| |
| Editor | Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Katharine Wilkinson |
|---|---|
Publication date | September 22, 2020 |
| Website | allwecansave.earth |
All We Can Save is a 2020 collection of essays and poetry edited by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Dr. Katharine Wilkinson and published by One World. [1] The collection sets out to highlight a wide range of women's voices in the environmental movement, most of whom are from North America. [2] [3] The book represents a wide range of essays, and creative works by over 50 women involved in climate change activism, science, and policy. [2] [4] [5] [6]
All We Can Save focuses on building a feminine and feminist voice in the climate movement. [4] [7] Many commentators focused on the broad range of perspectives included in the book. [4] Sierra magazine commentator Wendy Becktold called the book a "big tent" and "grab bag" approach to communicating the climate crisis—one that "feels like just what we need right now.” [2] Rolling Stone ’s Phoebe Neidl said the book was “a feast of ideas and perspectives, setting a big table for the climate movement, declaring all are welcome.” [5]
Johnson and Wilkinson decided to create the anthology while attending a conference where the conversation was dominated by white male voices, [8] with the aim of highlighting the breadth and diversity of climate leadership. [8]
The book’s title was inspired by the closing stanza of Adrienne Rich’s poem “Natural Resources”. [9] [10]
"My heart is moved by all I cannot save:
so much has been destroyed
I have to cast my lot with those
who age after age, perversely,
with no extraordinary power,
reconstitute the world."
Reception was broadly very positive, listing the book on a number of best seller and "best of 2020" lists. [11] Smithsonian magazine named it one of the top 10 best science books for 2020. [12] Wendy Becktold from Sierra magazine positively reviewed the book "All We Can Save is a powerful tool because it articulates and holds space for this complexity." [13] Ms. magazine reviewer Sarah Montgomery focused on the urgency of the collection in light of the climate crisis, calling it a "sorely needed glimmer of hope—a reminder that there is a way out of this mess: collective action." [7] The book was featured in numerous nonfiction best sellers lists, including the Los Angeles Times , [14] The Washington Post, [15] and Porchlight Books. [16]
Among the readers of the book are many notable women leaders, including Roxane Gay, Jane Fonda, Emma Watson, and Maria Papova. [17] [18] [19] [20] The book was featured in many publications with interviews from Johnson and Wilkinson, including The Today Show, The Washington Post , Time magazine, and Democracy Now! . [21] [9] [22] [23]
Authors contributing to the book include: [24]
Narrators of the audiobook include: [25]
Alongside the publication of All We Can Save in 2020, Wilkinson and Johnson co-founded The All We Can Save Project, [21] which is an independent operating project of the umbrella nonprofit organization Multiplier. [26] Its mission is to nurture the “we” for all we can save and a "leaderful" climate community to grow a life-giving future. [27]
The All We Can Save Project provides open-source resources to support engagement with All We Can Save, including a self-led reading group model called All We Can Save Circles, [28] [29] [30] resources for educators teaching the anthology, [28] [31] and resources for working with climate emotions. [32]