About the Young Adult Literature Authors & Climate Justice Series

In this two-part series, the Harvard Radcliffe Institute and the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Monroe C. Gutman Library invited leading thinkers, writers, and educators to participate in conversations about how authors and readers of young adult literature engage with climate change, leveraging the power of storytelling as a way to learn about, cope with, and address this extraordinary challenge. Literature can move people of all generations, including students and educators, as well as scientists, policy makers, journalists, and the public.
 
Part One: Tuesday, January 30, 2024, 4-5pm EST (YouTube Recording)
Revisiting Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower in 2024
Ayana A. H. Jamieson, Assistant Professor, Ethnic and Women’s Studies Department, College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Founder of the Octavia E. Butler Legacy Network

Shelley Streeby, Professor of Literature and Ethnic Studies, University of California, San Diego
Discussant: Sarah Dimick, Assistant Professor of English, Harvard University
Program introduction: Cory Beizer, current Harvard College student (AB '24)

Part Two: February 20, 2024, 4-5pm EST (Recording To Be Posted Here)
Discussion with Nnedi Okorafor and Liz Phipps-Soeiro
Nnedi Okorafor, Author of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Magical Realism Books and Comics for Children and Adults
Liz Phipps-Soeiro, EdM '19, Director of Library Services, Boston Public Schools
Discussant: Stephanie LeMenager, PhD '99, RI ’17, Barbara and Carlisle Moore Distinguished Professor in English and American Literature and Professor of Environmental Studies, University of Oregon
Program introduction: MG Prezioso, AB '13, EdM '17, PhD Candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Education