70. “We Are All Activists” with Denali Sai Nalamalapu, Holler: A Graphic Memoir of Rural Resistance.
SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW & LISTEN:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | AmazonMusic | YouTube Music
Welcome to episode 70 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast, today I’m delighted to be joined in conversation by Denali Sai Nalamalapu author of the recently published book, Holler: A Graphic Memoir of Rural Resistance.
In this nuanced conversation inspired by Denali’s powerful book about the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline in Appalachia we discuss what activism really looks like, which is not the main stream media’s portrayal of protests by those on the fringes and out of touch with society.
Denali’s book utilises raw imagery stripped bare from complicated language that opens up this conversation at a heart level to everyone, an inclusivity that is rooted into everything we discuss, and brings to the fore the passion and love that drives people to step forward to stand up for what they believe in.
Denali encourages us to use our discernment to question the narratives we are consuming and to find the courage to advocate both for yourself and your community, and how this can take many different forms, but importantly simply allows you to embrace your existing skills and passions, your voice and your actions are important.
Alongside this call to action we acknowledge the depth of resilience needed to hold the grief and overwhelm of hopelessness whilst balancing a belief in a hopeful alternative vision for the future and how community can be both our biggest driving force and our greatest asset as we embrace the stubbornness to take on what can on the surface seem insurmountable.
Learn more about Denali
Denali Sai Nalamalapu (They/Them) is the author of Holler: A Graphic Memoir of Rural Resistance. They are a climate organizer and comic artist living in Southwest Virginia, originally from Southern Maine and Southern India.
Denali’s work uplifts the voices of those most impacted by climate change – rural, queer, and communities of color – through vibrant, engaging, and accessible illustrations and writing.
Denali studied English Literature at Bates College and completed a Fulbright grant in Malaysia. Denali has worked as a climate communicator and organizer since 2019.
Holler is a spectacular blend of graphic memoir and climate activism, Holler uses contemporary and visceral storytelling to highlight the lives of six frontline resisters to the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Appalachia. Drawing from original interviews with debut author and climate organizer, Denali Sai Nalamalapu, Holler introduces readers to a teacher, a single mother, a nurse, an organizer, a photographer, and a seed keeper, who became activists as the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which spans approximately 300 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia, threatened their homes, their livelihoods, their community.
Becky Crabtree, grandmother of five, chains herself to her 1970’s Ford Pinto to stop construction from destroying her farm. The young organizer Michael James-Deramo organizes mutual aid to support protesters of the pipeline expansion. These (and more) are the stories of everyday resistance, while each person has their own motivation and methods, they share a love for the land and a desire to preserve it. Denali themselves poignantly illustrates both their own experiences with climate anxiety and grief and the ways that finding community has galvanized them in their environmental work.
A deeply moving story about change, hope, and humanity, Holler is an invitation to readers everywhere searching for their own path to activism: sending the message that no matter how small your action is, it’s impactful.
Buy Here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/denali-sai-nalamalapu/holler/9781643265230/
Website: https://denali-sai.com/
Instagram: @Denali_Sai
BlueSky: @denalisai.bsky.social
Thank you for being a part of this journey with me.
If you enjoy our conversations, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts here and share with your friends to help these messages ripple out across the world. Please Subscribe or Follow the podcast on your favourite podcast players to make sure you don’t miss our future episodes.
Connect with us and join the conversation on social media:
Instagram @FionaMacKayPhotography
Facebook @FionaMacKayPhotography
Twitter @FiMacKay
Available as a Video Podcast on YouTube: www.youtube.com/prettyflyphotography
Listen To the Latest Episodes: