Currently — October 12th, 2022

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In honor of National Coming Out Day, here are some books that explore queerness, place, nature and climate change. They tell tales of human destruction and climate wars, or document the intimate relationship between queerness and place. Some are about the inherent healing that lives in embodied queerness.

Love After the End — Edited by Joshua Whitehead

This young adult anthology, featuring short stories by Indigenous and Two-Spirit authors, explores the future effects of climate change. Despite its grim storyline, the book holds hope, touching on themes of queer joy, unity and possibility.

Nature Poem — Tommy Pico

In "Nature Poem," Pico tells a story  about the natural world and where he fits in, as a queer Indigenous person. Weaving stories of both pain and hope, he recounts Indigenous history and the harmful stereotypes surrounding Indigenous communities and their relationship to nature that exist.

Blackfish City — Sam J. Miller

Set in a post-climate-collapse world, on the floating Arctic city of Qaanaaq, "Blackfish City" tells the story of a woman who mysteriously lands in the city one day, riding an orca, with a polar bear by her side. “The orcamancer,” as she’s known, quickly brings people together to engage in acts of resistance before the city caves in due to its own decay. Though the tone is urgent and serious, this book is ultimately a hopeful story about gender identity, climate change and collective action.

Borealis — Aisha Sabatini Sloan

In this book-length essay, narrator Sloan tells stories of her summers in Homer, Alaska, detailing the close relationships between place, gender, Blackness and the natural landscape. By the end, it steeps the wilderness that we think we know, in a new reality.

Calamities — Renee Gladman

Gladman's words dance with prose, lyricism and imagery as she writes essays about the inevitability of climate change and various calamities, including hurricanes, floods and heat waves. She captivates the reader with her honesty, as she explores the connection between climate and community.

—Aarohi Sheth

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