How do we live in an age of disaster? That’s the provocation put forth in the new book Compassion in Crisis. With engaging prompts, concise checklists, and heartfelt guidance, co-authors Kailea Loften and Kate Weiner lead readers in building and sustaining durable mutual aid networks for rapid response in the face of disaster while underscoring preparedness as a constant, communal practice.

Response host Tom Llewellyn had the opportunity to meet Kailea and Kate last month during the first leg of their 18-city North American tour. They recorded the interview for today’s episode a couple of days later.

About the Guests

Kailea Loften (she/her) is a mother of Tahltan, Kaska, and Black American ancestry. A forever small-town girl, she is a lover of everything slow and subtle. Black tea with honey and cream, long walks regardless of weather, and the scent of rain in the air are a few of her favorite things.

Kate Weiner (she/her) is an environmental writer and student of community herbalism. As a 2025 Strange Foundation Resident, 2024 North Coast Project Participant, 2023 Editorial Fellow at the Center for Humans & Nature, 2021 Artist/Activist-in-Residence at Boulder Public Library, and 2018 Spiritual Ecology Fellow, she has devoted the past decade to creating work at the confluence of culture and climate justice.

Resources

Read the full article about compassion in times of crisis by Kate Weiner, Tom Llewellyn, and Kailea Loften at Shareable.