1. We had a spirited conversation on July 13 about Paul Roberts' The End of Food. People, at least the ones who attend book clubs on food books, have strong opinions about what is acceptable and unacceptable in the food-supply. It was great having Christi Paulson of Slow Food Utah leading the discussion.
It struck me as we were debating organic vs. non-organic produce, and regaining the lost arts of jam and condiment making, that we are lucky to be having that conversation. Perhaps organic vs. non-organic is a bit splitting hairs as long as we agree to avoid the rows and rows of boxed and processed food that lies between the produce and the dairy section. Hmmm.
2. Due mostly to publishing release dates, we've ended up with two food-related books in a row, much to the chagrin of some members. Our next book to discuss is The Gift of Good Land: Further Essays on Culture & Agriculture by Wendell Berry. We selected this book at the recommendation of Anne Holman of The King's English Bookshop before Mr. Berry's visit to Utah in March for the Stegner Symposium. Our partner in this discussion, scheduled for Monday, September 21, is the Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources and the Environment at the S.J. Quinney College of Law, the University of Utah.
I've just talked with the booksellers at the King's English, and the new edition of The Gift of Good Land is now in! I'm on my way to pick up my copy and will strive to post a few times before the 9/21/09 discussion. Join me!
3. The authors, scientists and thought-leaders we encounter at the Museum -- through the Nature of Things lecture series and the UMNH Book Club -- are busy folk. Here are some updates on past and future authors:
- E.O. Wilson, inaugural keynote speaker in 2007, is returning to Utah this Saturday, August 15, to participate in the lovely Sundance Author Series. We've heard this morning that tickets are still available at www.sundanceresort.com/create and click on Events. Tickets are $95 and include brunch in the award-winning Tree Room, plus a signed copy of a new edition of Wilson's book, On Human Nature.
- Michael Pollan, whose Omnivore's Delimma was the UMNH Book Club's July 2006 selection, and who delivered the Nature of Things 2008 keynote lecture, has been all the buzz this summer with the release of the film Food, Inc. Last week, UMNH heard that the Salt Lake Film Society had extended screenings of the film at the Broadway Theater in Salt Lake City for a week or two, due to strong community support.
- Gary Hirshberg, president of Stonyfield Yogurt, is also featured in Food, Inc., as indication of how business can be financially successful while integrating the company’s social, environmental, and financial missions. UMNH is in the process of finalizing a date for Hirshberg to participate in the Nature of Things lecture series in March 2010. The complete series line-up will be announced this fall, and subscribers to this blog will be among the first to know!
5. And, it's time again to look for books to read in the coming year and for interesting people to read them with! The Utah Society of Environmental Education is interested in reading Stephen Trimble and Gary Nabhan's The Geography of Childhood with us next spring, a great way to discuss how to reconnect our children and our families with nature.
I would like to explore some of the science behind climate change and am looking for recommendations.
I'm intrigued by The Superorganism: The beauty, elegance and strangeness of insect societies by Bert Holldobler and E.O.Wilson, however it's size and cost are a bit daunting. Please send me your thoughts for natural science and environmental books to explore next year.
Enjoy the rest of your reading summer!
