Fire, drought, bark beetles, human population growth, a global economy?western forests are changing, and so are the people who live in and near them. On Monday, October 2, Northern Arizona University and the Orion Society will host four prominent writers who will read recent work focused on western forests.
From Tamara Ramirez, 928-523-0499; Tamara.Ramirez@nau.edu
“Dying Forests, Living Fires” features:
• William deBuys, professor of documentary studies at the College of Santa Fe.deBuys has worked
actively in land management in New Mexico and has authored several books, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist River of Traps (University of New Mexico Press, 1990).
• Alison Deming, professor of creative writing at the University of Arizonaand the author of a number of books of poetry and prose, including Genius Loci (Penguin, 2005).
• Peter Friederici, assistant professor of journalism at NAU, editor of KNAU's Earth Notes program, and author of numerous articles and books, including Nature's Restoration: People and Places on the Front Lines of Conservation (Island Press, 2006).
• Gary Paul Nabhan, director of NAU's Center for Sustainable Environments and author of numerous books, including most recently Why Some Like It Hot: Food, Genes, and Cultural Diversity (Island Press, 2004).
The authors will be introduced by H. Emerson Blake, executive director of the Orion Society, which publishes the popular journal Orion and engages in other publishing efforts aimed at exploring connections between people and nature.
“For 25 years, Orion magazine has given voice to writers exploring connections between people and nature,” said Gary Paul Nabhan, a member of the Orion Society’s advisory board. “In Flagstaff, it seems appropriate to have the Orion Society host a reading focusing on the forest issues that are of such great interest here."
The reading, free and open to the public, will be held beginning at 7 PM in NAU’s Cline Library Auditorium. Books will be available for purchase and signing after the reading.
The reading will be preceded by a panel discussion examining connections between writing and science. “Writing Science in a Skeptical Age” will be moderated by H. Emerson Blake and will feature Alison Deming, Peter Friederici, and Gary Nabhan. The panelists will discuss the responsibility of writers in bringing science to the public.
“These days science is more a part of our lives than ever,” said Peter Friederici, Southwest correspondent for Orion. “Yet it is also under fire. Whether the topic is climate change, stem cell research, or evolution, scientific research and results are increasingly subjected to political and social pressure. Clearly, journalists and other writers have a vital responsibility in ensuring that members of the public have the information they need as they make decisions about how science is used in the public sphere."
This panel discussion will take place from 3 to 4:30 PM in room 119 at the School of Communication on NAU’s north campus.
Cosponsors for the events include the Orion Society, the NAU Center for Sustainable Environments, NAU School of Communication, NAU Program in Community, Culture, and Environment, NAU Ecological Restoration Institute, NAU Master of Liberal Studies Program, Grand Canyon Association, Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition, and Grand Canyon Trust.