"Words to Stir the Soul: Readings from the American West," will be hosted by the CU-Boulder Center of the American West at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 31, in the Old Main Chapel on the Boulder campus.
The program also will be held, with different readers and reading selections, at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 3, at the LoDo Tattered Cover Bookstore at 1628 16th St. in Denver. Both programs are free and open to the public.
The program was inspired by the experience of a patient of Dr. Niles Utlaut of Boulder, who chose to undergo surgery that would either dramatically improve his eyesight or destroy it. When the surgery was a success, the exhilarated patient wanted to hold an event celebrating the ability to read.
Among the readers for the third annual CU-Boulder event will be Colleen Conant, executive editor and publisher of the Daily Camera; Dr. Charles Scoggin, founder of Somatogen and CEO and founder of Sage Medical Institute Inc.; Jerrie Hurd, Western novelist; and several CU-Boulder professors including Patricia Nelson Limerick of history; Charles Wilkinson of law; William Riebsame of geography; Cathy Cameron of anthropology; Daniel Cress of sociology; Lynn Ross-Bryant of religious studies; and Lee Krauth of English.
Among the readers at the Tattered Cover program will be Sam Arnold, owner of The Fort Restaurant in Morrison, Colo.; John Hickenlooper, owner of the Wynkoop Brewery; Joyce Meskis, owner of the Tattered Cover Bookstore; Manuel Ramos and Robert Greer, mystery writers; Bill Hornby, former editor of The Denver Post; Eleanor Gehres, retired director of western history and genealogy, Denver Public Library; and Tom Noel, CU-Denver professor of history.
Each of the readers will celebrate the rich literary heritage of the American West as they read segments from their favorite western-inspired literature for up to five minutes. A list of the featured literature will be available at the program.
The mission of the Center of the American West is to explore the distinctive character and issues of the region and to help Westerners become well-informed, participating citizens in their communities.
For more information call (303) 492-4879.