On today’s Earth Day edition of A Public Affair, host Patty Peltekos speaks with artist and writer, Julia Bourdet, about her decarbonized journey across the US. With a sketchbook in hand, Bourdet spent seven months traveling by boat, train, and bike from Europe and across the continental US. Along the way she met with environmental activists and Americans of all walks of life during the presidential election cycle of last Fall. 

Bourdet says that traveling is an experience of self-discovery and that bicycling, in particular, is a form of freedom for her. She was inspired to take this trip by the female cyclists in her life and the “shifters” movement in France, those people who embark on living a more sustainable lifestyle. 

What started out as an individual journey of self-discovery transformed into a vision of community, for Bourdet. She learned about the lives and livelihoods of laborers on cargo ships, and the multifaceted reasons people in the US choose to bike: from being nature lovers, sports enthusiasts, commuters, and tourists.

To find out more about Julia’s journey across the US, you can attend her talk, “Two Wheels, Many Stories,” this Sunday, April 27 at 11am at the UW-Arboretum. The event is part of the Nelson Institute’s Earth Fest and is co-sponsored by European Studies and Madison Bikes. 

Julia Bourdet is a graduate of the École Estienne. After a career in advertising, which she quickly rejected for its values, she worked for the press (Fluide Glacial) and publishing (Stock). In 2022, she released her first graphic novel, adapted from a book by Didier Decoin, novelist, screenwriter, and president of the Goncourt Academy, “Le Bureau des Jardins et des Étangs,” which was selected for the ELLE readers’ comic book prize. She has designed numerous book covers and illustrations. 

Featured image courtesy of Julia Bourdet.

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