, ,

Rapture, Grief, Beauty: Terry Tempest Williams introducing Erosion

“Terry Tempest Williams is our great activist laureate. Working out of the lineage of Dickinson, O’Keeffe, D. H. Lawrence, and, later, Abbey and Peacock, she is nonetheless singular and extraordinarily original. She is rooted as juniper…
, ,

Futurism, Fatalism and Climate Change

Call it “cli-fi,” “eco-fiction” or even “eco-fabulism,” there’s a movement afoot to address climate change through storytelling. What can literature reveal about how we will cope with dramatic alterations to the environment? A…
,

Ocean Planet

We, inhabitants of the islands of Earth, are surrounded by oceans. This panel of scientists, environmental activists, explorers and photographers examines the centrality of the oceans to our ecosystem, our psyche and our economy and considers…
, , ,

Paolo Bacigalupi in the Spotlight | The Water Knife

The Water Knife Water is power. In the near future, a severe drought in the southwest has demolished Texas, and Phoenix is ravaged and desolate, on the verge of total breakdown. While the wealthy stay wet, the poor get the dust, buying water…
, , , , ,

Writing a New World Into Existence: Lessons from Literary Futurism

It's been demonstrated that reading fiction increases empathy. Can it also unlock a blueprint for our future, at a moment when we need new ways of defining what's possible? Four of Berkeley's most visionary novelists, known for their ability…
, ,

Merlin Sheldrake and Michael Pollan on Entangled Life: What the Secret Social Networks of Fungi Reveal About Nature’s Genius and Being Human

In 2016, a New Yorker profile by famed naturalist Robert Macfarlane introduced the world to one of the most important young thinkers of our age: Merlin Sheldrake. Moving from the labs of Cambridge to the jungles of Central America, this revolutionary…
, ,

In a Garden

Nature is a miracle if there ever was one! Plants bugs, birds, mice, snakes, and many other organisms come and go in a garden. Throughout the sesaons of the year, plants grow, flourish, die, and start the process over and over again. Join author…
,

What Comes Naturally: The Science and Soul of Nature Writing

The natural world is full of mysteries, ones that writers and artists are uniquely equipped to unlock.  In this panel sponsored by Heyday Books, four authors meet at a literary crossroads between hard science, lyrical prose,…
, , ,

A Bird's Eye View: Attention, Observation, Birdwatching, and the Fine Art of Doing Nothing

Beyond clicks and checklists is an entire universe of deep listening and thoughtful observation. If we let them, natural spaces and creatures can show us how to slow down, to notice, and to reflect on modern life. Tim Dee ("Landfill: Notes on…
, ,

The Once and Future Forest: The Mighty Redwood

Ancient and mysterious as they are beautiful, the redwoods are an essential part of the California landscape. What are the inner workings of these giants, and what does the future hold? Save the Redwoods League and Heyday Books have produced…