How to be human now: A Seminar/Workshop with Allison Cobb

Link for this event.

We live at a time when our smallest daily actions (turning on a light, starting a car) have planetary impacts. At the same time, we exist within larger systems that often leave us feeling we have little choice about these issues—most of us need to drive and use electricity to conduct our lives. How do we think about living ethically and leaving a positive legacy for the future under these circumstances? We will explore these issues through writing. Please bring two items to the workshop. One item should represent an object of technology that you use regularly but that weighs on you. It could be an item made from plastic, like a bag or a straw, or it could be a car key, or your cell phone—anything. The second item should represent something that simply brings you happiness. It could be a photo of a family member or pet, or a juicy orange, or a flower. There are no rules for either of these objects. Bring along anything that makes sense to you!

Allison Cobb (pronouns she/her) is the author of four books: Plastic: an Autobiography, Green-Wood, After We All Died and Born2.

Cobb’s work has appeared in Best American Poetry, Denver Quarterly, Colorado Review, and many other journals. She was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award and National Poetry Series; has been a resident artist at Djerassi and Playa; and received fellowships from the Oregon Arts Commission, the Regional Arts and Culture Council, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Allison lives in Portland, Oregon.