​On Sunday, November 15th, from 2:00 - 3:30 pm, we will be having a book club on Potomac Fever: Reflections on the Nation’s River by Charlotte Taylor Fryar! We will be discussing topics from the book, as well as connecting it to our lives and experiences of birding. You do not need to have read the book to participate - we welcome everyone, whether they have read the whole book, a few chapters, a summary, or nothing at all!

​Everyone is welcome, especially members of the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, BIPOC, and women.

​For this event, we ask that you register in advance. If you have to cancel at the last minute for any reason, that’s okay - we can release spots if we fill up from the waitlist.

​If you have any questions, comments, thoughts, feedback, please reach out. We want everyone to feel welcomed and able to be their authentic selves as a part of our chapter!

​Summary (taken from https://www.blpress.org/books/potomac-fever/ ):

​As she walks the length of the Potomac River, clambering up its banks and sounding its depths, Charlotte Taylor Fryar examines the geography and ecology of Washington, D.C. with all manner of flora and fauna as her witness. The ecological traces of human inhabitancy provide her with imaginative access into America’s past, for her true subject is the origin of our splintered nation and racially divided capital.

​From the gentrified neighborhood of Shaw to George Washington’s slave labor camp at Mount Vernon, Potomac Fever maps the troubled histories of the United States by leading us along the less-trafficked trails and side streets of our capital city, steeped in the legacy of white supremacy and colonialism. In the end, Fryar offers hope for how “we might grow a society guided by the ethics and values of the places we live.”

​A compelling synthesis of historical, environmental, and personal narrative, Potomac Fever exposes the roots of our national myths, awash in the waters of America’s renowned river.

​—-----------

​Event info

​Meeting Location:

​We will be meeting in the Conference Room at the Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Neighborhood Library (Fort Totten). The address is 5401 South Dakota Ave NE, Washington, DC 20011. The conference room is on the second floor of the library.

​There are men’s and women’s bathrooms located inside the library. The library is wheelchair accessible.

​Other Important Info:

• ​Masks are required, so that individuals who are at risk or immunocompromised can attend this event safely. We will bring masks if you don’t have one!

• ​A list of content warnings for the novel are included at the end of the event information.

• ​If you are under 18 years old, you must be accompanied by an adult to partake in the event.

​Getting There:

​There is free parking on-site at the library, as well as free street parking, and a free parking garage across the street.

​If you are taking the metro, the nearest metro stop is Fort Totten on the Red and Green Lines. From the station you turn right onto Fort Totten Station and then turn left onto Fort Totten Station (heading towards Ingraham St NE). From there, you will turn right onto Ingraham St NE, then left onto South Dakota Ave NE, and the library will be on the right. The walk is about 8 minutes from the Fort Totten Metro to the library, and is moderately downhill from the station.

​If you are taking the bus, the nearest stops are the D30 bus at Galloway St NE and South Dakota Av NE or the C81 bus at Galloway St NE and South Dakota Av NE, which are each about a 7-minute walk to the library.

​If you are driving, there are about 8 parking spots at the library, as well as ample free street parking surrounding the library, and up to 2 hours of free parking at the Colonial Parking Garage associated with the Aldi across the street (5229 4th St NE, Washington DC 20011).

​Carpooling:

​A leadership member may be able to provide rides from the metro and back. If you will need a ride, please let us know when you register.

​Book Club Leaders:

​For this activity, Megan Gordon (pronouns: she/her) and Nicole Kelly (pronouns: she/her) will serve as the leaders. They both love to be outside, reading, and get excited by birds!

​Point of Contact:

​If you need to get in contact with us day-of, please use “Contact Host” on the event page or email us directly (fbc.dmv@gmail.com).

​Code of Conduct:

​Please read the FBC DMV Code of Conduct prior to the event if you haven't already. This Code of Conduct is meant to explicitly place our principles into practice, lay out what behavior is and is not acceptable from our members, participants, and our leaders, and detail how we will work to enforce those principles.

​Content Warnings:

​Potomac Fever: Reflections on the Nation’s River by Charlotte Taylor Fryar discusses some themes that may be distressing, and some of these themes may come up during our discussion. As a part of our goal to make activities as accessible as possible, we have included a list of content warnings below:

• ​Racism