I suspect that at least some on this list are familiar with the work of author Daniel Quinn. Among the books he wrote were the novels Ishmael, The Story of B, and My Ishmael. Ishmael, in these books, is a telepathic gorilla that serves as teacher to various human characters and who, through the Socratic method, invites them to explore and question many sacred assumptions about human society and human history. I know of at least one environmental course here at the University of Vermont that uses Ishmael as required reading, and suspect that other institutions represented here might use it as well in various classes. Speaking for myself, I found Quinn's books, and his Ishmael trilogy in particular, incredibly insightful and inspiring. An odd thing to say about a novel I suppose, particularly on a listserv populated mainly by scientists.
I started a podcast last summer that deals with various environmental and social themes. Daniel Quinn was at the top of the list of folks I wanted to reach out to about recording an episode, and when I reached out to him he said he would love to come on. He was in the middle of a book project though, and wanted to finish the manuscript and find a publisher before he scheduled any new interviews. So he promised to reach out to me in early 2018, as he was confident he would have everything squared away by then. Just a few weeks ago I saw a Facebook post from his wife that shocked me. She announced he died on February 17, 2018 due to complications from pneumonia. He was 82. I spent a few weeks reflecting on the various ways Daniel Quinn's work inspired me, and just released an episode that put some of those thoughts together. I also tie themes from Quinn's Ishmael trilogy with those from a recent film I also found compelling: Marvel's Black Panther. Folks can listen to the episode on most pod catchers (iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, etc.), and also at the following link: Episode 67: Telepathic Gorillas, Black Panthers, and Confronting the Realities of Colonialism<http://ericgarza.info/episode-67/> Comments and feedback are welcome, as always. All the best! Eric Garza, PhD Cell: (802) 881-8675 Web: EricGarza.info<http://ericgarza.info>
