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Upcoming Books: New Bioneers Book by Nina Simons |
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Written by admin
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Friday, 05 March 2010 00:00 |
By Jon Graham, Acquisitions Editor
Many of the books we publish are those I've recommended and acquired based on a strong proposal or partial manuscript. When the final manuscript arrives due diligence requires that I read it through to make certain it still conforms to how we described it in the catalog. Some books may come in that need a little gentle editorial guidance to get back on track without losing the benefits of what the organic writing process will have engendered. On the other  hand if the writer truly taps into his or her creative process, the original proposal may have been expanded upon in some significant and unexpected ways. A good writer knows the book will take on a life of its own and will learn how to get out of the way. (This does not mean if we contracted a book on aromatherapy we will be happy to just run with it when the author turns one in on the mating habits of gray aliens.) But every so often a book comes in that has fulfilled its promise so magnificently that I push aside all the other things constantly clamoring for my attention and just surrender to the pure pleasure of reading. A case in point is the final manuscript for the next book in our series of anthologies we publish in collaboration with Bioneers called Moonrise.
This particular book groups essays around the theme of feminine leadership—which I have to confess I thought would not resonate for me personally as strongly as the earlier books we did in this series on visionary plant consciousness and original instructions (Native American guidelines for sustainability and right relations with the earth and all its inhabitants). The impressive list of contributors to this book due for publication this fall is extremely compelling and I felt the book would exercise a strong appeal to many of our readers. Still I was caught by surprise by just how strongly the final manuscript moved me. I had heard some of these pieces when they were delivered as plenary addresses at the two Bioneers Conferences I attended earlier this decade. I did not think their power would have the same impact on me the second time around, but I was wrong. Rachel Naomi Remen's talk on Becoming a Blessing resonated as deeply on the page as it did when I heard it in person. But every piece selected by Nina Simons, co-founder and co-president of Bioneers and Anneke Campbell is equally imbued with the deep conviction and courage of their authors: a group that includes community activists, environmentalists, scientists, and health professionals. Nor are all the contributors women, the list includes oceanographer Wallace Nichols, South Bronx community activist Omar Freilla, and Edward Tick, who has been working with survivors of war, trauma, and violence for more than 30 years. But the majority of voices found here are women, women who have been, to quote Nina Simon's foreword, "rising up in creative and unexpected ways to defend what they love." Women like Janine Benyus and Eve Ensler and Julie Hill, women like Lily Yeh, Rha Goddess, and Sarah Crowel, women like Jodie Evans, LaDonna Redmond, and Kat Harrison are offering new ways to address the world's crippling problems where conventional methods have proven ineffective, and in the process creating a new model for leadership fueled by the passion for what we most value and love. This book redefines what is generally thought of as leadership, which usually conjures up visions of a dominant authority figure whose force of will and/or charisma motivate people to align their behavior to conform with his decisions. Women, it turns out, approach decision-making with another set of priorities. The leadership they assume is not necessarily in front but alongside or behind those they work with; instead of being conferred through privilege or stature, prioritizes relationship. Evidence of this new kind of leadership is shown by Judy Wick's decision to not cement control over a market niche by hoarding what made her White Dog Café so successful but shared her achievements with the community at large to help bring about a genuine transformation to a local living economy. It is shown by the work performed by LaDonna Redmond to provide healthy, natural food to inner city neighborhoods where it is often easier to buy illegal drugs or a semi-automatic weapon than an organic tomato. The leadership shown by Janine Benyus' work on biomimicry, Jodie Evan's role in creating CodePink, Sofia Quintero's publishing activities all share this common thread: an ability to find the connection between two or more elements that had been perceived as entirely separate and to reweave these connections in a way that matters. As Rachel Naomi Remen says: "The web of connections confers great power of each of us to change the world around us. It confers on us the power to become a blessing to total strangers, people whose names we do not even know. Because of the web of connections, each of us has already blessed more people than we can even imagine."
It is common in our age of overstatement to hear that this or that book is a life-transforming experience. Here it is not hype: I believe the stories offered here have the potential to, quoting Nina Simons again, "to ignite, catalyze, and strengthen their readers."
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