Name: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE DESERT
Start: 2024-11-09T10:00:00-08:00
End: 2024-11-09T18:30:00-08:00
Location: Old Schoolhouse Museum

Explore the Mojave's wonders at a Twentynine Palms Book Festival sidebar, with six expert talks on its fragile ecosystem under threat
About this Event

As a special sidebar event of the Twentynine Palms Book Festival, the Never Underestimate the Desert program will explore the Mojave Desert’s physical, geological, and cultural wonders. Led by renowned writers, scientists, architects, artists, and academics, the event will take place on Saturday, November 9, from 10 AM to 6:30 PM. The program will feature six presentations, discussions, and talks that examine the Mojave Desert’s fragile ecosystem, which is now under severe threat from post-pandemic economic growth, increased tourism, and climate change. Hosted at the Twentynine Palms Old Schoolhouse Museum, this program is presented with the support of the Twentynine Palms Historical Society.

10:00 AM | DESERT LITERATURE: A JOURNEY THROUGH ESSENTIAL READS. This session features desert preservation activists Susan Lang and Chris Clarke, who will share their essential desert literature reads. Chris Clarke, host of the 90 Miles from Needles podcast, explores the American Southwest's ecosystems through conversations on conservation, land management, and environmental justice. Susan Lang, author of a trilogy about life in the southwestern wilderness, is a Willa Award winner and Faculty Emeritus at Yavapai College. Together, they offer insights into the literature that captures the spirit and challenges of the desert.

11:00 AM | VOICE OF THE ANCESTORS: NATIVE AMERICAN NARRATIVES. Moderated by Ruth Nolan, a poet and professor deeply connected to the Mojave Desert, this session explores the impact of Indigenous storytelling shaped by the desert’s unique landscape. Panelists include Terria Smith, editor of News from Native California and advocate for Native cultures; Emily Clarke, a Cahuilla poet and artist committed to her heritage and community; and Camaray Davalos (Payómkawichum/Xicana), a writer and screenwriter who explores Indigenous issues and identity. Together, they will share insights on the resilience and vibrancy of Native American narratives influenced by the Mojave Desert.

12:15 PM | ALBERT FREY: INVENTIVE MODERNISM Inspired by a large-scale retrospective on Albert Frey at the Palm Springs Art Museum, this session, curated and moderated by Brad Dunning, will explore the life and work of Albert Frey, a key figure in Desert Modernism. Dunning, a Palm Springs-based designer known for his expertise in architectural restoration, has worked on iconic mid-century homes by architects like Joseph Eichler, A. Quincy Jones, and Richard Neutra, including the famous Kaufmann House. With his deep knowledge of modern architecture, Dunning will guide a discussion on Frey's move to Palm Springs, where he developed his distinctive "simple but severe" style that left a lasting impact on the region's architectural landscape.

1:30 PM | DESERT FOREST: LIFE WITH JOSHUA TREES. Moderated by artist and activist Sant Khalsa, the session "Desert Forest: Life with Joshua Trees" will explore the challenges facing the iconic Joshua tree and the vital Mojave Desert ecosystem. The session highlights the multidisciplinary project, Desert Forest: Life with Joshua Trees, which includes an art exhibition at MOAH Lancaster, and a book supported by the Getty as part of PST ART: Art & Science Collide. This project emphasizes preservation efforts and the intersection of art, science, indigenous knowledge, and public policy. Sant Khalsa, an award-winning artist and curator, is known for her environmental activism and curatorial projects, including this one. The panel includes Brendan Cummings, J.D., Conservation Director of the Center for Biological Diversity, who played a key role in advocating for the protection of the western Joshua tree; Sean Milanovich, PhD, a member of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and a specialist in Native American history who focuses on indigenous land conservation; and Lynn C. Sweet, PhD, a Research Ecologist at the University of California, Riverside, whose work addresses the impacts of climate change on desert ecosystems.

3:15 PM | EVERYTHING CHANGE: CREATIVE TAKES ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS. Both climate change and the green solutions economy are happening faster than science predicted, but the question remains, which will win out? That tension is the existential story of our time and a lens through which to imagine literature and art about anyone, anywhere, affected by our world in transition. Everything Change: Creative Takes on the Climate Crisis is a multimedia author’s reading and discussion that asks what stories writers and filmmakers might tell at this disruptive time where crisis meets opportunity? And what effect might those stories have on the collective cultural narrative that prescribes how we, as a species, live on this earth? Moderated by Cheryl Slean, who leads the Sustainability and Storytelling program at Netflix and has a background in filmmaking, writing, and climate action, the discussion will feature a diverse group of authors. Carmiel Banasky, a writer whose work spans novels, television, film, and audio, brings her experience from the Amazon show Undone and the climate-focused sci-fi podcast The Last City. Claire Vaye Watkins, an acclaimed author known for her books Gold, Fame, Citrus and I Love You but I’ve Chosen Darkness, and her environmental advocacy, will also join the panel. Rounding out the session is Kim Stringfellow, an artist, educator, and curator whose work merges cultural geography and experimental documentary, focusing on socially engaged transmedia experiences.

4:45 PM | TALK BETWEEN OBI KAUFMANN AND RUTH NOLAN. To conclude the Never Underestimate the Desert Day, Ruth Nolan and Obi Kaufmann will discuss their deep concerns about the devastating wildfires that have ravaged our state and the Mojave Desert. They will also read from their books Cima Dome, East Mojave National Preserve and The State of Fire: Why California Burns.

About Obi Kaufmann | Obi Kaufmann is an acclaimed writer and illustrator known for his deep connection with and exploration of California's natural landscapes. His work bridges the gap between art and science, offering readers a unique perspective on the state's deserts and forests. His approach often involves interdisciplinary collaborations, blending ecological science with artistic expression. The State of Fire: Why California Burns by Obi Kaufmann examines the historical and ecological role of fire in shaping California's landscape. Kaufmann explores how fire has been both a tool for ecosystem management and a force of destruction, particularly in the context of modern practices and climate change.

About Ruth Nolan | Drawing on her experiences as a wildland firefighter for the BLM California Desert District and U.S Forest Service and on her ongoing academic research, Professor/author Ruth Nolan will speak about and invite discussion of her award-winning humanities project, Fire On the Mojave: Stories from Mountains and Deserts of Inland Southern California, which examines the narratives and complex intersectionality of those who fight fire, those who tend fire, those who live in perennial fire zones, impacts on desert ecosystems, historic and changing fire regimes in the Mojave, and more. She will also read from her essay Cima Dome, East Mojave National Preserve, published in Writing the Golden State: The New Literary Terrain of California (Angel City Press, 2024, eds. Caribbean Fragoza, Romeo Guzmán and Sabine Joudat) and poetry from her book, After the Dome Fire.