Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Living Downstream

Day 226 of the "What are you reading, and why?" project, and people have been reading Living Downstream, by Sandra Steingraber, the second edition, since it came out in April, but now even more local people will read it, as she's on a book-and-film tour for the documentary film based on the book, so she's coming to our town.

We'll be selling the books at Babbitt's, and I'll be taking my poetry workshop to the showing of the film on Sunday afternoon, October 17.  She is a poet, and I've read her book of poems, Post-Diagnosis, as well as Having Faith, her book on pollutants in breast milk.  (Gave the latter to a midwife.)  Steingraber spent time at both universities here.

I'm linking you to her books here, and the blue image is the movie poster, and it's on the little brochure I'm carrying around to remind me to get my ticket ($8) in advance at The Garlic Press.

I read the edition published in 1997 a few years later when my brother sent me his copy, and will get the new one when it gets here.  In the wonderful-but-dangerously-polluted land of coincidii, she'll go from here to other places I've lived and also to San Francisco, near my brother.

Here is the Illinois Screening Tour, which shows that she'll also play in Peoria, not far from Pekin (where she grew up and got bladder cancer at 22), Springfield, Champaign, and Chicago (where you can get your tickets at the fabulous Women and Children First bookstore).

Here at her website, you can watch the trailer (as you can on the film page), listen to an interview, and see that she's also headed to Kansas, Maine, New York, and my alma mater, Kenyon College, in Gambier, Ohio.

And yet another coincidence.  Years ago I wrote an essay on reading Steingraber for a lovely magazine called Seeding the Snow.  Here is their website, and, in case you are a woman poet, artist, or writer interested in ecology and prairie restoration, their submissions page.

***

Update:  I just got my movie ticket, $8 in advance, at the Garlic Press.  Earlier, my blog said $12, and I don't know where I got that figure...but it's always good to get tix in advance!  To go to the brunch before the movie, you add $50, so I will stick with popcorn.

7 comments:

Kim said...

Thank you for the information on these events. I see that she is also giving a public lecture at Illinois Wesleyan University on Monday 10-18 at noon.

Kathleen said...

Thanks, Kim! Are you going to that? I'll be at work that day, and I hope we do a brisk business in sales of her book!

Greg said...

Kathleen: Forgive me for seeming to hijack this particular post in order to greet you and introduce myself. By following the comment thread on Via Negativa's post on epigraphs, I was pointed to your poems at Whale Sound, which in turn led me to your blog. I see you have two books w/ Finishing Line. they are publishing my book, "Drinking Weather," early next year! I see that I'll have to have a look at your books, judging from the fine poems on Whale Sound. Cheers!

Kathleen said...

Best wishes on your publication, Greg. At it happens, I am setting up a public library reading of 3 FLP poets locally. Talk to your public library about such a thing!

Greg said...

Excellent idea! As it happens, DC had many excellent venues; I read in a library a few years ago, in fact. Cheers!

ted tingley said...

I spent the afternoon going through several of your blogs and reviewing several of the reviews
and input on books you recommended at the end of each blog. I find that I would be over-whelmed my the magnitude of available info.
So what I will have to do is analyze only the
current recommendations to see if that fit my
interest and ability to understand.

Thanks for the help on my questions. I knew I
could count on you.

Kathleen said...

Thanks, Ted. Sorry to overwhelm. My brain is severely folded.