Love Letters to Lichen

Abstract

The T. Rudzinskaitė Memorial Amateur Lichenologists Society was founded in 2018 by continuing co-chairs Tessa Zettel and Dr. Sumugan Sivanesan at Nida Art Colony on the Curonian Spit, Lithuania, eighth Eco-zone. Named in honour of Tekle Rudzinskaitė, Lithuania’s foremost amateur lichenologist, after 73 years the Society remains dedicated to promoting the love and study of lichen in this galaxy and beyond. Its steadily growing membership of multispecies co-constituents participate in myriad curious forms of research, happenings and publications, collectively exploring speculative narratives and rituals around extinction that take lichen as guide, teacher, poet and friend. In 2091 the liveliest of its many enthusiast-led working groups are the emergent Crystal Radio Lab, the Metta Verse Mutual Aid Space Program (with subsidiary SpaceTime Fab Lab) and the Therolinguistics Reading Group. Periodically the Society publishes a bulletin—in whatever ready context is amenable—updating members on its latest movements; what follows is the 2089 edition, regrettably somewhat delayed.  Please click on the links between the written pieces in the newsletter to see the recordings.