Hello! I hope you are hanging in. Several people who get this have had a death close to them recently. Maybe you, too. Sending us all much care.
And, an offer. Want to read Joyful Militancy and hang out together sometimes? We’re gonna have a study+practice group! I don’t know when it will start because it will depend on the people who want to be in it, but I would say not before May 14, best guess is early June. If you are like wait do you just mean a book club…I meannnn…NO but also sure, yes. To me, the difference is that we *commit to* and *report back on* applying what we learn in our lives beyond the reading of the book. If this sounds good, fill out this form. If you have questions, reply to this email.
Ok, so, words!
Today I am so happy to tell you about phenology, “the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena.” The national phenology network says:
Phenology is nature’s calendar—when cherry trees bloom, when a robin builds its nest and when leaves turn color in the fall.
And below is from the online etymology dictionary:
"study of the influence of climate on recurring annual phenomena of animal and vegetable life," 1881, from German (phänologisch, Karl Fritsch, 1853) from Latin phaeno-, from Greek phaino-, from phainein "bring to light, cause to appear, show" (from PIE root *bha- (1) "to shine"). With -logy. Related: Phenological (1873).
To shine!! Shine-ology! The study of what is shining when! This is about what day your daffodils bloomed, what is the precise leafing out of your oak tree today vs yesterday…and times a zillion, all over the world. Paying attention to all this is part of resisting racial capitalism for me, and also really fun, and also a support with grief. For more: How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell, and anything from Alexis Nikole Nelson, aka the Black Forager.
And finally, here is a word to make your very own sense or nonsense out of:
In the future you want to live in/are creating by how you live now, what’s this word mean? You could reply to this email or draw a picture or leave a comment or tell some friends <3