Derrick Jensen Reading Club

More than a glimpse into my thoughts and my writing, the Derrick Jensen Reading Club is a full view of the life of the forest and my life within it.

I write about bears who leave me cubs and crows who bring me presents. I write about saving frogs, rescuing dogs, and helping my mother die. I write about the details of writing. And I write about the world being killed: why, and how, and what we might do about it.

And most nights before bed, I upload the day’s work here. Most mornings, you’ll find it in your inbox. Right now, it’s my book The Boy in the Box, about surviving abuse and stopping rape culture. You get the first tentative draft and then each successive edit to the final manuscript.

As an annual subscriber ($60)—a witness, really—you’ll have access to my catalog of unpublished work: essays, short film scripts, letters to the editor, wildlife photos, and some minor projects as well as an entire unpublished book (Anarchism and the Politics of Violation). And on request, you can have a pdf of any of my published books. That’s a lot of great stuff for only $60/year.

“Big Bear” subscribers ($240) receive all of the above, plus once a month live community Q & A session with me, and, depending on the season, possibly a visit from bears. Dates and times TBD.

Free subscribers get “Derrick lite”: announcements about Resistance Radio podcasts, interviews, upcoming appearances, and online writing and eco-philosophy classes, as well as a few tantalizing excerpts from my latest work. Fill in your email address to join the email list.

As you probably know, I have long since been “canceled” for standing by women and girls. I’ve lost three publishers and my capacity to earn a living via public speaking. If you believe in my work, subscribing is a way to support it. Thank you!

Testimonials from current subscribers

“I love being a member of Derrick’s reading club. It’s like having a dear friend who writes passionately about eco-philosophy, wild bears, the vibrant forest, and life’s intricate tapestry, sharing it all directly through personal notes and thoughtful musings. The links to his podcast interviews and videos are a noteworthy bonus. I feel unbelievably lucky that for just a few dollars a month I’m welcomed into his world of wisdom and wonder, and through the reading club I feel so much more connected to something greater—nature, humanity, and the unbreakable spirit that weaves it all together.”

“I’ve been a member of the reading club for decades. I learn a lot by watching the process of writing & editing a book. I also appreciate all the other stories he tells us about his home site & all the wild animals & so many other creatures who live there, and his respect for & care for them. I really look forward to his emails.”

“It’s fascinating to watch such a great writer’s process. His unique approach, dedication, and passion to writing is soul-inspiring!”

“The promise of the internet–that you’ll be able to keep up with artists and activists you like–never panned out . . . until now. Getting a sneak peek at how these complex books come together is unparalleled!”

“No matter how busy I am, every morning when I check my email, I always take the time to enjoy Derrick’s reading club updates. The consistently amusing and enlivening stories of his life in the forest with the bears and other animals bring depth and wonder to my otherwise mechanistic time at the computer. I’ve found this little peek into the wild woods of northern California to be worth slowing down for each day; to learn something about these real animals living in their natural homes, and to learn it from the kind and brilliant man who has enhanced my ability to appreciate them through his profound writing and thoughtful sharing.”

“The Reading Club messages from Derrick Jensen start my morning each day along with coffee. Being allowed to read chapters as they’re being written is a special privilege. And his bear stories are truly amazing glimpses into a world most people never see, much less understand. The Club is a special experience for me and many others.”

“Every day I check what’s new, behind the scenes of an author’s process. He shows examples of editing, and it helps with my own writing. I get updates about the day in the life of living in a redwood forest. We get close up anecdotes about the life of bears. We might read about bears, mice, vultures, songbirds, crows, fish in the stream, spiders, beetles, fungi, frogs, you never know what the day will bring. Most of all I appreciate his heartfelt writing style and reading the book as it unfolds. It contains real life in real time, addressing difficult issues you don’t hear much talk about in the media or within your own family. It makes you think. It makes you feel. It changes you.”

“Every time there is a reading club email it makes my day!”

“I start every day with the Reading Club. I love Derrick’s notes because no one in my environment seems to be saying what I need to hear. Not at my place of work, not in my friend community, not in my family. In fact, when I speak what is on my mind and in my heart, I get looked at like I’m absolutely bonkers and too extreme. Reading Derrick’s words makes me feel like I belong. I feel understood.”

“I have subscribed to Derrick Jensen’s reading club for many years. Reading his updates is one of the first items on my to-do list every day. Derrick provides a rare look into a writer’s process that I have found fascinating. I highly recommend the Reading Club to anyone interested in writing, the natural world, and Derrick’s prolific work.”

“Ever since I joined Derrick Jensen’s Reading Club in 2006, I’ve gained intimate insights into the professional writer’s process of creating books, each step of the way. Then there’s always the fun, funny, fascinating & educational stories of the bear-neighbors and the dogs’ adventures and happenings in his hometown with the redwood forest.”

“I always look forward to learning what’s new from the Reading Club and also enjoy learning who he is interviewing. Taken together it creates a real plan of practical actions for anyone determined to fight for our planet and win. There’s also a sense of a community with other like-minded individuals who share the same environmental philosophy and are asking how we can protect the earth. Reading all of this helps me to feel not so alone.”
 
“The Reading Club reminds me that sensitive and aware people who love the real and natural world exist, and that they go through the universal tragedies, mundane concerns, and experiences we all go through. And learning that the writing process is both elevated and tedious is satisfying. It’s a nuanced yet light glimpse into the life of a writer and nature lover.”

“It is fascinating (and educational) to have access to this intimate window into the life and writing process of one of my favorite authors.”

“On days he doesn’t send out a reading club note, I’m constantly surprised by how much I miss them.”

“I have been a member of the Reading Club for at least a decade. I cherish all of Derrick’s emails and delight in hearing about his land, the bears he lives with, and the formation of the ideas that he eloquently writes about in his work. I highly recommend Derrick’s reading club for anyone who has been influenced by his writings and thoughts and wants to not only support his work but be a part of the process.”

“My membership in Derrick Jensen’s Reading Club is worth every penny, 10 times over, of its very modest price. I am in my mid-60s and sometimes think that I have heard it all, but there is always something new in every post. And all that’s great about the old things, too: the forest, birds, creeks, and on and on. And bears. Lots of bears. Big ones, little ones, rude and polite ones. One of my favorite bear stories was about the time Derrick’s Anatolian Shepherd Herc threw up and the bears ate all the dog barf! Like I said, I am an old guy but I guess it appealed to my inner 10-year-old boy! That’s how the Reading Club is: yes, I am old, but the Reading Club NEVER gets old!”

“Every book is a journey, and the reading club puts you in the ride. The books have impact, and so does coming along while the books are being created. The reading club entries have a beautiful, authentic simplicity that is priceless. There is something in our subconscious after we read Derrick’s work that makes him seem born to do this work, while fearing and even assuming that we can’t be so devoted as he. The journey we get to go along on here shows us every day that we do them too. Suddenly saving earthworms after a storm isn’t so weird after all. We are all influenced by our surroundings every day. Including Derrick into that influence makes the world a better place.  I highly recommend it.”