Book Club: A Paradise Built in Hell

A Paradise Built in Hell explores our need for community and common purpose, which Solnit argues are fundamental to democratic forms of social and political life. Blending reportage and analysis, the book surveys natural and man-made disasters including the ’06 earthquake, the Halifax explosion of 1917, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, the Sept. 11th attacks, and Hurricane Katrina. Solnit takes a positive view of human behavior showing that disasters can actually create a sense of community and purposefulness. A community’s typical response to catastrophe is self-organization and mutual aid–truly democracy in action–with neighbors and strangers rescuing, feeding and housing each other.

Led by Rebeka Rodriguez, a collaboration with San Francisco Public Library, and inspired by the Intersection for the Arts gallery exhibition (re)collection – A collaboration with Lost and Found: Family photos Swept by the 3.11 East Japan Tsunami: http://theintersection.org/2012/08/recollection-a-collaboration-with-lost-and-found-media-release/

Register here: http://aparadise.eventbrite.com/
Members, go to this book store for a discount: TBA

This fall, San Francisco Public Library will be offering a number of discussion groups, films, preparedness workshops and more events on the theme of the book, including a talk with the author on Oct. 11, 2012. http://sfpl.org/index.php?pg=2000516301