Book Discussion: The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

A major book about the future of the world, blending intellectual and natural history and field reporting into a powerful account of the mass extinction unfolding before our eyes.

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW’S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST

“My most recent exhibition at DC Moore Gallery, New Pangaea, borrowed its title from a chapter in Elizabeth Kolbert’s book, The Sixth Extinction. The title of my exhibition referenced a new state in our environment caused by globalism and increases in global trade and travel. This current mode, one in which human intervention creates a new supercontinent, is one in which invasive species and plants are forced into a new existence together. The dense, tangled, and undulating forms of spaces and plants in these recent works address some of the complicated new environments we are facing, full of both worry and hope. As I reflect on the show in 2019 from our current perspective, one that is deep in the throes of a global pandemic caused by similar elements of globalization, I am even more dedicated to these new directions that are evolving in my work.”

Discussion led by Nell Larson, Executive Director of Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter.