Apocalyptic Reading Group - November

Apocalypse means “revelation.” Certainly we are living through apocalyptic times, but what exactly is being revealed?

If the systems of US empire are collapsing, and it seems they are, what will we build in the gaps that empire leaves behind? How will we avoid replicating harmful ways, when those are all many of us have known?

With this book discussion series, we’ll look for wisdom in books. Chosen in conversation with folks whose lives they’ve changed, these books have the power to upend our assumptions, spark our imaginations, and point us toward possible liberatory futures. 

These will not be solely intellectual conversations. We’ll weave in grounding moments, personal sharing (always optional!), and inspiration from a variety of sources to keep us encouraged.

We will meet the first Sunday of each month from 4-5:30pm ET/ 1-2:30 PT. Because these are rich, sometimes demanding books, there is no expectation that you will attend all sessions. That would be a lot of reading! We suggest you look through the list, pick the titles that are most interesting to you, mark your calendars, order the books now, and start reading! Please consider purchasing books from an independent bookstore, possibly our own online Book Nest! Every purchase made there contributes a small amount to Kirkridge.

Note: Several of these books are written by folks who will be holding retreats at Kirkridge this year. When applicable, that is mentioned at the end of the book description.

We’ll send a zoom link out when you register.

This series is offered free of cost, and a donation ask will be part of every session. 

We can’t wait to be in conversation with you!

November book:

We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson: From a fearless, internationally acclaimed activist comes an impassioned memoir about an indigenous childhood, a clash of cultures, and the fight to save the Amazon rainforest

We Will Be Jaguars is an astonishing memoir by an equally astonishing woman. Nenquimo is a winner of TIME magazine’s Earth Award, and MS. magazine named this book among the Most Anticipated Feminist Books of 2024.

Born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest–one of the last to be contacted by missionaries in the 1950s–Nemonte Nenquimo had a singular upbringing. She was taught about plant medicines, foraging, oral storytelling, and shamanism by her elders. At age fourteen, she left the forest for the first time to study with an evangelical missionary group in the city. Eventually, her ancestors began appearing in her dreams, pleading with her to return and embrace her own culture. She listened.

Two decades later, Nemonte has emerged as one of the most forceful voices in climate change activism. She has spearheaded the alliance of indigenous nations across the Upper Amazon and led her people to a landmark victory against Big Oil, protecting over a half million acres of primary rainforest. Her message is as sharp as a spear–honed by her experiences battling loggers, miners, oil companies and missionaries.

In We Will Be Jaguars, she partners with her husband, Mitch Anderson, founder of Amazon Frontlines, digging into generations of oral history, uprooting centuries of conquest, hacking away at racist notions of indigenous peoples, and ultimately revealing a life story as rich, harsh, and vital as the Amazon rainforest herself.