Author Talk: Roger Kahn

Roger Kahn’s book, “How Crested Butte Became a Tourist Town: Drugs, Sex, Sports, Arts, and Social Conflict” is a fun-filled social history that is based on extensive research including 75 two-six hour interview/conversations with a wide range of “locals” who lived in town from the mid-1960’s through the late ’70’s. Until now, what happened in Crested Butte stayed in Crested Butte, but importantly, what transpired in Crested Butte also occurred in most tourist towns and recreation communities at our nation’s seacoasts, in the mountains, and even in our deserts as they all emerged in the affluent post WWII years. Collectively, they gave rise to our nation’s newest form of cosmopolitan living –the “recreation exurbs.” As such, Crested Butte turned out to be a case study of a much larger phenomena.