The sold-out 10th annual Rancho Mirage Writers Festival started with a spirited thank you to the event’s “Angels” — the donors who give between $5,000 and $100,000 to support honorariums and travel expenses to bring top writers to the Coachella Valley. “My goal is to create an outstanding, world-renowned festival,” says its founder, Jaime Kabler. “It’s the Angels’ support that brings the most acclaimed and talented writers to the festival each year.”
The Angel Night celebration featured retired U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus in conversation with Lesley Stahl from 60 Minutes. Petraeus, co-author (with Andrew Roberts) of the best-selling book Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine, led U.S. Central Command in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and Egypt before President Obama appointed him as director of the CIA in 2012.
Renata Baranow, Jordan Schnitzer, Patti Newman, and Bennett Katz.
Gayle and Brent Naylor and Mary McCarthy and Warren Platt.
In the days following Angel Night, about 1,100 passholders heard from more than 80 authors and special guests, including actor and travel writer Andrew McCarthy (Walking with Sam), James McBride (The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store) Dr. Abraham Verghese (The Covenant of Water), and former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. Additionally, the festival’s scholar program welcomed more than 100 middle school, high school, and college students.
Aubrey and Lori Serfling, Linda Fairstein, Jan Salta, and Marion Rosenthal.
Rancho Mirage City Council members Michael O’Keefe, Lynn Mallotto, Mayor Steve Downs, Meg Marker, and Ted Weill.
Paolo Benvenuto, Valerie Biden Owens, former U.S. Sen. Barbara and Stewart Boxer, and Will Rollins.
John Avlon and Wendy Goodfriend.
Former U.S. Sen. Barbara and Stewart Boxer and Linda and Mitch Hart.
Jamie Kabler, Elizabeth Kabler Sorensen, and John Waters.
