Upcoming events
On Saturday, May 28th, we will be closing our beloved bookstore. We have had a tremendous six and one-half years and we thank you for your support and involvement in this project. The fact that a radical, anti-profit organization like this has thrived this long is inspiring, especially these last 2 and one-half years in the heart of downtown Montpelier. We thank all the volunteers, friends, supporters, and collective members — past and present — for helping to create radical space in a small town.
Closing the storefront is not an easy decision, but we *do* see a future for Black Sheep — with or without the books. We intend to continue working and organizing together toward an egalitarian, ecological, and nonhierarchical society. Don’t be surprised to receive future event notifications and invitations to participate in political dialogue and projects via our email list or facebook page into the future!
Thank-you for your support, participation, inspiration and please come in and help us close successfully by purchasing books and engaging in conversations that lead to organizing and liberatory social change.
Till soon;
Black Sheep Books Volunteer Collective
p.s. please join us in the evening on Friday, May 27th as we throw a little party to say goodbye to the Sheep.
Wednesday March 2nd
7:00 PM
The idea of ecological catastrophe is a strange kind of creature often taking multiple forms – whether it be massive loss of biodiversity, global warming, nuclear waste production, etc. The list goes on, but the central point remains: catastrophe represents a threat to the equilibrium of the existing order. In this talk, however, I intend to challenge the idea of equilibrium, arguing instead that what characterizes the existing order is the commonplace presence of catastrophe. In other words, catastrophe is not the exception but rather the rule of modernity. Following this, I discuss what might happen if we accept catastrophe as the banal order of the day by posing the following questions: 1. How does commonplace catastrophe alter the meaning of ‘the environment’ and the manner in which ‘we’ relate to it? 2. How might we form communities capable of existing within a catastrophic world? And, 3. How does the presence of catastrophe affect our abilities to radically intervene in destructive practices?
Harlan Morehouse is a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Geography. He received his MA in Social Anthropology from Central European University in Budapest, and his BA in Literature and Social Science from Bennington College. Broadly speaking, his research interests concern nature-society relations, human-nonhuman interaction, eco-anthropology, and radical pedagogy.
Continuing the theme of Banished! for the Sunday Salon, this week will introduce a discussion on changes in the regulation and privatization of public space, the criminalization of the use of such spaces, and its implications for public and political culture.
Again, glance through what piques your interest (particularly the last link on the page!) Look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
Sidewalk sitting ban legislation:
San Francisco -
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/05/local/la-me-sidewalkban-20101105
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=65328
http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-03-28/bay-area/20447391_1_sidewalk-san-francisco-si
Reno -
Burlington -
http://www.7dvt.com/2010get-stand-burlington-wants-make-sidewalk-sitting-crime
http://7d.blogs.com/blurt/2010/06/sidewalk-sitting-ban-nixed-in-burlington-for-now.html
Public/private debate:
Video regarding Toronto public transit -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xAmnmehAy3w#!
Parks -
A short, interesting thesis paper (particularly the discussion on Mall of America!):
http://www.translucency.com/frede/pps.html
Finally, THE MUST READ:
http://popupcity.net/2010/06/pay-sit-privatized-benches-in-public-space/