There will be a vegan buffet from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.  The cost for the buffet is $13.95.  Dr. Melanie Joy will speak from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. and will sign books after her presentation.  Her books will be available for purchase at this event, courtesy of Inkwood Books.  She is an amazing speaker and you will not want to miss this event.  If you are a vegetarian, please consider bringing a non-vegetarian with you to share this inspiring talk with others.

Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism

Dr. Joy's slide show is based on the critically acclaimed book of the same name. In Why We Love Dogs…social psychologist Melanie Joy explains carnism, the invisible belief system that shapes our perception of the meat we eat, so that we love some animals and eat others without knowing why. Joy explains how carnism, like other isms, (sexism, racism, etc.) is most harmful when it is unrecognized; and it is sustained by complex, hidden social and psychological mechanisms. Joy describes the ways in which carnism conditions us to unknowingly act against our core values, our own interests, and the interests of others. By illuminating the invisible mechanisms of carnism, Joy seeks to help viewers become more informed consumers and empowered citizens. 

 Melanie Joy, Ph.D., Ed.M. is the author of the acclaimed Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism. Dr. Joy is a Harvard-educated psychologist, personal/relationship coach, professor of psychology and sociology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and celebrated speaker. Dr. Joy has written a number of articles on psychology, animal protection, and social justice, which have been published in a variety of journals and magazines. Dr. Joy is the leading researcher on carnism, the psychology of eating meat, and she has been interviewed for numerous magazines, books, and radio on her work, including the BBC, NPR, PBS, ABC Australia, and the prestigious Le Scienze, the Italian edition of Scientific American. She has presented her work at national and international academic and grassroots conferences. Dr. Joy is also the author of Strategic Action for Animals.