Author Event with Jeremy David Engels

250 years after the US Declaration of Independence, this incisive Declaration of Interdependence is a timely, tender, and transformative guide for citizens who care deeply about the world but feel disillusioned by the state of public discourse. Professor Jeremy David Engels—scholar, mindfulness teacher, and longtime student of Thich Nhat Hanh—proposes that clarity and interconnection are not only paths to personal peace, but vital practices for renewing democracy itself.
Structured in the spirit of On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder, this compact, accessible book delivers 27 profound insights—each a short chapter—on how to show up for democracy with compassion, clarity, and courage. It invites readers to step away from enemyship, to root their activism in shared humanity, and to declare their interdependence.
Readers will discover:
• How mindfulness can heal the civic wounds of polarization and fear
• Practices for engaging with news and social media without being consumed
• A reimagining of democracy as collective empowerment, not endless conflict
• Zen stories and teachings to inspire transformation
• Practical tips for showing up skillfully in moments of disagreement and tension
Whether you’re a seasoned activist or a tender-hearted citizen seeking a new path forward, this luminous testament to resilience offers a lantern in the dark—and a quiet call to remember who we are, and what we’re here to do, together.

Jeremy David Engels is the author of six books, including On Mindful Democracy: A Declaration of Interdependence to Mend a Fractured World (Parallax, 2026). He is the Liberal Arts Endowed Professor of Communication and Ethics at Penn State University, co-founder of Yoga Lab, and a mindfulness and yoga teacher. Engels’ research reimagines democracy as a communal practice rooted in care, deliberation, and shared responsibility, emphasizing mindfulness as a core civic skill. His work has earned the Karl Wallace Award, the New Investigator Award from the National Communication Association, and Penn State’s Outstanding Tenure-Line Faculty Teaching Award. He is a native of Wichita, KS, and completed his undergraduate degrees at the University of Kansas.

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