Book Review/Heather Seggel

Every Day Is Like Survival

It will hopefully not shock you to learn that reviewing books is a suboptimal way to make a living. I’ve done it in some form for 25 years now and have the eyestrain and sweaty checkbook to prove it. My goal for 2020 was to do a bit of personal growth work and leave writing behind for a “job-job” that might offer more stability and less isolation. This was already a risky proposition, given that I live in a rural area prone to wildfires; add in a pandemic and economic shutdown and you have never seen someone happier to be able to review books and really appreciate Top Ramen.

All that being said, considering employment possibilities in a time of serial crises got me thinking. Richard Bolles’ old standby “What Color is Your Parachute?” doesn’t really speak to the times we live in now; even a compact edition written during an economic downturn assumed there were plenty of jobs available if one only looked hard enough. These days call for something closer to “What Color is Your Bug-Out Bag?”, and it turns out such a book exists. “Surviving Climate Change and Other Disasters: Practical Tips, Skills, Careers, Illustrations, and Activist Resources” (Rad Cat Press) is a guide to several possible scenarios we may face, some we are already living through, and how to shift and adapt to meet the moment.

“Surviving” is written by Sage Liskey, whose book “You Are A Great and Powerful Wizard” I reviewed recently, in an odd coincidence. I ordered “Wizard” after reading a zine that grew into a full-length book. It turns out this book has a similar origin story, evolving from a 2014 zine titled Surviving the Collapse of Society that saw a surge in interest after Trump’s election. I was unfamiliar with it, though, and surprised when my floundering through search engines for career guides led to Liskey once again. In this book he catalogs several potential disaster scenarios, then offers ideas for constructive activism to prevent those that can be stopped. Assuming the worst has happened, there are lists of the basic needs people will have to address after a catastrophe, and an abundance of book, web, and other media suggestions for further reading. All great, but where’s my job?

The career ideas are the heart of the book, taking up a full 73 of its 149 pages (there is strikingly lovely collage art throughout as well). Most assume a societal collapse and rebuild, and are thus things we may think of as primitive from our fragile perches. Cobbling shoes seems like an awful strain when there’s a Big 5 nearby, but should we lose even more stores and factories, “makers” will be leading us out of the darkness, and keeping us free from tetanus. Liskey lists ideas under a category heading, like “Ceramics,” which can take one from art to construction work. It’s an admittedly simple list, but immediately gets the creative drive activated. That’s critical at times when depression and anxiety can be immobilizing; I can’t count the number of times I’ve assigned myself a half hour brainstorming session for new career paths and more or less become catatonic with stress and grief. This book makes me want to grab a pen and pad and work alongside it to come up with ideas, a much more fun and collaborative approach.

The title emphasizes surviving, but life as described here would be closer to thriving—the focus on connection and healing, and making those things as broadly accessible as possible, can only enrich us. There are reminders throughout to use language that is simple, clear, and inclusive when trying to build a movement, advice which leads to more cohesive communities, where nobody can bully their way to authority by dropping a lot of academic jargon. Even if someone is an authority within their community, the advice to scrutinize their ideas and be sure they work well for everyone can help prevent anyone from “leading” without the support or permission of the group. All these themes, and the central focus on work that is meaningful and has value, present a vision of a future where we may face a mass extinction (it sure seems like it from where I’m sitting today), but have the potential to emerge as a stronger and more equitable society. Read it, get your household on board, then start talking to the neighbors; it’s time.

Heather Seggel is a writer surviving in Northern California. Email heatherlseggel@gmail.com.

From The Progressive Populist, September 15, 2020

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