White Woman Leaves Diverse Denver After Literary Let-Down.

Readers Take Denver: A "Dumpster Fire" of Epic Proportions

The recent Readers Take Denver (RTD) event has ignited a firestorm of criticism, with attendees and authors alike decrying the disorganization, long lines, and overall chaos that plagued the festival. The event, which billed itself as a "unique experience" with no lines, has been likened to the infamous Fyre Festival, leaving a trail of angry tweets, Instagram posts, and devastated attendees.

"I believe every single horror story that came out. The disorganization and the lack of communication were apparent." – CC, attendee

The issues began with hours-long lines, a stark contrast to the promised seamless experience. This was just the tip of the iceberg, as attendees also faced a lack of security, inadequate communication from staff, missing pre-ordered books, and a shortage of gift bags. To make matters worse, there are even reports of harassment, assault, and theft, further marring the event.

The fallout from this disastrous festival has been swift and severe, with next year's event canceled. Founder Renee Jones, herself an author, has faced intense backlash, apologizing but also deflecting blame onto the venue and invited authors. In an email, Jones claimed that "many people brought her to tears with their praise," even as she acknowledged issues with security, volunteer behavior, and accessibility.

“I'm sorry registration took hours, sorry food ran out, sorry security wasn’t tight enough at the night events, sorry some volunteers raised voices, sorry it was disorganized, sorry you felt frazzled, sorry you felt overwhelmed..." – Rebecca Yarros, NYT bestselling author

The event, priced between $300 and $375, was far from the magical literary experience attendees had hoped for. As Kelli Meyer, an RTD attendee, poignantly stated, "All we did was stand in line. It was total BS … It was worse than Disney, and there wasn’t even a ride at the end."

Attendee experiences highlight a profound lack of organization, with authors like Rhian Cahill expressing dismay at the "utter chaos" and "lack of communication" between festival organizers, volunteers, and attendees.

“I don’t think they were trained right. There were a lot of technical issues. I have been to much bigger book conferences that were organized and ran smoothly. This did not.” – Susan Casper, attendee

With the weight of public opinion against it, the future of Readers Take Denver looks uncertain at best.