Since Jan., when her book “Carjacked: The Culture of the Automobile and Its Effect on Our Lives” was published, Staples English teacher Anne Fernandez has been working on its promotion.
“Carjacked,” written by Fernandez and her sister Catherine Lutz, takes a look at American society and its dependence on automobiles. However, because both sisters work during the school year—Fernandez teaches at Staples, and Lutz teaches anthropology at Brown University—it became difficult to work on the book’s promotion then.
“Since [my sister and I] both have summers off, we thought it would be a smart idea to work on the book’s promotion,” said Fernandez. “We really wanted to go out west to places like Portland and Seattle, and work on it out there.”
At the end of July, the sisters met at Penn Station in New York City, boarded An Amtrak train, and set off. During their time spent on the train, the two lived in a sleeper cabin.
“In addition to taking Amtrak, we did not step foot in a car the whole time, even a taxi. We walked, biked, or took transit to get to our hotels and to get around each city,” said Fernandez, reinforcing the values presented in “Carjacked.”
Lutz and Fernandez stopped in cities such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. In these cities, the authors promoted “Carjacked” through radio and television appearances.
One of the experiences Fernandez found most memorable was when in Portland, Ore., where the two met developers of the E-bike, or electronic bike. The E-bike is designed like a typical bicycle, but the rider has the option of utilizing a battery-powered console on the bike.
Fernandez found the development of the technology fascinating and useful.
“You could use the E-bike if you wanted to quickly get up a hill, or get through an intersection in a busy city, or even just ride to work without looking sweaty,” said Fernandez. “I’m looking for an E-bike for myself now.”
Fernandez also found giving speeches to the Department of Transportation in Seattle, Wash. and at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver “really wonderful.”
Fernandez adds that using her Twitter account was extremely beneficial, as it was on the social network where she was initially introduced to the E-bike developers she met in Portland.
“[Twitter] is such a great way to promote something and it’s also a great way to meet other people who might support the same cause as you,” said Fernandez.
Although she and her sister accomplished much during their summer travels in only three weeks, Fernandez is excited to see what doors will open next.
“‘Carjacked’ goes to paperback in a few weeks, and we’re hoping some anthropology professors will pick it up for use in some colleges,” said Fernandez.
But no matter what the future brings, Fernandez hopes people will understand the message of her book.
“We’re not telling people to get out of their cars entirely, but simply to reduce the amount of time they spend driving,” said Fernandez.
