Julie Rae Powers’ new book Deep Ruts asks what it means to be a queer person from an Appalachian family with a strong masculine history of coal mining – and to grow up in a place where those two things are incompatible. Deep Ruts shares Julie Rae’s journey of trying to find her place in the world.

On September 24, Julie Rae Powers will join us in a virtual conversation with Southwest Virginia photographer and filmmaker Laura Saunders. Julie Rae and Laura will discuss environmental justice and queerness in Appalachia in the context of her new book Deep Ruts. Julie Rae has family ties to the coal industry and Laura has a deep knowledge of the movement to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Guided by these backgrounds, Julie Rae and Laura will discuss the toll extractive industry takes on people in intimate ways.

We will raffle off one copy of Deep Ruts to a random member of the virtual audience. You can purchase your own copy of Deep Ruts on Julie Rae’s website. If you buy the book before September 15, you can take 10% off with the code “papaw”.

Register here.

This event is part of POWHR’s Community of Practice, a virtual multimedia reflection group to raise awareness and foster relationships for community empowerment on issues such as environmental protection, energy alternatives, the just transition framework, liberatory mindsets, and social justice.