Busboys and Poets Books Presents WANTING with Luke Burgis

2021 14th Street Northwest,Washington DC 20009

11 August, 2021

Description

Busboys and Poets Books presents WANTING by Luke Burgis for a deep dive into why we want what we want and why that matters. Join us for an in-person celebration and close examination of WANTING: THE POWER OF MIMETIC DESIRE IN EVERYDAY LIFE (released June 21st, 2020). Author Luke Burgis will be joining us for an intimate evening with conversation partner Natasha Joukovsky (author of THE PORTRAIT OF A MIRROR) where they’ll delve deep into mimetic desire, what it is, and how it affects each and every one of us. They’ll also touch on how to turn “blind wanting” into “intentional wanting” -- by desiring differently. This event is free and open to all, accessible through our Facebook and Youtube pages (@busboysandpoets). Please RSVP if you are joining us in person or are interested in purchasing a book bundle (limited to those tuning in via livestream) The program will start out with an introduction from the Busboys and Poets’ Director of Operations, Lori Barrientos Sanchez, before Luke and Natasha delve into the mimetic desire conversation. From Luke’s experience as an entrepreneur, teacher, and student of classical philosophy/theology to Natasha’s experience rewriting the myth of Narcissus in a modern retelling, it is sure to be an interesting evening around desire, nuance, and intentionality. There will be time for Q&A with the audience before the end of the program, as well as the opportunity to get books signed by both Luke and Natasha. About WANTING: THE POWER OF MIMETIC DESIRE IN EVERYDAY LIFE - Gravity affects every aspect of our physical being, but there's a psychological force just as powerful -- yet almost nobody has heard of it. It's responsible for bringing groups of people together and pulling them apart, making certain goals attractive to some and not to others, and fueling cycles of anxiety and conflict. In WANTING, Luke Burgis draws on the work of French polymath René Girard to bring this hidden force to light and reveals how it shapes our lives and societies. According to Girard, humans don't desire anything independently. Human desire is mimetic -- we imitate what other people want. This affects the way we choose partners, friends, careers, clothes, and vacation destinations. Mimetic desire is responsible for the formation of our very identities. Wanting also shows that conflict does not arise because of our differences -- it comes from our sameness. Because we learn to want what other people want, we often end up competing for the same things. Ignoring our large similarities, we cling to our perceived differences. Drawing on his experience as an entrepreneur, teacher, and student of classical philosophy and theology, Burgis shares tactics that help turn blind wanting into intentional wanting--not by trying to rid ourselves of desire, but by desiring differently. It's possible to be more in control of the things we want, to achieve more independence from trends and bubbles, and to find more meaning in our work and lives. The future will be shaped by our desires. Wanting shows us how to desire a better one. Luke Burgis has founded and led multiple companies. He's currently entrepreneur-in-residence and director of programs at the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at the Catholic University of America, where he also teaches business and develops new education initiatives. He's also the founder and director of Fourth Wall Ventures, an incubator for people and companies that contribute to the formation of a healthy human ecology. He graduated from NYU Stern School of Business and later from a pontifical university in Rome, where he studied theology. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Claire. Busboys and Poets is a community where racial and cultural connections are consciously uplifted... a place to take a deliberate pause and feed your mind, body and soul... a space for art, culture and politics to intentioanally collide... we believe that by creating such a space we can inspire social change and begin to transform our community and the world.