Writers’ Wednesday – On The GO! – Reno Confidential: Eleven Historic Influencers (Off-site, KOP)
May 12, 2027 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Writers’ Wednesday – On The GO!
Wednesday, May 12, 2027
5:00 – 5:30 pm – Building open
5:30 – 6:30 pm – Lecture
Speaker: Richard Moreno, historian and author
Book Title: Reno Confidential: Eleven Historic Influencers
Summary of Talk: In Reno Confidential, veteran Nevada historian Richard Moreno pulls back the curtain on the Biggest Little City to reveal eleven men and women who shaped its
Reno Confidential
destiny—some celebrated, others nearly forgotten. Heavyweights like George Wingfield and William Harrah loom large, but Moreno digs deeper, spotlighting bold reformers, civil rights leaders, architects, club owners, and even underworld figures who steered Reno’s image in lasting ways.
From free-thinking mayor Edwin E. Roberts to trailblazing attorney Felice Cohn, from visionary designer Frederic DeLongchamps to colorful dealmakers working behind the scenes, these were the original influencers—long before social media—who used newspapers, politics, business, and sheer force of personality to leave their mark.
Lively, accessible, and rich with story, Reno Confidential brings the city’s past into sharp focus through eleven unforgettable characters whose ambitions, rivalries, and vision helped make Reno what it is today.
Speaker Bio: Richard Moreno is the former publisher of Nevada Magazine and author of fourteen books, including Roadside History of Nevada, A Short History of Carson City, and A Short History of Reno. For more than three decades, he has written a weekly history/travel column that appears in the Lahontan Valley News and the Nevada Appeal. In 2007, Moreno was awarded the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame Silver Pen Award.
The Writers’ Wednesday Lecture Series, held on the second Wednesday of each month, features a different author who takes part in a book signing, a presentation, and a question-and-answer session with the audience.
The program intends to highlight writers who focus on Nevada, the Great Basin, or the West in general. The authors discuss the content of their books but also share details about the creative process.
We would like to thank our partner, the Knights of Pythias, for hosting our off-site lectures.
The Knights of Pythias fraternal organization promotes friendship among men and for the general welfare of its membership. They strive to make the world a better place by practicing the principles of friendship, charity, and benevolence through community service. The Knights of Pythias have been serving Nevada communities since the 1870s. There are only three active lodges left in the State of Nevada. The address is 980 Nevada Street, Reno, NV 89503.
