The quarter is in full swing, which means that teaching has completely absorbed my time and energy. Amazingly, the class has remained full and the students for the most part all seem engaged. It is so exciting to hear their ideas about the readings and watch as their thoughts shift and evolve with the material […]
Category Archives: Animals
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Thoughts on Tradition
Yesterday, in class, I asked the students to shout out responses and we brainstormed on the board. First was…What constitutes home? comfort family love safety security bed food Next was… What constitutes food? taste nutrition comfort community satisfaction access Then I asked the class to think about familiar traditions that are centered on food: Barbeque […]
Book Reviews Galore!
Today, our dear friend Karen has her first book review over at Our Hen House. She reviewed What the Animals Taught Me: Stories of Love and Healing from a Farm Animal Sanctuary by Stephanie Marohn. I haven’t read the book, but I’m interested in doing so after reading Karen’s review. On a similar topic, I […]
Gearing up for Teaching & Understanding Doublethink
School starts on Monday and I’m excited to say that I’m going to be teaching the course, ‘Animals, Ethics, and Food: Deconstructing Dominant Discourses’ again. I’ve tweaked the syllabus from last time and I hope it’s an improvement. Last winter’s teaching adventure was one of the best experiences I’ve had at the University of Washington and […]
Sitting Quietly at a ‘Cull Market’ Auction
Every now and then, I’m deeply ashamed to be part of the human species. Last Wednesday was one of those days. I went to a cull market auction with my friend Tish, who kindly agreed to go with me and who, afterward, wrote a very nice post about buddy system research on her blog. We arrived […]
Dissertation Update & Working Through Emotional Roadblocks
I’ve had some requests from a number of readers now to talk a bit more about my dissertation research. So I thought I’d give you an update on where I am in the process. I spent the late-spring/early summer trying to gain access to small-scale dairy farms in the area. I focused on mostly the […]
Sidecar Septemberfest Bakesale: Bakers and Eaters Needed!
It’s that time again! The Sidecar for Pigs Peace Bakesale is this weekend! I’m going to be baking these bad boys—the raspberry and apricot thumbprint shortbread cookies… They need bakers if you’d like to bake for the bakesale. Contact bakesale @ pigspeace.org to offer your baking skills. They’re looking specifically for cookies. It’s going to […]
Carnism Action & Awareness Network
Two weeks into Peppermint Patties for Pigs Peace, we have raised $1076. That is amazing! Thank you all so much for your generosity. Pigs Peace is an extraordinary place and I hope that you will all be able to visit the pigs there someday. I would be so grateful if you would consider donating if you […]
A Vegan Diet for Dogs
Last year at around this time, I reported about our transitioning Maizy (the dog with whom we share home) to a vegan diet. Maizy had struggled for years with an allergic skin condition, early onset arthritis, diarrhea, ear infections and weight gain. When she first came to live with us, we went through every low-allergen […]
Remembering Sadie
Earlier this week, I heard some very sad news. Sadie, one of the cows I met earlier this summer at Animal Place in California, died. She was fourteen. I wrote briefly about her story in “Sharing Testimony: An Activist Project for Animals” at Our Hen House earlier this summer. When I met Sadie, her story broke […]
