The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library is celebrating its 10th anniversary by bringing a year of virtual programs that provide opportunities with The Good Earth: Vonnegut and the Environment. In alignment with programming plans, KVLM has also launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign to help underwrite this programming with a goal of $29,999 by March 7.
“Like many public spaces and museums, the KVML has had to shift to virtual tours and programming, and campaigns like this are critical replacements for lost admission revenues,” says Julia Whitehead, museum founder and CEO. “Our supportive board is even committing to a $3000 match if $9000 is donated by February 12.”
The facility at 543 Virginia Avenue is dedicated to championing the legacy of writer Kurt Vonnegut and the principles of free expression and common decency.
Many times, Kurt took up the call for environmental justice, urging his readers to think about consumerism, resource consumption, and preservation. His humor and captivating storytelling offer a unique lens for educating about and encouraging action for environmental care. KVML will use Vonnegut’s novel, Galapagos, as well as other Vonnegut books, essays, and short stories as jumping off points for discussions, virtual book clubs, interactive forums, and presentations.
During The Good Earth: Vonnegut and the Environment, KVML will ask:
- How is the environment part of the community and what can we do to care for it?
- Why is caring for the environment essential for community-building?
- How does our relationship to the environment impact our neighbors?
- How has the environment affected things like labor, arts and culture, and marginalized communities?
Programming this year is scheduled to include:
- A virtual exhibit by world-renowned wildlife photographer, writer, and conservationist Tui De Roy
- An exploration of care for the Mississippi River through the lens of inhabitants of Minneapolis, St. Louis, and New Orleans
- Monthly book discussions about the environment
- Discussion of the environmental history of Indiana Avenue, home of the KVML, Kurt’s “Forever Home,” including current challenges and opportunities
- A program on Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle with a focus on how the book created change and what the “jungles” are in American life today
- A discussion with Peabody Award-winning urban revitalization strategist Majora Carter
- Youth programs, including social justice writing and a young readers book club
For those interested in supporting and promoting the Kickstarter campaign, visit The Good Earth: Vonnegut and the Environment by Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library — Kickstarter.
