Bestselling author of “Cutting for Stone,” Abraham Verghese wraps up the 2024 Winter Words season, presenting his latest work, “The Covenant of Water,” also a New York Times bestseller, as well as an Oprah’s Book Club selection and the subject of a six-part podcast series hosted by Oprah Winfrey. This mystical work of fiction follows three generations of a family which experiences mysterious tragedy on the South Indian coast. Verghese talks about his inspiration for the novel and how his deep and knowledgeable background in the medical field influences his work.

What is it like to leave everything you know behind? Listen in for a Winter Words talk with memoirist and award-winning poet Safiya Sinclair, as she discusses her new book, “How to Say Babylon.” This Read with Jenna TODAY show book club pick examines the author’s rigid Rastafarian upbringing and her efforts to break free from the patriarchal structure which defined her youth.

World-champion climber Sasha DiGiulian joined Aspen Words to discuss her memoir, “Take the Lead: Hanging On, Letting Go, and Conquering Life’s Hardest Climbs.” From learning to climb as a six year old to putting up first ascents around the world, DiGiulian details her path to becoming one of the most successful climbers of all time while navigating a male-dominated sport, dealing with body dysmorphia in the age of social media, and channeling a competitive spirit into entrepreneurship and climate advocacy. If you love Tommy Caldwell’s “Push” or Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild,” this evening of adventure literature is not to be missed.

The 2024 Winter Words season began with acclaimed, award-winning author Ann Patchett and her longtime literary friend, Elizabeth McCracken in conversation. Patchett returned to the Aspen Words stage and discussed her latest work, Tom Lake, a “Reese’s Book Club” selection. The novel is a meditation on young love, married love, and the lives parents have led before children. McCracken is the author of eight books including her most recent novel, “The Hero of This Book.”

Our entire knowledge of early galaxy formation is in a state of flux. In this talk, Whitaker introduces you to the capabilities of NASA’s newest flagship mission and highlight a few of the most exciting and revolutionary results to date. Among these is the story of distinguishing the most distant galaxies from those enshrouded in thick veils of dust while teasing out the hidden monsters inside.

Public lands have historically operated under multiple-use mandates ranging from mining to grazing to recreation to conservation. The multiple uses of public lands have various economic ramifications and distributional effects for adjacent communities and for the public. In this presentation, Evan Hjerpe explains how economic activities on public lands affect regional economies, summarizes recent research conducted on the economic influence of protected areas, and illustrates economic transitions occurring in and near public lands.

Nathalie describes recent efforts to achieve major improvements in two different qubit platforms: nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond and superconducting circuits.

Shereen Sarick shares stories that weave together the people in the Roaring Fork Valley and villagers of the Langtang Valley. Learn about the lives, schools, and villages that crumbled in the 2015 earthquakes, and the rebuilding of them all.

All around us, all the time, the birds are telling us who they are and what they are doing. In this talk, Nathan Pieplow unlocks the secrets of their language. You’ll listen in on the pillow talk of a pair of Red-winged Blackbirds, and learn the secret signals that Cliff Swallows use when they have found food. You’ll learn how one bird sound can have many meanings, and how one meaning can have many sounds – and how, sometimes, the meaning isn’t in the sounds at all.

Hear from three thriving adaptive athletes in the Roaring Fork Valley who are using their art, visibility, and voice to remind us that when access for people with disabilities is equal, the possibilities become limitless.