Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit

In Our Kindred Creatures, Mr. Wasik and Ms. Murphy detail how, in just a few decades at the end of the nineteenth century, the United States underwent a moral revolution on behalf of animals. Before the Civil War, animals' suffering had rarely been discussed; horses pulling carriages and carts were routinely beaten in public view, and dogs were pitted against each other for entertainment and gambling. But in 1866, a group of activists began a dramatic campaign to change the nation’s laws and norms, and by the century’s end, most Americans had adopted a very different way of thinking and feeling about the animals in their midst.

Mr. Bill Wasik is the Editorial Director of the New York Times Magazine. Monica Murphy is a veterinarian and a writer. Their previous book, Rabid: A Cultural History of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus, was a Los Angeles Times best seller and a finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. They live in Brooklyn, New York.

You can join us for the Conversation either in-person in the Library Auditorium or on Zoom; Zoom links will be emailed to everyone who registers for a virtual ticket.

A representative from Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit will be ready to discuss volunteer opportunities before, during, and after the event with a surprise animal ambassador visit!

Copies of Mr. Wasik’s and Ms. Murphy’s book will be available for purchase before, during, and after the Event outside of the Library Auditorium.