TEDx Asheville 2010 coming together; speakers reportedly on the bill are Jim Nave, bell hooks, River Guerguerian

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Planning is well underway for the second edition of TEDx Asheville, the event that showcases speakers with “ideas worth sharing.” The local event is modeled after TEDx, the California-based conference that features top-notch folks in the fields of technology, entertainment and design.

Last year’s event was a big hit – 300 people were turned away from the Orange Peel because the event sold out.

This year’s TEDx Asheville will be held over two days in late August. The first day will spotlight young people, with the second day focusing on grown-ups.

I hear the early bill for the adult speakers includes: author, feminist and social activist bell hooks; Asheville musician and composer River Guerguerian; and Asheville poet Jim Nave.

Eustace Conway, known as “The Last American Man” (because there’s a book by the same title about him) is a naturalist who lives out in the Boone area and may be a speaker, as well. He’s probably the speaker I’m most excited about hearing from at this point.

I haven’t heard specific names of young people who are being lined up as speakers. There’s apparently a well-known child prodigy of some sort in Asheville who may be speaking. And word is that one of the young stars of this year’s TEDx event in California, Adora Svitak, will be coming from her home in Seattle to speak in Asheville. That would be a real coup. Here’s a video of her TED talk to give you more of a flavor of what the event is all about.