by Jay Wexler | Jun 15, 2016 | Books
I’ve been delinquent in updating, so here is a sort of omni-post with updates since the last time I got around to updating: The New Yorker wrote a nice paragraph about When God Isn’t Green in connection with my book talk at the NYU Bookstore: We presume that the Garden of Eden was well tended to, that Buddhist monks are inseparable from the lush landscapes they inhabit, and that fasting during Ramadan must help conserve some resources. The author and professor Jay Wexler disassociates the tangentially conflated schools of religion and environmentalism in “When God Isn’t Green,” a nonfiction book that examines a widespread array of religious practices that happen to cause more harm to the environment than good. It’s a counterintuitive but fascinating prospect—Wexler visits Singapore, Guatemala, India, Alaska, and other locales, imagining how different societies might practice their faith with a closer consideration for the planet on which they worship. I was quoted in a New York Times piece about Justice Scalia’s ability to get [laughs] during oral argument: “Scalia was in a whole other league when it came to getting laughs at oral argument,” said Jay D. Wexler, a law professor at Boston University and a leading authority on Supreme Court humor. “If the court were a high school baseball program, Scalia was the ace of the varsity pitching staff, and everyone else played third-string utility infield for the J.V. squad.” Chuck Klosterman, one of my favorite authors, whose road-trip book about dead rock stars was one of the inspirations for Holy Hullabaloos, interviewed me for his great new book But What if We’re Wrong? on the question of whether we might look...
by Jay Wexler | Mar 21, 2016 | Books
Calling it “freakishly prescient” (maybe the nicest thing anyone’s ever said about one of my books) and “a vital guide to . . . formerly ignored constitutional nooks and crannies.” Full piece...
by Jay Wexler | Mar 21, 2016 | Books
“Wexler, a former clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and a current law professor, blends his inside knowledge with a Buckley-like jaundiced eye to create an entertaining combination.” Full article...
by Jay Wexler | Mar 21, 2016 | Books, God is Not Always Green
My new book, When God Isn’t Green: A World-Wide Journey to Places Where Religious Practices and Environmentalism Collide, was released last Tuesday, March 15th, and it has gotten some really nice publicity so far. Here’s a sampling: The Daily Beast ran an excerpt from the chapter on palm forests in Guatemala and Mexico for Palm Sunday. A nice review from MacLean’s Magazine in Canada. Another great review from Foreword. I did this show with Uprising Radio in Los Angeles, which was really fun (more radio is also on the...
by Jay Wexler | Mar 21, 2016 | Books, Events
This next month is going to be busy, with lots of reading and discussion events. Here’s the list so far: March 21st Brookline Booksmith, Discussion of When God Isn’t Green, 7pm March 28th Boston University School of Law, When God Isn’t Green Mini-Symposium, 12:45-2 (featuring commentary by Paul Horwitz, John Nagle, and Sarah Schindler) March 30th Kramerbooks, Washington DC, Discussion of When God Isn’t Green, 6:30 pm April 5th Georgetown Law School, Washington DC, panel discussion about writing about the Supreme Court, 5:30 pm (moderated by Tony Mauro, guests include Irin Carmon, Anthony Franze, David Lat, and Kim Roosevelt) April 21st NYU Bookstore, New York City, Discussion of When God Isn’t Green, 6pm May 2nd Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Rochester NY Chapter, talk about Our Non-Christian Nation, time TBA I hope you can make it if you live nearby one of these places. It would be great to see you and maybe drink some Jameson with you from a red plastic cup. ...
by Jay Wexler | Jan 11, 2016 | Books, God is Not Always Green
Not starred, but still pretty nice. Full review is here. Boston University law professor Wexler offers a highly entertaining and eye-opening look at situations where freedom of religion and environmental protection clash. From harvesting palms in Guatemala and Mexico for Palm Sunday to the massive burnings of joss in Singapore, Wexler portrays both sides of the debate as sympathetic and deserving of fair treatment. . . .Though he directs this work mainly toward governments and nongovernment organizations, religious and secular readers alike will find much to enjoy and appreciate in this fascinating...
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