BERKELEY ARTS & LETTERS: Stephen Mitchell with Paul Hawken / Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness

Berkeley Arts & Letters presents Stephen Mitchell in conversation with Paul Hawken about his new book, Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness.

Please note: This event is ticketed, and will take place at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Street, Berkeley. Tickets, including discounted book bundles, are available in advance here. Advance sales are highly recommended. Unless otherwise noted here, general admission tickets will be available at the door.

Stephen Mitchell’s gift is to breathe new life into ancient classics. In Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness, he offers us his riveting novelistic version of the Biblical tale in which Jacobs favorite son is sold into slavery and eventually becomes viceroy of Egypt. Tolstoy called it the most beautiful story in the world. Whats new here is the lyrical, witty, vivid prose, informed by a wisdom that brings fresh insight to this foundational legend of betrayal and all-embracing forgiveness. Mitchell’s retelling, which reads like a postmodern novel, interweaves the narrative with brief meditations that, with their Zen surprises, expand the narrative and illuminate its main themes. By stepping inside the minds of Joseph and the other characters, Mitchell reanimates one of the central stories of Western culture. The engrossing tale that he has created will capture the hearts and minds of modern readers and show them that this ancient story can still challenge, delight, and astonish.

Stephen Mitchell was born in Brooklyn, educated at Amherst, the Sorbonne, and Yale, and de-educated through intensive Zen training. His many books include the bestselling Tao Te Ching, Gilgamesh, The Gospel According to Jesus, The Book of Job, The Second Book of the Tao, The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, Bhagavad Gita, The Iliad, The Odyssey, and Beowulf. He is also the co-author of three of his wife Byron Katie’s bestselling books.

Paul Hawken is an environmentalist, entrepreneur, journalist, and author. Starting at age 20, he dedicated his life to sustainability and changing the relationship between business and the environment. His practice has included starting and running ecological businesses, writing and teaching about the impact of commerce on living systems, and consulting with governments and corporations on economic development, industrial ecology, and environmental policy. Paul authors articles, op-eds, and peer-reviewed papers, and has written eight books including five national bestsellers: The Next Economy (Ballantine 1983), Growing a Business (Simon & Schuster 1987), and The Ecology of Commerce (HarperCollins 1993) Blessed Unrest (Viking, 2007), and Drawdown, The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming (Penguin).

*** ​Please note ***

– Doors at 6pm. Program at 7pm.
– Duration of event is subject to author’s preference.
– Signing details TBA soon.
– Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. All ticket sales are final.
– If you can’t attend the event but would like to request a signed copy of Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness, order below and put your request in the special field. If you’d like to request signed copies of any of Stephen’s other books, order here and be sure to add your request in the special field; for signed copies of Paul’s books, do the same here.
– This event is all ages. Accessibility is important to us! If you have special needs of any kind, please write events AT booksmith DOT com and we will do our best to accommodate you.
– Facebook RSVP not required, but always appreciated.