The Gist: Good evening VegNews Book Clubbers! We are in the third week of our discussion of Vegan's Daily Companion by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, and almost nearing the end. I can't believe how fast this month has flown by! I will actually be out of town beginning this Thursday until next Tuesday, but I'll be sure to wrap up our discussion this week, as well as post the final discussion next Monday.I hope you are enjoying this book so far! I know I've mentioned this before, but one of my favorite sections is the "Animals in the Arts" series, because I'm a film and literature nut myself. I really enjoy seeing symbolism in the arts, which are really why they are created in the first place. I've read and seen some of the films and books that CPG mentions, and hope to catch up on the others.
The Discussion: Here are two discussion points to help get the conversation started. I look forward to hearing from you!
1. What is your favorite book or film which symbolizes animal rights?
2. There are many stories of rescued animals within this book. Have you ever been to an animal sanctuary or rescued an animal yourself? What was that experience like?
The Assignment: Please read Day 281 to the end of Vegan's Daily Companion, and try to do at least one thing, such as make a recipe or try one of the foods CPG features, for our discussion on Monday, April 25.
~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig
One of the several things which sets Miss C apart from other great vegan authors is her collection of animal rights issues discussed in literature and film. She doesn't settle for her cocoon of vegan life in her own home- she seeks out other voices that should be heard to both inspire and reinforce the vegan path. Aside from the nobility of it all, we all like a good book and movie once in a while and it's not always easy to find stories that hearken to what matters to vegans. Miss C did a lot of work for us to include titles and movies into her Daily Companion.
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose I have a favorite book or film yet... my first experience with a film concerning animal rights was "Food Inc." which shook me to the core. At the same time, I was reading Jonathan Safran Foer's impressive book, EATING ANIMALS... I definitely took a beating those few weeks, emotionally, but it opened my eyes to so much. I do love ELIZABETH COSTELLO and never would have known about it had Miss C not mentioned it in her writings and I am looking forward to reading THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING now that I know there's a vegan-friendly theme within it. I've screened "Fantastic Planet," which was a little weird, but it made its point quite clearly. I love Marilyn Monroe, so, I did go and screen "The Misfits," as well. Though it's not a brilliant film, her performance and reaction to the horse hunt still haunts me. I hear her crying in my heart whenever I hear of other atrocities committed to living beings around the world...
I have never been to an animal sanctuary, but it's certainly on my to-do list. I have grown up most of my life with predominantly rescued animals. My current companion animal, my beautiful torti, is a rescued cat. I always encourage people to rescue animals and rather than support pet stores, though, in my area, several pet shops have rescued animals now and with the flow of people, those animals aren't stuck in a window box for too long. I enjoy the stories Miss C includes on the rescued animals... particularly stories like Phoenix, the rabbit that had been cruelly tortured by thoughtless people, set on fire and left to die. The fact that Phoenix made it through, with the help of kind humans, just brings grateful tears to my eyes. Miss C is in the business of cultivating hope, seeing the best in what is around us... it's beautiful work.
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteThanks GK for your thoughtful comment! I seen a lot more of the films than I have, and I hope to watch more of them soon. I have seen Princess Mononoke, which is a superb animated film, which I'm sure you'd like.
I look forward to seeing more discussion, and I'll wrap everything up on Friday.
~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig
I am currently quite obsessed with Born to be Wild (the new imax film) and have already seen it twice and very well may see it again! It will definitely also be added to my dvd collection asap. I also am very excited about reading the unbearable lightness of being! I heard about it when I visited a friend that was living in Prague but didn't realize it had an animal friendly theme also.
ReplyDeleteI will be volunteering next week at Jungle Friends sanctuary and couldn't be more excited to spend time helping the monkeys there! I also intend to donate while there as they are in need of funds to expand so it will be possible for them to rescue even more unwanted pets, lab animals and defunct zoo cast offs.
Charlotte's Web is probably my all-time favorite book and movie involving animal rights. I also really enjoy the films 28 Days Later and Princess Mononoke, and also the book Frankenstein. This book has given me lots of great suggestions for other films and books to check out too!
ReplyDeleteI have never had the opportunity to visit an animal sanctuary, although I recently learned of one that is 4.5 hours from where I live (it's actually the closest one to me). I'm going to try organizing a road trip with some of my vegetarian/vegan friends, and hopefully visit sometime this summer! I'm also planning on bringing items from their wish list to donate.
Thought I would jump in before the Friday wrap-up!
ReplyDeleteI have been scouring the depths of my brain for the last few days to think of some good movies or other literature related to animal rights, but all I could think of was The Cove and Animal Planet's Whale Wars. Frankly this has me a little discouraged that I couldn't think of more as I was thinking surely this is becoming a more "mainstream" theme.....When I did a quick internet search for movies with themes on animal welfare, films like "Food Inc", "Fast Food Nation", and "Supersize Me" came up. This kind of surprised me as, admittedly I haven't seen them, but I thought these films were related more to health than animal welfare. Has anyone else see these films? What do you think?
As for visiting sanctuaries, this is one of my favorite parts of CPG's book. Her images are so powerful - there is a true sense of peace to the images of her amongst the rescued. A great addition to her book for sure. My husband and I had the privilege of visiting the Farm Sanctuary in NY state last summer - although I sympathize with Amy D. - we had to drive 6 hours to get there. If you ever get the chance to go there, you should definitely stay in their B&B. To be able to hear the sounds of the animals in the distance, such as one of the rooster's welcoming the morning, and knowing they are all safe, loved, and cared for is a beautiful experience. Meeting the animals will change you. It's a powerful experience to hear their stories and have them trust you after all of that. It has given me such a rejuvenated sense of hope and activism that I wish for all those who visit.
After being vegan for about 15 years, it can sometimes be hard for me to recognize that I am making a difference. Once you visit a sanctuary like the Farm Sanctuary, and you are around like-minded people and can actually SEE and MEET those who have been saved, you feel revived. It's instant and absolutely fabulous.
Another recommendation I could make is to visit local no-kill shelters and volunteer there. If one of the more well-known sanctuaries are far away, maybe there's a local alternative that is similar in nature? We frequently take a day to drive about an hour to the nearest no-kill shelter to visit with the animals, volunteer, and take donations (such as gently used towels, bowls, kitty litter, etc).
On a related note, my husband and I are visiting the Woodstock Animal Sanctuary this weekend and I'm curious to see how it relates to the Farm Sanctuary. Has anyone been to Woodstock? What did you think?
Looking forward to next week's discussion!