LUNCH WITH BOOKS: Solarpunk: Telling Hopeful Stories for a Better Tomorrow

August 23, 2022
12:00pm - 1:00pm

If we only imagine dystopia, then that's the future we will create. As the daily impacts of climate change become more evident, from historic storms to deadly heatwaves, we need imaginative responses from not only scientists but storytellers, as well. Storytelling is an important tool for imagining better futures when it comes to understanding and adapting to the warming planet. The genre of solarpunk imagines new futures in the shadow of and in opposition to environmental collapse, then works to create those futures. For those unfamiliar with solarpunk, Phoebe Wagner will define the genre, briefly review the history of solarpunk, provide examples, and explore how individuals can use solarpunk thinking and action to engage with environmental issues.

In addition to being in-person in the Library auditorium, this program will be available to watch live onFacebook Live, on YouTube, and on the OCPL website's LWB Livestream page.  Log into your Facebook or YouTube account during the program to leave questions for our presenters in the comments box. They will answer them during the live broadcast. 

PRESENTER BIO: Phoebe Wagner is an author, editor, and academic, writing and living at the intersection of speculative fiction and ecology. Wagner’s debut novel A Shot of Gin is forthcoming from Parliament House Press (2023), and her novella We Survive When We Hold Each Other Up is forthcoming from Android Press (2023). She is the editor of three solarpunk anthologies, including Almanac for the Anthropocene: A Compendium of Solarpunk Futures (West Virginia University Press). Wagner currently pursues a PhD, studying ecocriticism and speculative fiction at University of Nevada, Reno. She is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Lycoming College in Pennsylvania. Follow her at phoebe-wagner.com or on Twitter: @pheebs_w.

FEATURED BOOK: Coming soon

Lunch With Books Livestream starts at noon on Facebook and YouTube.

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"Lunch With Books" is the library’s flagship program for adult patrons. These lunchtime programs feature authors, poets, musicians, historians, and more every Tuesday at noon. Bring lunch (to the Library Auditorium or your computer), feed your brain!