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Image for event: Book Club: Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller
Please contact the library to register for this event

Book Club: Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller

2025-08-05 18:00:00 2025-08-05 19:30:00 America/Denver Book Club: Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller Register at the reference desk, then join us to discuss the book at the library. A free book is available for the first 15 people who register and attend!  Durango Public Library - Room 3

Tuesday, August 05
6:00pm - 7:30pm

Add to Calendar 2025-08-05 18:00:00 2025-08-05 19:30:00 America/Denver Book Club: Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller Register at the reference desk, then join us to discuss the book at the library. A free book is available for the first 15 people who register and attend!  Durango Public Library - Room 3

Register at the reference desk, then join us to discuss the book at the library. A free book is available for the first 15 people who register and attend! 

Books available six weeks before book club date.

About the book:

"A wondrous debut from an extraordinary new voice in nonfiction, Why Fish Don’t Exist is a dark and astonishing tale of love, chaos, scientific obsession, and—possibly—even murder.

David Starr Jordan was a taxonomist, a man possessed with bringing order to the natural world. In time, he would be credited with discovering nearly a fifth of the fish known to humans in his day. But the more of the hidden blueprint of life he uncovered, the harder the universe seemed to try to thwart him. His specimen collections were demolished by lightning, by fire, and eventually by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake—which sent more than a thousand of his discoveries, housed in fragile glass jars, plummeting to the floor. In an instant, his life’s work was shattered.

Many might have given up, given in to despair. But Jordan? He surveyed the wreckage at his feet, found the first fish he recognized, and confidently began to rebuild his collection. And this time, he introduced one clever innovation that he believed would at last protect his work against the chaos of the world.

When NPR reporter Lulu Miller first heard this anecdote in passing, she took Jordan for a fool—a cautionary tale in hubris, or denial. But as her own life slowly unraveled, she began to wonder about him. Perhaps instead he was a model for how to go on when all seemed lost. What she would unearth about his life would transform her understanding of history, morality, and the world beneath her feet.

Part biography, part memoir, part scientific adventure, Why Fish Don’t Exist reads like a fable about how to persevere in a world where chaos will always prevail."

AGE GROUP: | Adults |

EVENT TYPE: | More Fun Stuff! | Book Talks |

TAGS: | |

Durango Public Library


Hours
Mon, Aug 11 9:30AM to 6:00PM
Tue, Aug 12 9:30AM to 6:00PM
Wed, Aug 13 9:30AM to 6:00PM
Thu, Aug 14 10:00AM to 6:00PM
Fri, Aug 15 9:30AM to 5:30PM
Sat, Aug 16 9:30AM to 5:00PM
Sun, Aug 17 Closed

About the Library

Overlooking the Animas River, the Durango Public Library and Botanical Gardens is one of the most popular gathering spots in our community.

Upcoming Events

Mon, Aug 18, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 1&2 Combined
Learn how to reduce human-wildlife conflict through a four-part lecture series from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. All programs run 6-7:30pm.

Tue, Aug 19, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Durango Public Library - Room 1&2 Combined
Drop-in chess games in a friendly environment.

Tue, Aug 19, 4:30pm - 6:00pm
Durango Public Library - Room 3
Climate Cafés are a space to share thoughts and feelings about the climate crisis in community.

Tue, Aug 19, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Bread Downtown
Join us at Bread's downtown location (135 E 8th St) for a "nontraditional" book club, where the discussion is based on a genre/topic rather than a specific book!

Wed, Aug 20, 11:00am - 11:30am
Durango Public Library - Storytime Room
Join us for stories, songs, rhymes, & other fun activities! Perfect for children ages 3+.

Wed, Aug 20, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 1
Write and create original works with us!

Thu, Aug 21, 11:00am - 11:30am
Durango Public Library - Storytime Room
Join us for stories, songs, rhymes, & other fun activities! Perfect for children ages 1-2.

Thu, Aug 21, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 2
Enjoy gaming in the library with a variety of games!

Thu, Aug 21, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 3
Come speak Spanish in an informal setting. All language levels welcome! Ven a hablar español en un ambiente informal. ¡Abierto a todas las habilidades!

Fri, Aug 22, 11:00am - 11:30am
Durango Public Library - Storytime Room
Baby Time is tailored for babies from birth-12 months together with their favorite adult!

Fri, Aug 22, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 1&2 Combined
Build, create, & play!

Sat, Aug 23, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Durango Public Library - Room 2
Calling knitters, crocheters, and fiber artists of all ages and levels!

Mon, Aug 25, 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 3
At a Death Cafe people gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death. Our objective is 'to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives'.

Cancelled
Tue, Aug 26, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Durango Public Library
Drop-in chess games in a friendly environment.

Cancelled
Wed, Aug 27, 11:00am - 11:30am
Durango Public Library
Join us for stories, songs, rhymes, & other fun activities! Perfect for children ages 3+.

Wed, Aug 27, 4:30pm - 6:00pm
Durango Public Library - Room 1&2 Combined
Maggie Gaddis, M.S. PhD. Executive Director of CoNPS

Cancelled
Thu, Aug 28, 11:00am - 11:30am
Durango Public Library
Join us for stories, songs, rhymes, & other fun activities! Perfect for children ages 1-2.

Cancelled
Thu, Aug 28, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Durango Public Library
Enjoy gaming in the library with a variety of games!

Thu, Aug 28, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Durango Public Library - Room 2
Lleva a la familia a disfrutar de cuentos y canciones bilingües en español e inglés. Bring the family for stories and songs in Spanish and English!

Cancelled
Fri, Aug 29, 11:00am - 11:30am
Durango Public Library
Baby Time is tailored for babies from birth-12 months together with their favorite adult!

Mon, Sep 01, All day
Durango Public Library
Library is closed for Labor Day.

Tue, Sep 02, 10:00am - 10:45am
Santa Rita Park
Join us for Storytime and nature journaling!

Tue, Sep 02, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Durango Public Library - Room 2
Drop-in chess games in a friendly environment.

Tue, Sep 02, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 3
Register at the reference desk, then join us to discuss the book at the library. A free book is available for the first 20 people who register and attend! 
Please contact the library to register for this event.

Wed, Sep 03, 11:00am - 11:30am
Durango Public Library - Storytime Room
Join us for stories, songs, rhymes, & other fun activities! Perfect for children ages 3+.

Wed, Sep 03, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Durango Public Library - Room 3
Want to make a fun space for you and your friends? Join the Teen Advisory Group! Help the library meet your needs and interests, gain valuable experience, meet new friends, and hang out!

Wed, Sep 03, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 1
Write and create original works with us!

Thu, Sep 04, 11:00am - 11:30am
Durango Public Library - Storytime Room
Join us for stories, songs, rhymes, & other fun activities! Perfect for children ages 1-2.

Thu, Sep 04, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 2
Enjoy gaming in the library with a variety of games!

Thu, Sep 04, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 2
Come speak Spanish in an informal setting. All language levels welcome! Ven a hablar español en un ambiente informal. ¡Abierto a todas las habilidades!

Fri, Sep 05, 11:00am - 11:30am
Durango Public Library - Storytime Room
Baby Time is tailored for babies from birth-12 months together with their favorite adult!

Fri, Sep 05, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 1&2 Combined
Friday afternoons are all about having fun building, playing, exploring, and creating together!

Tue, Sep 09, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Durango Public Library - Room 2
Drop-in chess games in a friendly environment.

Wed, Sep 10, 11:00am - 11:30am
Durango Public Library - Storytime Room
Join us for stories, songs, rhymes, & other fun activities! Perfect for children ages 3+.

Wed, Sep 10, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Durango Public Library - Room 3
Want to make a fun space for you and your friends? Join the Teen Advisory Group! Help the library meet your needs and interests, gain valuable experience, meet new friends, and hang out!

Wed, Sep 10, 4:30pm - 6:00pm
Durango Public Library - Room 2
With Cassandra Atencio

Wed, Sep 10, 6:15pm - 7:45pm
Durango Public Library - Room 1
A new topic every month!

Thu, Sep 11, 11:00am - 11:30am
Durango Public Library - Storytime Room
Join us for stories, songs, rhymes, & other fun activities! Perfect for children ages 1-2.

Thu, Sep 11, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 2
Enjoy gaming in the library with a variety of games!

Thu, Sep 11, 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 1
Let's get creative! ¡Seamos creativos!

Fri, Sep 12, 11:00am - 11:30am
Durango Public Library - Storytime Room
Baby Time is tailored for babies from birth-12 months together with their favorite adult!

Fri, Sep 12, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Durango Public Library - Storytime Room
Friday afternoons are all about having fun building, playing, exploring, and creating together!

Fri, Sep 12, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Durango Public Library - Room 2
With Jim White, Aquatic Biologist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Sat, Sep 13, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Durango Public Library - Room 2
Calling knitters, crocheters, and fiber artists of all ages and levels!

Mon, Sep 15, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 1&2 Combined
Learn how to reduce human-wildlife conflict through a four-part lecture series from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. All programs run 6-7:30pm.

Tue, Sep 16, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Durango Public Library
Drop-in chess games in a friendly environment.

Tue, Sep 16, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Durango Public Library - Room 1&2 Combined
Let's get together and cook a potluck of recipes from two historical local cookbooks!