LA PLUME — The Gathering at Keystone College will celebrate its 10th anniversary July 15-17 by hosting a collection of writers, artists, scientists, philosophers and entrepreneurs, including the founder of Sirius Satellite Radio.
The Gathering is an annual three-day symposium on creativity and imagination with performances, lectures, discussions, and workshops. This year’s event, “Innovation: Radical Dreams for the Real World,” will feature guests who have broken through established ways of thinking and changed directions to accomplish new and important goals.
Presenters include scientist, entrepreneur, lawyer, and author Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D., who founded Sirius Satellite Radio (now Sirius XM) in 1990 and served as board chair and CEO. After her daughter was diagnosed with a rare life-threatening pulmonary disease, Rothblatt left Sirius to search for a cure. She founded the biotechnology company United Therapeutics which makes medicines to treat rare diseases. She continues to serve as the company’s board chair and co-CEO. A well-known human rights advocate, she has led the efforts by the International Bar Association to provide the United Nations with a human genome treaty.
Rothblatt will speak on, “Real Dreams for the Radical World – A Conversation about Digital Morality and Breaking Other Barriers” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 16 in Evans Hall in Hibbard Campus Center.
The Gathering will also feature award-winning author Gail Carson Levine. As part of event, Keystone College’s Nightshade Press will release “Transient,” Carson Levine’s first book of poetry. While she is best known as a children’s author, Carson Levine has spent the last two years studying poetry and just received her Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry from New York University. The change in direction of her work fits perfectly with this year’s Gathering theme.
Other speakers include Pamela Munoz Ryan, author of more than 40 books for young people; Christopher Impey, head of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Arizona; filmmaker and environmentalist James Becket; and author Jason P. Vest. The program will also feature a presentation by local business leaders Nadia Naismith Dailey and geneticist Robert Naismith, Ph.D., co-founder of The Commonwealth Medical College. Keystone faculty members participating in the symposium include James Harmon, Matthew Cirba, Robert Nardelli, Amanda Bradley, Ph.D., and Ray Hammond.
To register or obtain more information, visit thegatheringatkeystone.org or call 570-945-8510.
