It's easy to get distracted these days. Ours is a world constantly plugged in, hyped up and tuned out with a myriad of devices, gizmos and gadgetry aimed to promote ease and "connectivity". I believe it is beyond safe to say that we are more isolated from one another in this plastic bubble we call the digital age than any of our more primitive horse-and-buggy ancestors. And the more removed we become from each other, the easier it is to ignore all other realities outside our self-made microcosms of ear buds and touch screens. We do not think about our electric lives - much less the source of our modern steam - until the power goes out; a rude awakening to our dependencies. And as the world shifts about in a messy soup of energy talk and dwindling resources, a dialogue about the remote communities surrounding our beloved fossil fuels becomes more crucial. Silence your smart phone and join Judith Jennings today at Carmichael’s as she speaks about the life of Appalachia activist Helen Matthews Lewis with her new compilation Helen Matthews Lewis: Living Social Justice in Appalachia.
A book co-edited by Judith Jennings and Patricia D. Beaver, Helen Matthews Lewis presents a collection of Lewis’ best writing while documenting her life and work in the coal-mining communities of Appalachia. Taken from her journals, notes and published works, the volume not only gives a history of Lewis’ efforts in the region but opens the door for future discourse concerning coal, poverty, isolation and outreach.
Currently serving as the executive director of the Kentucky Foundation for Women, Judith Jennings will visit the Carmichael’s Frankfort Avenue store today at 4pm to sign copies of Helen Matthews Lewis and discuss the Appalachian communities so often ignored in the remote sticks of our state. Helen Matthews Lewis: Living Social Justice in Appalachia is available for sale at both Carmichael’s locations for $40.00 hardcover or $30.00 Google eBook. How much energy have you used today? Put forth some of your own and head out this afternoon to Carmichael’s for a compelling look to the source beyond the wires.
Carmichael’s Bookstore has two area locations: 1295 Bardstown Road and 2720 Frankfort Avenue. For more information visit the event page or call the Frankfort Avenue store at (502)896-6950.
Image: Courtesy of Carmichael’s Bookstore website www.carmichaelsbookstore.com
