ION's Quarantine Read and Watch List
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many continue to stay home for the safety and health of others across the globe. This can be a difficult time for many, for reasons different to all. Whether you feel the need to be productive and stimulated or distracted and relaxed to be well during this time, here are a few recommendations to check out from the ION staff.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants is a collection of anecdotal chapters from the life of Robin Wall Kimmerer about the relationship between Western scientific knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge. Kimmerer includes excerpts from her life, ranging from sharing her traditional ecological knowledge with college students to dredging up a pond outside her home for her daughters to swim in. Each chapter includes a few excerpts with reflections to go with them. This book makes one consider their relationship with the land and people around them.
Recommendation by: Margo Milanowski
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
It's unlikely a science fiction book that was written in 1993 and takes place in the 2020s would feel so relevant to the present, but Parable of the Sower does. Octavia Butler foresaw issues like income inequality, addiction, denial and climate change affecting our lives today. In the world of teenage Lauren Olamina, the book's protagonist, people live in walled neighborhoods for safety, drug-influenced gangs set fires, food prices are insanely high and people fear for their lives on the street. Lauren is young, intelligent and keeps a secret to hide how vulnerable she truly is. When she's forced to begin a journey north, she has a couple of loose acquaintances, an emergency pack, her own religion and her propensity for kindness to get her through the cruel world outside.
Recommendation by: Carlyn Kranking
Sketch by Charles W. Schwartz
A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Aldo Leopold is often regarded as the father of wildlife conservation in the United States, so A Sand County Almanac, written in 1949, does not disappoint if you’re interested in the roots of conservation. Displaying themes of environmental ethics, equality among species and the intrinsic value of nature, the book follows Leopold’s journeys throughout North America and revelations regarding conservation, including his golden rule of ecology: “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” Other highlights include Leopold’s brilliant personifications of plants and dozens of beautiful animal sketches by Charles W. Schwartz.
Recommendation by: Danielle Johnson
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is a non-fiction book that chronicles a year in the life of Barbara Kingsolver and her family as they eat only locally grown food for a year. Kingsolver includes personal anecdotes of the beauty and the challenges of running a family farm, discussions about the impact of food production on climate change, and powerful insight into the most fundamental ideas we take for granted. This book is incredibly engaging and changes readers' relationships with food and the earth.
Recommendation by: Christine Potermin
"The Overstory" by Richard Powers
This Pulitzer-prize winning novel offers a beautiful glimpse into the rich and intricate lives of plants, inviting a whole new persepctive on what it means to be human. Powers creates a fable-like story, intertwining several different characters into a narrative spiral reminiscent of the age rings on a tree, invoking a concept of time as circular rather than linear. This book broke my heart in the best of ways, and serves as a powerful call for ecological conservation.
Recommendation by: Emily Jahn
Our Planet (series on Netflix)
Many documentaries about nature or climate change can be anxiety-inducing and demoralizing to watch; Our Planet is the antithesis to those stressful viewing experiences. The calming voice of David Attenborough walks you through seven ecosystems of the planet, taking your breath away by showcasing their natural beauty. The tone of this show isn't urgent or demanding, but simply seeing the gorgeous landscapes and animals that exist on Earth will inspire a desire to preserve them.
Recommendation by: Jordan Hickey