Ideas, Speakers & Lectures

Explore Booksellers

Explore Booksellers, a favorite destination for visitors and locals alike, has been an institution in the Aspen community for nearly 50 years. More than a bookstore, Explore is an intellectual gathering place that embodies the Aspen spirit - where books, ideas, and the free-flowing conversation they initiate are part of the environment. Explore Booksellers is owned by a non-profit organization in the Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations in 30 states committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to social change. Part of their mission is to serve the Aspen community by hosting free literary events with local and visiting authors, educational events and workshops with a variety of speakers, round table discussions, and other programming with thought leaders of the day. Learn more at explorebooksellers.com.

Explore Booksellers: Environmental Warrior Doug Peacock

Aspen Public Radio

Published May 22, 2023 at 12:18 PM MDT

This event was recorded on May 20, 2023 at Explore Booksellers, in partnership with Aspen Public Radio.

Explore hosted Doug Peacock, author, filmmaker, and wildlife activist. A lifetime of devotion to the environment, Doug served as the model for the character George Washington Hayduke in Edward Abbey's novel The Monkey Wrench Gang. In his new book, Was It Worth It?: A Wilderness Warrior's Long Trail Home, Peacock reflects on a life lived in the wild and sojourns with his generation’s environmental leaders: Author Peter Matthiessen, Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia, Doug Tompkins of North Face. In this collection of reflective and frank essays along with gripping stories of adventure, Peacock recounts his adventures to understand and explain his perspective on Nature: That wilderness is the only thing left worth saving.