NC Reads Book Discussion: Night Magic

North Carolina Reads is North Carolina Humanities’ award-winning, statewide book club! North Carolina Reads annually features five books that explore issues of racial, social, and gender equity and the history and culture of North Carolina. All featured books pose critical questions about how North Carolinians view their personal roles in helping to promote and form a more just and inclusive society.  Learn more about the book selections here.

Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark by Leigh Ann Henion

Nonfiction. Night Magic is a glorious celebration of the dark! new York Times bestselling nature writer Leigh Ann Henion makes the case for embracing night as a profoundly beautiful part of the world we inhabit – and she invites us to leave our well-lit homes and step outside. It turns out we don’t have to go far to find marvels: We are surrounded by animals that rise witht he moon, gigantic moths, and nocturnal blooms that reveal themselves, incrementally, as light fades. In her quest to know night with greater intimacy, Henion travels through forests alight with bioluminescent mushrooms and mountain valleys teeming with migratory salamanders. She ventures into the dark alongside naturalists, biologists, primitive-skills experts, and others who’ve dedicated their lives to cultivating relationships with darkness and the creatures who depend on it. In this age of increasing artificial light, Night Magic is an invitation to focus on the biodiversity that surrounds us. We do not need to stargaze into the distant cosmos or to dive into the depths of oceans to find awe in the dark—when we reclaim night, dazzling wonders can be found in our own backyards.

Registration is required to join our discussion of Night Magic. Registration is open and books are available upon request starting July 1st at 9:30 a.m.

NC Humanities’ virtual book event (held June 23rd) featuring author Leigh Ann Henion can be viewed here.