Seriously though, if you live anywhere near Fargo or feel like taking a trip up this way, this convention is going to be well worth your time. The line up of speakers includes Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker, co-presidents of the the Freedom From Religion Foundation; August Berkshire, the first president of the Twin Cities chapter of American Atheists; and Brian Keith Dalton, aka Mr. Deity. PZ Myers was also scheduled, but in light of recent events, I presume he'll still be home recovering. Tickets are only $65, or $29 for students. Visit their website for more information.
And another worthwhile upcoming local event, Barbara Ehrenreich, the bestselling author of Nickel and Dimed will be giving a lecture titled "Women, Economics and Poverty: On (not) getting by in America" this Thursday, September 2 at 7:00 p.m. at Festival Concert Hall, North Dakota State University. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Barbara Ehrenreich! She's amazing. I live in a small town and it's rare that we get visits from such interesting writers.
ReplyDeleteYou can bet I will be at the Ehrenreich lecture!
ReplyDeleteoh that "sweet spirit"
ReplyDelete/barf
have fun at the events :D I've heard tons about Barbara Ehrenreich and would love to read one of her books--suggestions?
Bait & Switch and For Her Own Good are excellent, but Nickel & Dimed is my personal favorite - she tries out several minimum-wage jobs to see if someone can really survive on that sort of income in the wake of welfare reform. I also loved this article about her experience with breast cancer: http://bcaction.org/index.php?page=welcome-to-cancerland-2
ReplyDeleteI hate the whole "sweet spirit" obsession in Mormonism! To me, "sweet" was always code for "innocent, naive, eager to please, and malleable." Boys are certainly never described as "sweet spirits."
ReplyDelete"We've missed your sweet spirit....."
ReplyDelete.....so we need to aim more carefully at it.....:-)
So often religious language sounds a tad predatory.
Infidel, I hadn't thought of it that way, but, yeah.
ReplyDeleteI just happened to get an email tonight from an active LDS who I haven't heard from in more than a year. She wrote -
ReplyDelete"I just want you to know that I miss your pretty face
and bathing in your beautiful light."
I really like this lady and I'm sure she's being genuine. I can't help but wonder how many of the ward members would still describe me as having a "beautiful light"!
Maureen, I had a few LDS friends that I felt like they really cared, and I do appreciate that. It's the ones that you can sense that they're only bothering to associate with you out of duty that rub me the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm sure you do have a beautiful light. :-) That's a sweet note to get from a friend. And I mean "sweet" in a good way here. :-)
oh that "sweet spirit"
ReplyDelete/barf
have fun at the events :D I've heard tons about Barbara Ehrenreich and would love to read one of her books--suggestions?