Sue Walks the Earth (in her Ioniq 6 EV)

"Just like Caine in Kung Fu" —Jules, Pulp Fiction

In which an author travels in her EV across the USA/Canada because writers travel...

After a whirlwind of editing the Bright Green Futures anthology, getting that launched and doing a heckin' lot of in-person book events... I have embarked on an epic roadtrip that I've been wanting to do for at least a decade.

Even before I actually had an EV, much less the freedom to Walk the Earth, I wanted to just get in the car and drive across the US and Canada, visiting friends and "having adventures" as Jules says (Pulp Fiction, the origin of the motto).

I've actually done this a few times, Sue Walks the Earth: Northeast Edition, has taken me to visiting friends in CT and RI, NY and Martha's Vineyard.

This time I'm doing it for real: from Pittsburgh to California, up the coast, then back through Canada.

I picked an awesomely stable time in our country to do this, didn't I?

I'm already on the road, having traveled Pittsburgh-Chicago-Kansas City-Denver then in Albuquerque where I enjoyed the ABQ BioPark Botanical Garden and met up with fellow solarpunk authors!

This rare Sacramento prickly poppy is part of ABQ's BioPark’s living seed bank.

I’m currently suffering through a short stay in Phoenix, where the heat, drought and Republican-climate-denial + unrestrained sprawl combine into a kind of soul-crushing brutalism.

Is this really a place or just a nightmare I had for a couple days?

Between climate-driven storms, wildfire smoke and hundred+ degree days, combined with the fascists assaulting Senators, ramping up kidnappings and ICE/police rioting against peaceful protesters in LA (I'll be there by the weekend!), there are no lack of adventures already on this trip.

The purpose of the trip was not (necessarily) to get a first-hand view of the havoc the climate crisis and the rise of fascism are causing, but it's definitely turning out that way.

THE PURPOSE(s) OF THE TRIP
—visit friends, especially ones I've only known online, building a network of community that I believe is a key resilience factor in surviving the climate crisis and fascism

—get into the headspace of writing my novel about plants and families and how we have to shift our relationship with both in order to fight the climate crisis. It's a big novel and it's been hard to focus while having so many other things going on, but I'm hopeful long stretches in the car and time spent communing with plants in various botanical gardens (plus friends!) will get me started at least.

—drop solarpunk zines and books in Little Free Libraries, like a solarpunk Joanna Appleseed (also visit libraries and get my passport stamped!)

—have adventures

Despite driving away from Canadian wildfire smoke in Chicago only to drive into tornado warnings in Kansas, despite the chaotic uncertainty of the world and the wildness of driving into LA during the fascist crackdown, the trip is already doing all those things.

You can follow my adventures by following the #SueWalkstheEarth hashtag on either Bluesky or Mastodon

Mad about the Fascist Coup? "No Kings" protest June 14th!

JUNE 14th: protests across the country. FIND ONE NEAR YOU. (Not just in LA, but if you're in LA, now is a great time to protest! Really.)

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No Podcasts Until August

All this to say that I’m away from my home equipment for a couple months, plus I’m super busy on the road, so there won’t be new podcasts until I get back to Pittsburgh. Which will be by the end of July because I’ll be at Pittsburgh’s Confluence SFF conference— if you’re in the area, stop by! I’ve got a couple cool panels with Cat Rambo, our Guest of Honor!

Confluence will be held July 25, 26 & 27 2025
Location: Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel
1160 Thorn Run Road Extension. Coraopolis, PA 15108

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In the meantime, there are lots of great podcasts in the bank, check them out if you haven’t already, especially:

• Ep. 30: Earth Day, Joy as a Tactical Weapon, and Release Day for the Bright Green Futures Anthology

• Ep. 27: Zines, Cultural Change and Storytelling in the Underground

• Ep. 25: Library Economies and Third Spaces

Be safe, find joy, resist resist resist!

Sue