Hammers, book club, Austin futures, and membership

In times where we brace ourselves for every news alert, it’s important to find means of remaining present in our communities, consciously directing our attention and care, and embracing the seasonal changes around us. Embodiment is power!

What a radical thing it is to learn, grow, process, and build together when there are so many forces dismantling the governance structures we have taken for granted. Sara literally took up a hammer at a women+ intro to carpentry workshop last week with a bunch of queers at Yestermorrow in Vermont. In building, she found resonance with what brings (m)otherboard together. She writes:

“This is what feminine governance looks and feels like. It is well resourced, curious, patient, vulnerable. It is expansive enough to contain all of our parts. It’s full of metaphor, music, poetry, impromptu ritual, and nourishing communal meals. It reminds us of our strengths and recognizes competence, while pushing our growth edges and conquering our fears. It celebrates pleasure and joy shamelessly. It is scaffolding, studs, containers, and portals. Most of all it is powerful. Like a well-worn, hickory-handled titanium hammer, it is lighter but more impactful. My stiletto is a totem and talisman, as much as a forever tool in my toolbelt.”

Supporting membership bookclub 

One of our goals in offering membership is to connect with folks who are doing the constructive work of building better tech futures. We think one of the best ways to cultivate imaginative capacity for collective futuring is through shared language and histories. 

That’s why we’re kicking off membership by celebrating god(m)other Coraline Ada Ehmke's new book, We Just Build Hammers: Stories from the Past, Present, and Future of Responsible Tech. Coraline brings to life the stories of the unsung heroes of ethical technology and the science fiction that inspired them. The book spans 100 years of history: from the advent of the atomic age, to the formative years of computing; from the open source revolution of the 2000s, to the tech justice movement of today. 

Membership includes access to:

( ) Our four part book club deep dive starting April 16
( ) Discount code 20% off Coraline’s book
( ) Help us shape (m)otherboard’s portfolio and next steps

Recap from Austin

(m)otherboard builders Emily Best and Sara M. Watson installed A People’s History of Tech at The Light House in Austin earlier this month. 

With every installation, we iterate and learn something new. This time, we improvised securing post-its against some high winds as we created space on the timeline directed toward our collective hopes, fears, and predictions for the future. We also carried forward some features from Malmö last summer, highlighting bright, bold reproductions of the visual culture of mobile phones. We even printed a bunch of zines with resources and next steps to reimagine our relationship with our devices. You can download and print the zine yourself at home. We think it looks great in neon!

Where should we bring A People's History of Tech next? Let us know!

We can't wait to build in community with you,

— The God(m)others