Reading the Mycoverse: The Mushroom at the End of the World - Part II

1850 Riverside Drive,Glendale CA 91201

11 October, 2021

Description

LA's Mycological Society hosts its first fungi focused reading group to discuss Anna Tsing's book on matsutakes & the ecological crises. "Through close, indeed loving, attention to a certain fascinating mushroom, the matsutake, Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing discusses how the whole immense crisis of ecology came about and why it continues. In a situation where urgency and enormity can overwhelm the mind, she gives us a real way to think about it."—Ursula K. Le Guin The Reading the Mycoverse group decided for our next book, we will be discussing Anna Tsing's The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins. Next up, on October 11th, we will be discussing Part II: After Progress: Salvage Accumulation (up to page 148). Here we dive into some fascinating territory – the many definitions of freedom that the economics of matsutake provide. It's the heart of the book, where she goes to learn firsthand what life is like at an asian encampment in the middle of nowhere Oregon that subsists on the matsutake trade. From the publisher of Anna Tsing's The Mushroom at the End of the World: What a rare mushroom can teach us about sustaining life on a fragile planet Matsutake is the most valuable mushroom in the world—and a weed that grows in human-disturbed forests across the Northern Hemisphere. Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing’s account of these sought-after fungi offers insights into areas far beyond just mushrooms and addresses a crucial question: What manages to live in the ruins we have made? The Mushroom at the End of the World explores the unexpected corners of matsutake commerce, where we encounter Japanese gourmets, capitalist traders, Hmong jungle fighters, Finnish nature guides, and more. These companions lead us into fungal ecologies and forest histories to better understand the promise of cohabitation in a time of massive human devastation. The Mushroom at the End of the World delves into the relationship between capitalist destruction and collaborative survival within multispecies landscapes, the prerequisite for continuing life on earth. About the Author: Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing is professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691220550/the-mushroom-at-the-end-of-the-world#reviews What is Reading the Mycoverse you ask? Reading the Mycoverse is a fungi focused reading group through the Los Angeles Mycological Society. There have been a number of excellent books, articles, podcasts, movies and other media related to mycology published over the recent years and we are forming a group to collectively discuss and learn together about the fascinating world of fungi. Okay, I'm in, where will we be discussing? Recommended to bring something to sit on as we will be discussing picnic style outdoors at Griffith Park's Bette Davis Picnic Area (just across the street from the car wash on Riverside and Da Mor's horse feed). We will be practicing social distancing as well. See you soon!