Join us for a book talk and interactive storytelling and writing workshop with anthropologist Anand Pandian, author of Something Between Us: The Everyday Walls of American Life, and How to Take Them Down.

Pandian began working on this book in response to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Disturbed by the rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric and the growing political polarization, he set out to understand what was fueling these divisions—and how people might begin to bridge them. Over several years, he traveled across the country, engaging with Americans from many walks of life, including police officers, urban planners, activists, truck drivers, and community organizers.

Through these encounters, Pandian explored how the physical and cultural structures of everyday life—homes designed for privacy, vehicles built like armor, media bubbles, and even our own ideas about safety and identity—can reinforce separation and suspicion. Something Between Us examines these “everyday walls” and how they shape our ability to connect with others, especially those whose lives or beliefs differ from our own.

At the same time, the book is grounded in hope. It highlights the small but powerful ways people are pushing back against division—through mutual aid, community-building, and acts of deep empathy. Pandian invites readers to imagine new ways of living in relation to one another, based on care, curiosity, and solidarity.

Participants will learn about the book then engage in a storytelling and writing workshop led by Pandian designed to explore personal experiences of difference, connection, and civic life. This workshop will invite attendees to reflect together on their own positions in relation to others—both familiar and unfamiliar—and to consider storytelling as a means of social and political connection. No prior writing experience is required. All materials will be provided.

Presented in partnership with Spotty Dog Books & Ale. Books will be available for purchase at the event. Free and open to all.