Meet Author Adrian Miller at the Aurora Fox
The Aurora Fox Arts Center is proud to welcome Denver-based author Adrian Miller on During intermission and following the 2 p.m. performance of “Fat Ham” on April 11, patrons are invited to meet Miller in the lobby, purchase a copy of his book, “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue,” and have it signed.
About the Book
“Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue” explores the rich and often overlooked role African Americans have played in shaping one of the nation’s most beloved culinary traditions. In the book, Miller chronicles the history of Black pitmasters, cooks and entrepreneurs who helped build barbecue culture in the United States.
The book won the 2022 James Beard Award for Reference, History and Scholarship and the 2022 Colorado Book Award for History, and was named a Garden & Gun Best Book of 2021. The illustrated volume also features 22 barbecue recipes collected specifically for the book.
About the Author
Adrian Miller, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), is a two-time James Beard Award-winning culinary author, certified barbecue judge and recovering attorney based in Denver. As a Certified Speaking Professional, the highest earned designation from the National Speakers Association, he is recognized for sustained excellence, professionalism and impact on the speaking stage.
A graduate of Stanford University and Georgetown University Law Center, Adrian began his career in public service. From 1999-2001, he served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton with the Initiative for One America — the first free-standing office in the White House to address issues of racial, religious and ethnic reconciliation. He later worked as a senior policy analyst for Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, Jr.
Adrian has authored four acclaimed books examining soul food, barbecue history and the stories of chefs who shaped presidential cuisine. His work has earned two James Beard Awards and numerous national honors. His most recent book, Cooking to the President’s Taste, published by the White House Historical Association in 2025, expands his scholarship into Asian heritage chefs in White House history. He currently serves as executive director of the Colorado Council of Churches and recently co-curated the exhibit “Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History,” at the Museum of Boulder, now on view at the El Pueblo History Museum.