The world is on fire and nothing is okay. What does this feel like? There are a lot of standard names for what we feel when we think about global warming, wide-spread extinction of creatures, and, well, [gestures generally]: Anxiety, grief, anger, fear, blankness. Sometimes the way we talk about feelings shapes what we feel, and so it matters what words we have. We might not have all the words we need to understand the experience of climate crisis.

In this hands-on workshop, we’ll discuss some theories about emotions and expression, why writing is a good way to explore feelings we don’t have a name for, and how to practice finding our “outlaw emotions” about big problems.

About the presenter

Alexis Shotwell is a professor at Carleton University, on unceded Algonquin land. She is a writer, SF nerd, queer, functional potter, currently obsessed with doing handstands. She’s the author of Against Purity: Living Ethically in Compromised Times and working on a book about getting together to solve big problems in which we are complicit.

Presented in partnership with the Ottawa Writers Festival.

Need help with your income taxes? Register now with your OPL library card and let our community volunteer take care of your tax return this year.

The Cumberland branch will be offering free English tax clinics for individuals with modest incomes and simple tax situations. Business taxes will not be accepted. Expect appointments to run about 45 minutes.

Clinics will run Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning March 21st, with additional hours during the day of Wednesday, March 29th. More dates may be added depending on the demand.

If you do not already have a valid library card, you can obtain one online here, or by visiting any of our 33 branches.

Stories, rhymes, songs and activities for babies (ages 0-18 months) and a parent/caregiver. 

Using your library card, please register one spot for each child in attendance.

To get a Library card, register online here: https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/getacard

Need help with your income taxes? Register now with your OPL library card and let our community volunteer take care of your tax return this year.

The Cumberland branch will be offering free English tax clinics for individuals with modest incomes and simple tax situations. Business taxes will not be accepted. Expect appointments to run about 45 minutes.

Clinics will run Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning March 21st, with additional hours during the day of Wednesday, March 29th. More dates may be added depending on the demand.

If you do not already have a valid library card, you can obtain one online here, or by visiting any of our 33 branches.