You Had to Be There: Thoughts on Ecological Grief in the Anthropocene

By: Jess Bugg

Narrated by: Lizzie Roberts Morse

Operating at the crossroads of memoir, academia, and literature, You Had to Be There offers a fresh, hopeful perspective on the seemingly hopeless subject of climate grief. Over the course of eleven essays, interrogations, and reflections, the author invites listeners to examine the ways in which the media influences our reaction to the events befalling us, not only in how we feel, but in how we behave in the face of such overwhelming circumstances.

From TED Talks to Camus, from My Octopus Teacher to the New York Times, Jess Bugg examines what the culture is serving us about climate change; what we should be discarding and what we should be taking to heart. One of a vanishingly small number of graduates from RISD’s Nature, Culture, and Sustainability program the author has spent years considering the question of where to turn once you pass the tipping point and writes about the small acts that might keep us afloat even if they don’t promise to save us.

©2024 Jess Bugg (P)2025 Lantern Publishing & Media

A Story That Really Makes You Think

You Had to Be There, Thoughts on Ecological Grief in the Anthropocene was a very interesting listen. I appreciated how the author, Jess Bugg, told of her childhood challenges and what led her to the feelings that she has today. She ponders over the effects that our human actions have on the environment and if what we do matters and to what degree it matters. I found myself agreeing with many of her takes and also disagreeing with some, however the way it was presented didn't feel accusatory, but really made me think about my own actions. The narrator, Lizzie Roberts Morse, did a fantastic job of relaying the material in a thoughtful and contemplative manner. Her ability to switch between the more personal anecdotes and the more serious factual data was seamless. I really enjoyed this audiobook!