Book #18: A Darker Wilderness

Black visions of nature, past and future.

Hi friends! This is Book Club for the Planet, a book club dedicated to reading about the climate crisis in community. Join us Sunday, August 27 (virtual) or Thursday, August 31 (NEW DATE! in-person) for our book club discussion of A Darker Wilderness, edited by Erin Sharkey.

Happy summer! Happy thunderstorms rolling in after lunchtime to darken the sky and hydrate our gardens. Happy fireflies scattering in the dark places with their soft, neon glow. Happy lake dips and ocean cleanses and water that cools our stresses down. Hope you’re all finding a few books that delight your inner summer kid.

At the end of August, we’ll be meeting to talk through the many gorgeous essays and stories that make up A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars, edited by Erin Sharkey. A new publication with a sharp edit towards the Black experience in nature, it represents a dozen of the most revered writers in Black environmental writing today. It includes Carolyn Finney, author of our third book club read, Black Faces, White Spaces, and Lauret Savoy, author of Trace: Memory, History, Race, and the American Landscape, a book that’s been on my radar for years. It’s also a beautifully printed book with black and white photographs and a sparse layout, making it a pleasure to hold and read.

Book club dates: 8/27 (virtual) and 8/31 (in-person)

You have two opportunities for meeting up. First, we’ll meet on Sunday, August 27 at 1pm EST on Google Meet.

Second, if you live in or near Baltimore, join us at Greedy Reads' Remington location on Thursday, August 31 at 7pm EST. NEW DATE! (Previously Monday, 8/28.) If you plan to join us in-person, please register in advance. 

For continued reading, please check out Trace: Memory, History, Race, and the American Landscape by Lauret Savoy, Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry, edited by Camille Dungy, and Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm's Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land by Leah Penniman.

Happy reading, friends ✌️