time.

Awards/Honors

Education/Training

MA English, San Jose State University - MS Education, University of Southern California, Los Angeles - BA English, San Diego State University

Local Authors Genres

Published Works

Published Works Book Jackets

Interviews

Organizations

The Toni Morrison Society - PILLAR Institute for Lifelong Learning - Pikes Peak Library District Adult Reading Program (Facilitator) - Friends of the Pikes Peak Library - Educating Children of Color Conference - African American Youth Leadership Conference

Speaker Availability

Yes

Speaker Topics

Culturally Responsive Reading - Culturally Responsive Teaching - African American Literature - Approaches to Teaching Literature - Writing Memoir and Autobiography

Birth City

Kennesaw

Birth State

GA

Current Location

Colorado Springs, CO

Author's Website

Occupation(s)

Local Historian

Biography

Dr. Brian D. Laslie is Command Historian, U.S. Air Force Academy. A historian of air power and space studies, Dr. Laslie received his Bachelor’s degree in history from The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina in 2001, his Master’s from Auburn University Montgomery in 2006, and his Doctorate in history from Kansas State University in 2013.

Local Authors Genres

Published Works

Published Works Book Jackets

Organizations

Rocky Mountain Military Affairs Society

Speaker Availability

Yes

Speaker Topics

Local military history including Ent Air Force Base, history of NORAD, and Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station

Current Location

Colorado Springs, CO

Email (Public)

Author's Website

Occupation(s)

Author

Biography

A.R. Kingston grew up in a small town in Massachusetts. She holds a degree in psychology and has spent several years working in the mental health field before turning to writing.
When she’s not reading or working on her own books, you can find her playing video games, enjoying archery and photography, or volunteering at her local pig rescue.
She currently lives in Colorado Springs with her two teenage boys, her dogs, and pet pigs.

Local Authors Genres

Published Works

Published Works Book Jackets

Speaker Availability

Yes

Speaker Topics

Please contact author via author website for a list of speaker topics.

Birth City

Princeton

Birth State

NJ

Current Location

Colorado Springs, CO

Email (Public)

Author's Website

Occupation(s)

Photographer - Author

Biography

Judith has specialized in capturing breathtaking scenic and nature images for over 20 years. She shares her vast knowledge through private and group photo tours of Garden of the Gods as well as other Colorado locations. You can also join her for photographic seminars and workshops. Visit her website to view portfolio images and fine art prints, and to see free instructional videos at www.mothernaturephotography.com. 

Judith says, "Showing up at a location and photographing nature by literally recording the moment is different from capturing nature as an artist feels it should be viewed; using light, weather, equipment, and an artistic interpretation to show Mother Nature’s beauty and power. Both methods are useful in photography, but each has a distinct time and place. My goal is always to make each image intentional, represent my artistic vision, and create a piece of art that will be loved for a lifetime. I have spent the majority of my life in Colorado Springs, moving here as a child. I remember my joy while climbing on the rocks of Garden of the Gods early in my life. Though I moved to Michigan for ten years, Colorado always echoed in my heart. Now that I have returned to 'The Springs,' I often frequent Garden of the Gods, spending much time hiking and photographing this breathtaking open space with my loving husband and children."

Education/Training

Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art, Hillsdale College - Addition studies in photography at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI - Staff Photographer for R.J. Michael's, Inc. (an advertising agency in Jackson, MI) - Studio Manager and Second Shooter for Don Jones Photography (a commercial photography studio in Colorado Springs, CO) - Twelve years as both an art and photography faculty member and head of the Professional Photography department at Pikes Peak Community College.

Local Authors Genres

Published Works

Published Works Book Jackets

Interviews

Speaker Availability

Yes

Speaker Topics

* General landscape and nature photography tips and techniques
* Best practices to learn and study photography, and start a photography business
* Local landmarks and parks including favorite photography site locations around the city and tips to make amazing photos in each place
* The history of Garden of the Gods
* Issues pertaining to the preservation of the land and wildlife

Birth City

Lincoln

Birth State

NE

Current Location

Colorado Springs, CO

Author's Website

Occupation(s)

Educator and author

Biography

Carina Bissett is a writer, poet, and educator working primarily in the fields of dark fiction and fabulism. Her short fiction and poetry have been published in multiple journals and anthologies including Upon a Twice Time, Bitter Distillations: An Anthology of Poisonous Tales, Arterial Bloom, Gorgon: Stories of Emergence, Weird Dream Society, Hath No Fury, and the HWA Poetry Showcase Vol. V, VI, and VIII. She has also written stories set in shared worlds for RPGs at Green Ronin Publishing and Onyx Path Publishing. In addition to writing, she has edited several projects; the most recent is in the role as co-editor for Shadow Atlas: Dark Landscapes of the Americas.

As an educator, Carina has taught at Pikes Peak Community College, Glendale Community College, and Arizona State University. She also participated in the Colorado Writing Project and works with educators to develop writing instruction in college and secondary school classrooms. She currently offers workshops focused on story generation at The Storied Imaginarium. Her fiction has been nominated for the Sundress Publications Best of the Net Award and was a finalist for the Ron L. Hubbard Writers of the Future Awards. Her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Sundress Publications Best of the Net Award. In her editorial capacity, she’s received recognition as the Winner at the Colorado Book Awards 2022 (Anthology) and as a Finalist in the Fiction: Anthologies category of the 2022 International Book Award.

Awards/Honors

Education/Training

MFA in Creative Writing (University of Maine, 2018) - M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction (University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, 2011) - B.A. in Integrative Studies (Arizona State University, 1999) - A.A. in Humanities (Glendale Community College, 1998) - A.G.S. in General Studies (Glendale Community College, 1997)

Local Authors Genres

Published Works

Organizations

Horror Writers Association - Science Fiction Poetry Association - Colorado Poets Center - Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

Speaker Availability

Yes

Speaker Topics

* Speculative fiction
* Creative non-fiction
* Speculative poetry
* Memoir
* Other creative pursuits