Overview

In the year 2050, what will Vermont look like? And will it be somewhere you'd recognize, or want to live? Thirty-seven Vermonters-from students and octogenarians, businesspeople and academics, to poets and journalists-take a half-serious, half-humorous approach to imagining life in Vermont in twenty-five years. The compilation begins on a serious note by novelist Stephen Kiernan on the many challenges facing the state now, then moves on to a mixture of humor, fantasy, and concern by prominent individuals such as Vermont Public meteorologist Mark Breen, Alchemist Brewery cofounder and CEO Jen Kimmich, and other contributors. What they all have in common is a deep love of Vermont. The afterword by Bill Schubart reminds the reader of the pleasure Bill Mares took in challenging people to think. 2050: Vermonters Take a Swipe at the Future intends to do just that. Contributing writers include: Samantha A. Alger, Emily Bernard, Al Boright, Mark Breen, Kevin Chu, Steve Conant, Ben Doyle, Eric Duncan, Tom Evslin, Val Gardner, Allen Gilbert, Midhat Hadzik, Joseph F. Hagan Jr., Adam Hall, Mairead Harris, Allison Hooper, Stephen Kiernan, Jen Kimmich, Jane Kitchell, Jim Lengel, Astrid Longstreth, Neale F. Lunderville, Emma Marvin, Christy Mitchell, Melinda Moulton, Scudder Parker, Jordan Posner, Fred Schmidt, Bill Schubart, Angela Shambaugh, Brian Shupe, Gus Speth, Toussaint St. Negritude, Brett Ann Stanciu, Bob Stannard, Leath Tonino, and Jim Welch.

Full Product Details

9781578692149

Table of Contents

Reviews

""My hope is that this collection of essays by Vermonters about Vermont's future will inspire people to take action. It's wise, insightful, provocative, and underscores the importance of being proactive. It is also a ton of fun!"" -Howard Dean, governor of Vermont from 1991-2003 ""By every statistical measure-volunteerism, trust in neighbors, faith in leaders-Vermont has more social cohesion than anyplace in the country. As this marvelous book makes clear, it's that solidarity-that sense of underlying community-that will bring us through..."" -Bill McKibben, climate activist and author of eighteen books ""In this collection of essays, Vermonters dare to imagine what the state could feel like 25 years hence, based on knowns and unknowns. No one drives anymore. An 80-story skyscraper towers over Burlington. Most of the population is non-white and fiscally conservative. And yet, Vermont is a place full of potential and remarkable for its lack of nostalgia. A place apart from what we know now."" -Anne Galloway, founder of VTDigger

""My hope is that this collection of essays by Vermonters about Vermont's future will inspire people to take action. It's wise, insightful, provocative, and underscores the importance of being proactive. It is also a ton of fun!"" -Howard Dean, Governor of Vermont from 1991-2003 ""By every statistical measure-volunteerism, trust in neighbors, faith in leaders-Vermont has more social cohesion than anyplace in the country. As this marvelous book makes clear, it's that solidarity-that sense of underlying community-that will bring us through, in some form or another. Freedom, unity, beer, syrup, a commitment to our neighbors; as Ethan Allen once remarked, 'the gods of the valley are not the gods of the hills.' Long may it be so!"" -Bill McKibben, climate activist and author of eighteen books

Author Information

Raised in Texas and educated at Harvard, Bill Mares (1940-2024) was a journalist, state legislator and high school teacher. He authored or coauthored nineteen books on subjects ranging from the US Marines and beekeeping to workplace democracy and Vermont humor. He was married for fifty-three years to Chris Hadsel, who helped complete this project after Bill's passing from cancer in 2024. Rutland, Vermont native Jane Smith was a reporter at the Rutland Herald, the Burlington Free Press, and the Baltimore Sun. She lives in Burlington, Vermont. Bill Schubart has lived with his family in Vermont since 1947. He writes about Vermont in fiction, humor, and opinion pieces.

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