Welcome to the Stay Home Reading Club.
Over the last few months, we've been hosting a virtual reading series. On Monday October 26 from 6 to 8 PM, you can grab your beverage of choice and tune in for a digital book club and happy hour led by bbatx board member, Alex Perez-Puelles.
The meetings will be informal (feel free to be camera on or camera off) and we'll flow in whatever direction the conversation takes us. ~ You must RSVP for free or by donation (keep scrolling) to receive the login link.
— WHAT WE'RE READING: BIG FRIENDSHIP —
A close friendship is one of the most influential and important relationships a human life can contain. Anyone will tell you that! But for all the rosy sentiments surrounding friendship, most people don’t talk much about what it really takes to stay close for the long haul.Now two friends, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, tell the story of their equally messy and life-affirming Big Friendship in this honest and hilarious book that chronicles their first decade in one another’s lives. As the hosts of the hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend, they’ve become known for frank and intimate conversations. In this book, they bring that energy to their own friendship—its joys and its pitfalls.
Aminatou and Ann define Big Friendship as a strong, significant bond that transcends life phases, geographical locations, and emotional shifts. And they should know: the two have had moments of charmed bliss and deep frustration, of profound connection and gut-wrenching alienation. They have weathered life-threatening health scares, getting fired from their dream jobs, and one unfortunate Thanksgiving dinner eaten in a car in a parking lot in Rancho Cucamonga. Through interviews with friends and experts, they have come to understand that their struggles are not unique. And that the most important part of a Big Friendship is making the decision to invest in one another again and again.
An inspiring and entertaining testament to the power of society’s most underappreciated relationship, "Big Friendship "will invite you to think about how your own bonds are formed, challenged, and preserved. It is a call to value your friendships in all of their complexity. Actively choose them. And, sometimes, fight for them.
We recommend borrowing this book from the Austin Public Library, purchasing it from BookWoman Austin, BookPeople Austin or exploring your options at Resistencia. You can also browse this list of independent, Texan book retailers.
— ABOUT THE HOST —
Alex Perez-Puelles: Alex Perez-Puelles (she/her) is a Reproductive Justice advocate who has been in Austin for the past 3 years. When Alex isn't working, she likes to spend her free time serving as a board and committee member to bbatx, as well as organizing events for organizations such as SXSW, Techstars, etc. She has over 5+ years of event planning experience, with a focus on concerts, festivals and conferences.
— HOW TO RSVP —
All events within our extended Stay Home Club series require an individual RSVP and can be attended for free or by donation.
To RSVP for events in the series, select one or all events you’d like to virtually attend. For every event you’re RSVPd to, you’ll receive a pre-event email at least 24 hours in advance, containing relevant links, schedule info and ZOOM meeting invitations.
To donate when you RSVP, name your own ticket price during checkout. If you can’t donate right now (times are swirly! we get it!), but you'd like to support our recovery efforts and the bbatx team, you can:
become a member when we launch our membership program later this year
or donate later. :)
— VIRTUAL ACCESSIBILITY NOTES —
This event will occur on Zoom and requires Wi-Fi to attend. Closed captioning will be provided. A link to the workshop’s virtual room will be sent at least 24 hours in advance. If you need accommodations, you can let us know by emailing thebabes@bossbabes.org.
— MEET THE PRODUCERS —
About bbatx (#bossbabesATX): bbatx is a little nonprofit based in Austin, Texas. We amplify women and nonbinary creatives, small business owners and leaders. We put on conferences, festivals and workshops to share resources and create spaces of support. We’re essentially a low-pressure learning community for people looking to grow. And all are welcome—our programs are attended by 20,000+ community members per year (including you!). Learn more and get involved at bossbabes.org.
BBATX’S VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING has been made possible by our year-round partners at bbatx. Without them, we’d be shuttering our doors. Thank you for supporting us.