Colorado State University Presents an Evening with Author Susan Orlean Apr. 17

Susan Orlean, best-selling author of “Rin Tin Tin: The Life and The Legend,” will be speaking at 7 p.m. April 17 at the Fort Collins Hilton, 425 W. Prospect Road. The event is free and open to the public – no tickets are required. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. A book signing and sales will follow the program.

Orlean is the author of the best-selling book, “The Orchid Thief,” which was made into the Oscar-winning movie, “Adaptation.” Her latest work, “Rin Tin Tin: The Life and The Legend,” tells the story of Rin Tin Tin’s journey from orphaned puppy to movie star and international icon. From the moment in 1918 when Cpl. Lee Duncan discovers Rin Tin Tin on a World War I battlefield, he recognizes something in the pup that he needs to share with the world. Rin Tin Tin’s improbable introduction to Hollywood leads to the dog’s first blockbuster film and, over time, the many radio programs, movies and television shows that follow. The canine hero’s legacy is cemented by Duncan and a small group of others who devote their lives to keeping him and his descendants alive.

At its heart, “Rin Tin Tin” is a poignant exploration of the enduring bond between humans and animals. But it is also a richly textured history of 20th century entertainment and entrepreneurship and the changing role of dogs in the American family and society. Almost 10 years in the making, Orlean’s first original book since “The Orchid Thief” is a tour de force of history, human interest and masterful storytelling – something she shares with audiences in her multimedia presentations on the subject.

Orlean became a staff writer for The New Yorker in 1992. She has written several books, including, “My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who’s Been Everywhere,” “The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup: My Encounters with Ordinary People,” “Red Sox and Blue Fish,” “Saturday Night,” “Lazy Little Loafers,” and “The Orchid Thief,” a narrative about orchid poachers in Florida.

Orlean teaches creative writing at NYU and has been a writer-in-residence at several universities. She received her bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Michigan and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. She lives in upstate New York and Los Angeles with her husband and son.

This is part of a series of free author evenings presented by Friends of the CSU Libraries the Poudre River Friends of the Library, and sponsored by KUNC Radio and Hilton Fort Collins.

For more information about the Spring Author Series, visit http://lib.colostate.edu/about/news/2011/spring2012. For more about Susan Orlean, visit http://susanorlean.com/.

For more information about the event, contact Jane Barber at (970) 491-5712 or jane.barber@colostate.edu.
 

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