Author of "The Devil in the White City" to speak as part of All Pikes Peak Reads

Erik Larson, author of the bestselling nonfiction book, The Devil in the White City, is coming to Colorado Springs to speak at two separate events this week as part of Pikes Peak Library District’s All Pikes Peak Reads (APPR) program.

The Devil in the White City brings Chicago circa 1893 to life, painting a picture of a city poised on the edge of greatness. Larson’s spellbinding story intertwines the tales of two men: Daniel Burnham, the architect behind the legendary 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and H.H. Holmes, the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their deaths.

APPR’s theme for 2010 is “Innovation and Enterprise” and features books and programming that inspires inventive thinking. Great innovations coupled with great consequence – themes Larson explores in The Devil in the White City – would also become themes that defined the coming 20th century and make the book a poignant choice for APPR in 2010.

On Wednesday, Oct. 6, Larson will read from The Devil in the White City and answer questions from the audience at a free event held at 7 p.m. at Colorado College’s Armstrong Hall, 14 E. Cache La Poudre St.
Then, on Thursday, Oct. 7, Larson will discuss his book at Lunch and Conversation with Author Erik Larson, a special ticket-only event where attendees will also receive lunch and an autographed copy of The Devil in the White City. The program begins at 11:30 a.m. at Cheyenne Mountain Resort, 3225 Broadmoor Valley Road. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online at ppld.org/foundation.

For more information about these two upcoming programs, or to set up an interview with Erik Larson, contact PPLD Media Specialist Travis Duncan at 531-6333, x1202 or tduncan@ppld.org.

Pikes Peak Library District was founded in 1903. It is a nationally recognized system of public libraries serving a population of more than 535,000 in El Paso County, Colorado. PPLD’s twelve libraries, online resources, and mobile library service make it a vital force for individual and community transformation.