This event was recorded on January 28, 2026 at Paepcke Auditorium, as part of the 2026 Winter Words series, in partnership with Aspen Public Radio.
Bestselling author and beloved New Yorker writer Susan Orlean discusses “Joyride,” a magic carpet ride through her life and career. The book is also a time machine to a bygone era of journalism, from Orlean’s bright start in the golden age of alt-weeklies to her career-making days working alongside icons such as Tina Brown, David Remnick, Anna Wintour and other forces who shaped the media industry as we know it today. “Joyride” is a must-read for anyone who hungers to start, build and sustain a creative life. Orlean inspires us to seek out daily inspiration and rediscover the marvels that surround us.
The talk was moderated by Christine Benedetti.
About the Author
Susan Orlean is the New York Times bestselling author of “Joyride,” “The Library Book,” “Rin Tin Tin,” “Saturday Night,” “The Orchid Thief,” which was made into the Academy Award–winning film “Adaptation,” and other books. She has been called “a national treasure” by The Washington Post and “a latter-day Tocqueville” by The New York Times. Her deeply moving explorations of American stories both familiar and obscure have earned her a reputation as one of America’s most distinctive journalistic voices. A staff writer for The New Yorker for over 30 years and a former contributing editor at Rolling Stone and Vogue, she has been praised as “an exceptional essayist” (Publishers Weekly) and a writer who “approaches her subjects with intense curiosity and fairness” (Bookmarks).
About the Moderator
Christine Benedetti is the editor-in-chief of Local magazine, the Roaring Fork Valley’s only locally owned lifestyle magazine. She has been part of the Aspen Daily News in some capacity—reporter, columnist and editor—since moving to the valley in 2006. She is also a writer and producer for Wendover Productions, a media company creating nonfiction video content for its three YouTube channels and streaming services. Her work has appeared in publications across the country, and she’s Q-and-A’d everyone from Katie Couric to Colin Jost. Her favorite interview, however, remains getting up close-and-personal with a herd of goats to report on their award-winning cheese.
Christine is also an Aspen City Councilor, and she currently serves on the Aspen Historical Society board. She tries to spend some time outside every day, on foot, wheels or skis. In her spare time, she has a family and an energetic dog.