An enduring spirit and more than a Christmas tree, the evergreen is both tangible and symbolic. Get to the root of the matter with Trent Preszler, author of Evergreen: The Trees that Shaped America (Algonquin Books, Dec 2025) as he reveals the hidden world of a tree that is central to so many cultures and landscapes, especially the East End.
Joined in conversation by The Church co-founder April Gornik, the two will guide the audience through a sweeping journey across century and continents, exploring Preszler’s powerful case that the American cultural landscape (and economy) would not be the same without these trees. Following the discussion there will be a Q&A and a book signing.
From its symbolic evolution through paganism, Catholicism, patriotism, and capitalism to its intimate relationship with underrepresented people like the Indigenous, the enslaved, immigrants, and Queer woodworkers, the Evergreen has played an integral role in the shaping of the inner landscape of the American people.
But Evergreen is also the story of power and commerce, as America’s evergreens built ships, railroads, cities, and fortunes, while fueling westward expansion and industrial growth. Drawing on his background as a professor of applied economics at Cornell University, Preszler asks what the American pursuit of progress reveals about the cost of abundance in living ecosystems.
