Cactus Book Club: “How to Tell When We Will Die: On Pain, Disability, and Doom” by Johanna Hedva
Join us February 4th, 2026 for our next Cactus Book Club. We’re delighted to have the John Micheal Kohler Arts Center lead this discussion on How to Tell When We Will Die: On Pain, Disability, and Doom by Johanna Hedva. “From one of the most influential voices in disability activism comes an essay collection that detonates a bomb in our collective understanding of care and illness, showing us that sickness is a vibrant part of life…This collection of essays “expands upon Hedva’s paradigm-shifting perspective in a series of slyly subversive and razor-sharp essays that range from the theoretical to the personal”.
CBC is reading this book in connection with JMKAC’s 2026 exhibition “How Do You Throw a Brick Through the Window…”. The title of the exhibition comes from Hedva’s essay “Sick Woman Theory”, which explores ‘how to throw a brick when you can’t get out of bed’. The essay and the exhibition both take inspiration from the intersection of disability and protest and will be on-view at JMKAC from February 28 – October 25, 2026.
Recommended bookseller: Boswell Book Company. *Mention Cactus Book Club at checkout to receive a 10% discount
“The John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC), located north of Milwaukee in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is known for promoting the understanding and appreciation of the work of self-taught and contemporary artists through exhibitions and commissioned works of art. The Arts Center’s downtown Sheboygan facility includes eight galleries, two performance spaces, a café, a museum shop, and a drop-in art-making studio. Among its program offerings are community arts projects; artist residencies; presentations of dance, film, and music; a free weekly summer concert series; classes and workshops; an onsite arts-based preschool; and approximately twelve original exhibitions of the work of self-taught and contemporary artists annually. JMKAC also administers the renowned Arts/Industry residency program, which is hosted by Kohler Co.”
ABOUT US: Cactus Book Club (CBC) meets on the first Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7:30 in the back room at Cactus Club. Each month a different community organization, collective, mutual aid group, or business chooses the book & recommended bookseller then leads the discussion. We read sociopolitical fiction and non-fiction, with a focus on works by women, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and/or otherwise under-published groups. You don’t have to finish reading the book to attend. All book club meetings are free. No registration required. 18+. CBC is part of our ongoing Cactus+ programming. Contact kelly@cactusplus.org with questions or suggestions.