Individual consciousness is generally limited to personal experience and self-interest.

The metaphor used by 19th century humanist Ludwig Feuerbach, of a caterpillar conscious of little more than the leaf on which it is feeding, has informed the writings of Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and many others change agents. Yet through well-researched books of nonfiction and insightful memoir, readers can “see through someone else’s eyes” to expand our consciousness, to possibly expand our humanity.

Each month, we explore an American experience unlike our own, or, in two cases, go beyond our nation’s borders.

This reading group meets in the Athenæum’s Bound on the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30-7pm. Please note, the group will meet on the second Wednesday in January.

Wed, September 4: Opening our minds
Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World, Tyson Yunkaporta
“Sand Talk unpacks for us something originally genius about Indigenous thought…This book shows how vital and alive and essential Indigenous ways of being and thinking are.” Tommy Orange

Wed, October 2: Migrants among us
The Undocumented Americans, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
“What sets The Undocumented Americans apart and keeps you pinned to the page is its ferocity.” The Guardian

Wed, November 6: Homelessness
When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness, Kevin F. Adler and Donald W. Burnes
“By focusing on ways to reduce stigma and to repair flawed systems, the authors conclude with a call to action….” Ellen Bassuk, MD, founder of National Center on Family Homelessness

Wed, December 4: A personal view of the Israeli occupation
A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy, Nathan Thrall
“Thrall is one of the few writers who can combine vivid storytelling with in-depth analysis of the occupation… he maintains an unwavering, clear-eyed focus on the broken political system.” The New York Times

Wed, January 8: Being a Native American today (Please note this is the second Wed)
Whiskey Tender: A Memoir, Deborah Jackson Taffa
“A distinctly American memoir for a country afraid of its own history.” The Washington Post

Wed, February 5: Childhood poverty and the “protective” systems
Invisible child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City, Andrea Elliott
“The riveting, unforgettable story of a girl whose indomitable spirit is tested by homelessness, poverty, and racism in an unequal America—from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Andrea Elliott of the New York Times.

Wed, March 5: Identity damage, fake news, AI and politics
Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World, Naomi Klein
“One of the great pleasures is watching her mind synthesize this confounding and volatile political movement with such originality and verve.” The New York Times

Wed, April 2: Plant intelligence
What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses, Daniel Chamovitz
“An intriguing look at how plants experience the world.’’ Audubon magazine
“This elegantly written account of plant biology will change the way you see your garden.” The Guardian

Wed, May 7: Lifeforms on the move
The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move, Sonia Shah
“This fascinating study debunks false narratives about immigration and finds that, in common with other species, the urge to move is written in our genes.” The Guardian

Samanthe Sheffer finds challenges to her perceptions stimulating and expansive. She is excited by new discoveries that alter well-established ideas, and believes in the health of – and need for – discussing “controversial” topics; learning about viewpoints and experiences different from her own. Primarily a New Englander, for decades she was a director and public speaker/educator for large social and environmental non-profits in NYC and Seattle, tasked with “thinking outside the box”. Since the pandemic began, she has been making up for her myth-education by seriously studying true American history and institutions with an amazing group of anti-racist allies. Her favorite question is, “Why?” followed by, “What can an ordinary person do?’ She has thoroughly enjoyed the thoughtful, lively participation in her two previous reading groups, What’s Going On? and Challenges and Change Agents.