Denver Library Hosts Mountain-Climbing Author Who Overcame Drugs

From Denver Library:On Saturday, Jan. 12, 2–4 p.m., the Denver Public Library hosts Brendan Leonard, a journalist, speaker and adventurer who explores themes of personal evolution, creativity, fear, and the power of persistence and humor. Leonard will speak to his 2017 title, Sixty Meters to Anywhere, the memoir of a barstool storyteller who left the bar and found adventure, redemption and a life that almost never happened. The event will take place at Improper City, 3201 Walnut St., in RiNo.

When Brendan Leonard moved to the West at age 23, he was a mess. He had a tenuous grip on sobriety, only six months after his last drink had landed him in yet another jail cell. It was the final mistake in a long list that included multiple arrests, wrecked cars, broken bones, fistfights, and ruined relationships. In Montana, he took his first steps into the Rocky Mountains, unwittingly beginning a decade-long obsession with climbing and a journey that would take him all over the West and Europe.

Library organizers hope that others will be inspired by Leonard’s transformation and also reinforce the message that drug and alcohol addiction can happen to anyone, despite class or race.

“Brendan’s story is all too familiar but his desire to maintain sobriety and his unique journey of mountaineering helps frame it in a way that gives hope and strength to others,” said Elissa Hardy, the library’s lead social worker. “We’re excited to have him share his story so that others can learn and share and ask questions about his life and recovery.” Hardy and her Community Resources team frequently make referrals for individuals struggling with substance use and abuse.

Hardy will moderate Leonard’s presentation, which includes audience Q&A and a book signing. BookBar Denver will have copies of Sixty Meters to Anywhere and Leonard’s latest title, The Art of Getting Lost: 365 Days of Adventure, Big and Small, available for purchase. As space is limited, registration (denverlibrary.org/event/author-visit-brendan-leonard) is highly recommended.
Denver Public Library hosts a number of authors and events each year across the 26 branch library system. For more information on forthcoming library events, visit denverlibrary.org/events/upcoming.

Image via Denver Library