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Thank you for joining the discussion yesterday!

Untamed Wilderness: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight for Cumberland Island
by Will Harlan

The author was able to join us at the very end of the meeting. Unfortunately some had to hop off the call, BUT if there is a lot of interest we will schedule an additional half hour virtual discussion!

Please submit your questions to Will Harlan here.

Here is a brief synopsis of some points covered during our discussion with Will Harlan:

The idea for the book came shortly after the wilderness rules were skirted to build a road up to the northern historical mansion. Will said that Cumberland Island is not that well known among the park system and partially due to that and political influence, the rules were not followed. He thought writing Carol's story would help bring more attention to the issue. At first she just wanted it to be very factual, but then agreed to tell more of her story for the island's benefit

Carol was so vilified after the shooting but the biggest change for her after the book came out was that strangers that visited the island would thank her for her work and express gratitude for everything she is trying to do on the island, and be much more empathetic. She never expected that to happen and is really touched by it.

The NPS still will not issue her a permit to do the autopsy research, and will not sell the book in their bookstore. She does have friends among the park service that are not mentioned in the book though!

She still does not have a phone, but she has an email! If you visit Cumberland Island, Will has agreed to try to connect any of us with her!

The question submitted ahead of time was about if she ever received an honorary degree due to her extensive research work. Will loved that idea! She has not and our group may be able to help get that rolling! We're awaiting some info from Will on where to get started and will share that with you all once we know how Irises Book Club can help!

Volunteer Activity

Please stay tuned for an update! We are working on the scheduling details for a related virtual volunteer activity. Check out the nonprofit Wild Cumberland, committed to protecting the wilderness, native species, and the ecology of Cumberland Island.

We've picked the next book!

Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors
by Carolyn Finney

Why are African Americans so underrepresented when it comes to interest in nature, outdoor recreation, and environmentalism? In this thought-provoking study, Carolyn Finney looks beyond the discourse of the environmental justice movement to examine how the natural environment has been understood, commodified, and represented by both white and black Americans. Bridging the fields of environmental history, cultural studies, critical race studies, and geography, Finney argues that the legacies of slavery, Jim Crow, and racial violence have shaped cultural understandings of the "great outdoors" and determined who should and can have access to natural spaces.

Drawing on a variety of sources from film, literature, and popular culture, and analyzing different historical moments, including the establishment of the Wilderness Act in 1964 and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Finney reveals the perceived and real ways in which nature and the environment are racialized in America. Looking toward the future, she also highlights the work of African Americans who are opening doors to greater participation in environmental and conservation concerns.

Mark your calendars for Tuesday September 29, 2020, 6pm.

We encourage you to purchase a used copy of this book, borrow from your library (check interlibrary loan for this one!), support a local bookstore (shoutout to a couple of our favorites, Parnassus and The Bookshop!), and/or support a Black-owned bookstore.

Help pick the next book!

We are seeking your input to help make this book club great!

We have a long Amazon list filled with amazing suggestions from members. Please view the list here. We are collecting answers and additional feedback via this short 2 minute survey!

Thank you so much!

All about Irises

Irises is TWIG's brand new book club for current members! The Iris is the Tennessee State Flower, and a fitting acronym for what we hope to read together!

What's so different about our book club? Each meeting we will meet and discuss what we've read AND we will pair a service activity to go along with each book to support a local non-profit or sustainability initiative in Tennessee!

Meetings are every other month with a rotating location. The book club is led by
Renee Barker and Leah Sherry, and input from members is always appreciated.

Feel free to bring a friend who is not a member of TWIG! Their first two meetings are free (same as monthly meetings) and thereafter will be $5 per meeting.