June Talks in DC and Rhode Island
Plus, a Rerum Novarum book club?
I’ve got two speaking events coming up in June, so I want to give locals the chance to register. (And I’m putting together my fall travel schedule for when my new book, The Dignity of Dependence comes out, so stay tuned if you’re in… NYC, Philly, DC, Denver, Waco, Cambridge, New Haven, Shoreview MN, or South Bend).
First up, I’ll be speaking on a panel in DC on Wednesday June 4th. The International Center for Religion and Diplomacy will be hosting me and Santiago Ramos to talk about political polarization in the Catholic Church. You can register here, and the event will be livestreamed.
Next up, on June 13th-14th, I’ll be in Rhode Island for Portsmouth Institute’s 2025 Humanitas Summer Symposium "Before and Above All Things: Christian Perspectives on Healthcare"
The weekend will feature panels and keynotes on:
How ought we as Catholics understand health and illness, healing and suffering? What is the relationship between human suffering and our relationship to God? What does it mean to care and what is our responsibility to each other? What role do the humanities play in deepening our understanding of disease and the human experience? What does it mean to be a Catholic healthcare professional and how might Catholic education better serve the healthcare professions
I’ve spoken at the Abbey before, and it’s a lovely community. Plus, at least some of the Hillbilly Thomists will be there to perform! You can register here.
Finally, with Pope Leo XIV settling in, I’m planning to take a little time to read Rerum Novarum from the prior pope Leo. I’d like to read it away from my computer, but it was harder to find a print copy than I expected. I ordered this anthology of Leonine writings from Cluny Press.
It’s obviously a strongly Catholic work, but this work on the ethics of work and economic structures seems likely to be of interest to a broad swath of Other Feminism readers. Would you like to read alongside me? I anticipate doing about two Rerum posts in June if there’s sufficient interest.
P.S. In the fall, I’m hoping to do a travelling book club for The Dignity of Dependence, visiting different substacks to host discussions for each chapter. Going just off the chapter titles, who would you hope to see host discussions?
The World Is the Wrong Shape for Women
The Lie of the Lonely Individual
Helping Women Be Better Men
The Incredible Shrinking Woman
The Limits of Labor Language
Illegal to Care
The Blessing of Burdens
Men into the Breach
The School of Love
Oooh, looking forward to your book release and travelling book club Leah! Off the top of my head, here are my suggestions for your chapters:
The World Is the Wrong Shape for Women - Erika Bachiochi or Ivana Greco
The Lie of the Lonely Individual - Lisa Sibbett or Anne Helen Petersen
Helping Women Be Better Men - Claire Swinarski or Haley Baumeister
The Incredible Shrinking Woman - Serena Sigillito or Emily Stimpson Chapman
The Limits of Labor Language - Stephanie H. Murray
Illegal to Care - Amber Adrian
The Blessing of Burdens - Denise Trull or Tsh Oxenreider
Men into the Breach - Steven D. Greydanus or Seth Haines
The School of Love - Laura Kelly Fanucci or Sarah Bessey
Ooh. I'm curious how your thinking has evolved on this - I think the following conversations would be very fruitful:
The World Is the Wrong Shape for Women - Adrienne Maree Brown
The Lie of the Lonely Individual - Becky Chambers or Robert Macfarlane
Helping Women Be Better Men - Anne Helen Peterson
The Incredible Shrinking Woman - Mariame Kaba
The Limits of Labor Language - Kim Kelly or Ash-Lee Henderson
Illegal to Care - Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard
The Blessing of Burdens - Marlene Sallo
Men into the Breach - Tarso Ramos
The School of Love - Robin Wall Kimmerer