Writing in Dark Times
Rebecca Solnit
Stories of the Imperceptible
Debate
Rebecca Solnit, one of the most outstanding essayists of the current literary scene, will speak about the ways in which writing and activism can be catalysts for change and hope. This, her first visit to the CCCB, coincides with the publication of her latest book No Straight Road Takes You There: Essays for Uneven Terrain (in Catalan, Elogi del camí inesperat, Angle, Lumen, 2025).
The present is charged with a sense of urgency. The speed with which we are embroiled in everyday happenings, feelings of vulnerability as rights are taken from us, the presence of violence, and the climate crisis are driving us to a state of despair where it seems that any action is doomed to failure. Confronting this paralysis, Rebecca Solnit suggests that we should return to long-term views and reclaim slowness, patience, and resistance.
With this in mind, she recovers in her latest book—No Straight Road Takes You There: Essays for Uneven Terrain—stories where hope unexpectedly makes its way, where victories come in silence, where the past teaches us that, sometimes, the most imperceptible actions become seeds of resistance and change. We may not be able to anticipate the future, but our actions today open up unforeseen paths that can lead to a transformed world.
Participants: Rebecca Solnit
This activity is part of Writing in Dark Times
