By Henry Stafford
At the St. Anthony Park Library, a book club meets to discuss books related to climate change and social justice while also building community.
Pat Thompson, a member of the Changing Times Book Group, has been a member since its inception online in 2021 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The club is part of Transition Town All Saint Anthony Park, a community group that aims to strengthen community connection through education about environmental and social issues.
Thompson said Transition Town chose to create a book club because it’s an effective format to educate people. It also allows the club to go beyond climate change to discuss other things, like social justice.
“We both want to read things that are directly related to climate change, but also social justice,” Thompson said. “Because environmental justice is a major aspect of climate justice.”
The group started a partnership with the St. Anthony Park Library in 2024, said Mindy Keskinen, another group member present from the start. The partnership has helped expand the number of attendees and made it easier for attendees to get books.
Keskinen said the club is important to her because it makes her feel less worried about climate change and current political tensions in the country. The club has also introduced her to a variety of book genres, like memoir and science fiction.
“I was drawn to the group as a way to face climate change issues with neighbors, because it’s daunting,” Keskinen said. “I feel like we are facing a number of daunting challenges all at once right now as a society.”
She also likes that the club includes diverse authors, with some being local to the Twin Cities area, like Naomi Kritzer. The refreshments are an added bonus.
“You don’t have to have read the whole book to join us and share in the processing that we’re all doing,” Keskinen said. “And we have refreshments and just good company.”
Tracy Kugler, one of the early members of the club, said the neighborhood has reacted positively to the book club. The partnership with the library has filled more chairs at meetings with neighbors.
“It was successful for those of us who were participating in it, but now it’s getting more well known to a broader audience,” Kugler said.
The club is very informal and open to all, Kugler added. The club welcomes all types of people, whether they’ve read the book cover to cover or not at all.
“There’s no pressure.,” Kugler said. “We’re really just interested in conversation and talking about the ideas and really hearing what everybody has to say.”
The club’s next meeting is on March 22 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Zvago Cooperative Living, 2265 Luther Place, and the book will be “White Birch, Red Hawthorn” by Nora Murphy, who will be in attendance. Meetings will return to the library in the future.
Attending next library event is easy as pi
The St. Anthony Park Branch Library Association is hosting a pie judging event on March 14, Pi Day, at St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church, 2323 Como Ave., from 6-7:30 p.m. Jared Kaufman, a food and features reporter at the Pioneer Press, will be the judge.
Local musicians Adam Granger and Dan Chouinard will provide entertainment. The event is open to the public and there will be a potluck.
Henry Stafford is a journalism student at the University of Minnesota. He’ll be graduating in the fall. He loves photography and squirrels. You can find more of his work at henrystafford.net.
Photo cutline: At a meeting of the Changing Times Book Group, author Ranae Hanson talked about her memoir. Courtesy of Mindy Keskinen.