 First time seeing the book It’s hard to believe, but my launch party for Common Ground will happen two weeks from today! It’s been a long road, but the timing is perfect in a way I couldn’t possibly have planned (and wouldn’t have wished for). It turns out that years of visiting communities that were standing up to the powerful fossil fuel industry taught me valuable lessons that can help us stand up to the authoritarian power-grab today. I hope you’ll consider buying the book and telling others about it, which is the best publicity an author can hope for.
I’m encouraging people to pre-order from Pendle Hill Bookstore or my publisher (which has a slight discount but I hear you need to register with them). Asking your local independent bookstore or library to order the book are also great ways to support booksellers and libraries.
Two of the book’s themes are building power with love and building solidarity. The benefit of taking eight years to write a book is that it allowed me to follow specific campaigns over time, so I could notice which efforts were most effective in the long run. I learned a lot about how to frame issues so that we are less vulnerable to divide-and-conquer strategies, which the current administration is so good at.
I believe so much in this message that I’m traveling a lot in order to reach people. Over the next few months, I’ll be speaking in PA, DC, OR, WA, NY, IL, WI, MN, and CA. Please check out my events page and scroll down from the middle to see if I’ll be near you in 2025. (More stops coming in 2026!)
In addition to talks in bookstores, I’ll also be offering a few workshops and trainings to make the most of this travel. If you feel moved to help spread the word about any of these events, you can download specific flyers here. Thanks to the friends who had this idea!
Although I’m excited about this milestone, it does come at a time when the news is especially sobering. We’re seeing an escalation in government intimidation of people of conscience who are speaking out about violence both at home and abroad. This has started hitting closer to home for me as I know more than one person facing ramped up charges for their activism. It helps me to notice people showing up for one another, which is also happening.
I hope you can find the silver linings in your own world without denying the clouds (not to mention the smog from wildfires).
love and encouragement,
Eileen |
Leave A Comment