As a journalist, author Ashley Shelby reported on climate change issues related to politics and the government. Now, investigating and learning about the repercussions of climate change, Shelby has produced Honeymoons in Temporary Locations, a collection of short stories presented in varying formats, ranging from traditional prose structure, to menus, government documents, and Craigslist Ads.
As a writer, Shelby speculates on how climate change affects the entire scope of society, from insurance agents fleeing coastal cities to baristas needing to find coffee bean substitutes. The longer Shelby spent writing, the more often these speculative horrors became reality. "It's a weird space to occupy as a writer, to see what you think is speculative work and watch, in real time, become truth," says Shelby.
A common theme throughout the book is a type of grief called solastalgia, which describes the grief people feel when they understand that the climate is changing and those once-familiar tropes of passing seasons may never be the same again. In a somewhat meta tale, Shelby shares a personal experience of losing an ash tree through the lens of a future, fictional "Climate Crimes" podcast.
Honeymoons in Temporary Locations can be purchased at independent bookstores and online at Bookshop.org.
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
