Bookstock: Engaging Our Economy, Embracing Our Ecology

by Christopher Bartlett

Here's a quick test to help you decide whether to attend some upcoming event: check the pedigree of the organizations backing it. As a rule of thumb, great events attract great supporting partners.


By this test, a function backed by the Norman Williams Public Library, Pentangle, Woodstock Historical Society, Thompson Senior Center, and North Universalist Chapel Society, would surely qualify as a truly premiere event. And in just its second year of operation, Bookstock has clearly achieved that status.

So it is with pride that Sustainable Woodstock adds its support to that august group of founding partners of this town-wide celebration of literature. It was not a difficult decision to make. As one of our three pillars of sustainability, we see building a strong local economy as a priority, and applaud the important contributions Bookstock is making.

"We are grounded in Woodstock's rich literary culture," said Peter Rousmaniere, chair of Bookstock's organizing committee. "It's a culture that extends beyond our town's legions of voracious readers to our economic base. Everyone knows that Woodstock has long supported three great independent bookstores, but fewer know that we are also home to several very successful publishers."

Countryman Press claims to be "Vermont's oldest name in publishing," and despite being acquired by WW Norton in 1996, its Woodstock editorial and production offices ensure that it maintains a strong local identity. And Skylight Paths Publishing, a more recent presence in town, has established itself as one of the country's leading publishers of books on spirituality and religion. "Both of these publishers have been very helpful in proposing speakers for Bookstock," said Rousmaniere.

But beyond its support of the local economy, Bookstock has also shown a strong environmental consciousness - another great reason for Sustainable Woodstock to become a committed partner. In particular, on this year's calendar, we were delighted that Bill McKibben was invited as a featured speaker.

In his new book Eearth, McKibben makes the case that the environmental damage we have caused over the past few decades has already taken earth to the point of no return to its original condition. Although still recognizable, the planet we live on is different enough to require a new name. He calls it eearth.

In his provocative and well documented account, McKibben makes the case that our delay in responding to early warnings about global warming is the greatest mistake humans have ever made. And he argues that outlook for the future depends on scaling back and creating the kinds of communities that will make the significant change necessary to allow us to live on a planet that is now severely out of balance.

So if you buy into the rule of thumb of judging someone by the company he keeps, Time magazine recognized McKibben as "the world's best green journalist," and Foreign Policy named him to its inaugural list of 100 most important global thinkers. By that score, he's a speaker well worth hearing. You can hear him at Bookstock this Saturday at 11 AM at the Town Hall Theatre.