In Conversation with Robin Wall Kimmerer at Otterbein University

In March of 2023, I had a wonderful conversation with author and botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer, along with fellow artist Cadine Navarro. It took place at Otterbein University in Ohio. Kimmerer’s talk was insightful, inspiring, and touching. To read a full account about this conversation, visit my Substack newsletter Sound Is Magic here.

When we first met one another, I made a joke that Cadine and I had mistakenly coordinated the colors of our outfits: my jacket was a mustard color, and Cadine’s blouse was ketchup red. Kimmerer quickly chimed in, “and I’m the salad!” (She was wearing a colorful shawl.) We laughed together, and it immediately put me at ease. From that moment on, I knew she was carefully listening to us and quickly responding with empathy. Her lightness, humor, and presence were delightful.

The motivation behind our conversation was to introduce ourselves and our work to Kimmerer, and then find relationships between our approaches to art and social practice and her writing, indigenous wisdom, and scientific rigor. 

As it turned out, my questions weren’t really questions. Instead, I kept searching for ways to articulate the connections I so clearly saw between us, and share how Kimmerer’s thoughts and deeds have influenced me. I tried not to gush too much! I mostly succeeded…