Jenny Powers is the co-author of the award-winning “On the Origin of Being: Understanding the Science of Evolution to Enhance Your Quality of Life.” She is a Colorado mom, a writer of fiction and non-fiction, a scientist trained at the University of Colorado and National Jewish Health, and a former CU women’s basketball player.
Luke Comer is a writer, director, and entrepreneur from Boulder, working in multiple genres. He considers himself a concept artist and systems scientist. In addition to “On the Origin of Being,” his other projects include the book “The Systems of Nourishment.”
(Jenny Powers answered the questions on behalf of both authors.)
SunLit: Tell us this book’s backstory – what’s it about and what inspired you to write it?
Jenny Powers: Our book is about learning to reconnect with our evolutionary natures. We all came from nature and were entirely molded by the natural world. So, it is crucial we understand how we came to be — through the process of evolution by natural selection — because if we live how we evolved to live, we experience our optimal health.
Our fast-paced, media-fueled, indoors, isolated, work-focused lives have us living in discord with our biology, and we are suffering from diseases we never used to get, the diseases of modernity. This first book of a three-part series takes a deep dive into the evolutionary history of our sleep, our nutrition, the way we work and rest, and our connection with the natural world. From the first life on Earth to our hunter-gatherer ancestors, we have so much to learn.
UNDERWRITTEN BY
Each week, The Colorado Sun and Colorado Humanities & Center For The Book feature an excerpt from a Colorado book and an interview with the author. Explore the SunLit archives at coloradosun.com/sunlit.
The inception and creation of this book brought Luke and I together, and we share similar stories of how we found ourselves sick and unhappy in adulthood. We became seekers to find a better way to live this thing called life. Luke sought to find answers in research, experiences, and entrepreneurship which led him to a lifelong passion of learning about and sharing knowledge about human evolution, especially how our nutrition and foodways evolved.
I stepped off the “golden path” of academic research and the misconception that I could have it all and do it all if I was just perfect enough to pursue my own lifelong passion of being a writer as I gave birth to and raised little humans.
The more Luke learned about evolution, the more he realized how far we have strayed from living according to our biology, and not just in the foods we eat. So many of our “ways of being” — our sleep and work habits, our connections with nature and with other people in community, how we raise our children, our relationship with art and creativity, and many others — have been skewed by our modern culture to our detriment. When he went looking for someone to research and write about this foundational concept, he found me. As they say, the rest is history.
SunLit: Place the excerpt you selected in context. How does it fit into the book as a whole and why did you select it?
Powers: The excerpt is the book’s entire introductory chapter. We chose this because it introduces the idea that studying how we evolved may help us make choices to live a better life and to thrive.
SunLit: What influences and/or experiences informed the project before you sat down to write?
“On the Origin of Being”
Where to find it:
- Prospector: Search the combined catalogs of 23 Colorado libraries
- Libby: E-books and audio books
- NewPages Guide: List of Colorado independent bookstores
- Bookshop.org: Searchable database of bookstores nationwide
SunLit present new excerpts from some of the best Colorado authors that not only spin engaging narratives but also illuminate who we are as a community. Read more.
Powers: I can’t speak for Luke and the influences and experiences that led him to his vision for the project. However, I can speak about how my own life experiences informed my writing of “On the Origin of Being.” After I left my scientific career and searched for that “better way,” I started doing meditation and found a spiritual path, which put me very much in touch with my inner nature and with the natural world. Becoming a mom also painted most of the topics with new shades of color, and I understood them more deeply as they relate to living our best life in health.
I once heard someone on a podcast ask, “I know everyone says they would die for their kids, but who is willing to do what it takes to LIVE for their kids.” That changed my whole outlook and why I think this book is so important. Not only do I want longevity, but I want my next 50 years to be full of life and vitality with my family. It’s never too late to learn how.
SunLit: What did the process of writing this book add to your knowledge and understanding of your craft and/or the subject matter?
Powers: It took over three years of researching and writing to complete the first draft of this book project, so I often joke that I should at least have a master’s degree in something by now! I started with a blank page, and an amazing concept, and general outline from Luke, who also wrote the chapters on food and nutrition. Not only did I learn so much about our evolutionary history and how it relates to my health, but I learned so much about myself. I became a better writer and felt more comfortable putting myself out there as someone with something important to add to the world.
SunLit: What were the biggest challenges you faced in writing this book?
Powers: I had two main challenges. The first is something all writers go through, the mental rollercoaster of self-confidence. You know that voice inside that says, “This is great!” then a few seconds later, “No, this sucks!” or “I love what I wrote!” then, “Who do you think you are, writing a book about this!”
The second one surprised me. The more I learned about how out of sync I was living with my biology, the more I felt overwhelmed and depressed. I still couldn’t shake the feeling that I “failed” at life because I somehow should’ve known better. But then I realized that nothing was wrong with me. I struggle because I live in a culture that makes it hard to live in sync with my evolved self, and getting realigned isn’t as easy as flipping a switch.
SunLit: What do you want readers to take from this book?
Powers: We want readers to feel a sense of empowerment. We already have what we need in our DNA, we just need to discover our biological needs through education then make better choices based on that knowledge. We don’t need to break the bank on all these lifestyle fads and biohacks taking the internet by storm. We have the power in our own hands.
SunLit: Do you ever feel broken, as if everyone else seems to have it together, but you can’t quite seem to thrive?
Powers: You are unhappy, you are tired all the time, you eat too much junk food, you work too hard, you don’t exercise, and you generally feel like crap. You think it is your fault, a weakness inside you. But it’s not.
You are not broken, you are mismatched. Our modern culture makes it so hard to truly meet our needs, on an evolutionary level. There is a better way to approach life…with the knowledge of what our biology really needs because you understand how we evolved to need it.
SunLit: Tell us about your next project.
Powers: As I mentioned, the “On the Origin of Being” project is a three-book series, and we are hard at work on volume 2 where we explore the evolutionary mismatch of our social needs; our childrearing, the relationship between the sexes, and our social groups.
Luke has recently launched a food company here in Denver called “Sapient Stews” (www.sapientstews.com) and has a book about the evolution of our foodways called “Systems of Nourishment” coming out soon. Look for those to nourish both your bodies and your minds.
A few more quick items:
Currently on your nightstand for recreational reading: “The Glass House” by Emily St. John Mandel; “The Once and Future Witches” by Alix E. Harrow; “Save the Cat! Writes a Novel” by Jessica Brody
First book you remember really making an impression on you as a kid: The “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson was the first book that made me weep uncontrollably. I thought about that book for days, weeks, afterwards. To have the power to bring someone to tears is a good author’s superpower.
Best writing advice you’ve ever received: Read “Writing Down the Bones” by Natalie Goldberg. This book gave me permission to write and draft like total crap. It unlocked a door in me that I couldn’t get through before. I’d always written in final form, not moving to the next sentence until the previous one was perfect, an obviously slow and arduous process with a ton of judgment attached.
Favorite fictional literary character: Anne Shirley from “Anne of Green Gables” She’s a bosom friend AND a kindred spirit.
Literary guilty pleasure (title or genre): Cozy fantasy (think former barbarian orcs opening a coffee shop or a bookstore to escape their former life)
Digital, print or audio – favorite medium to consume literature: I need the feel of a real book in my hands to fully experience it. Though I am warming to audiobooks because I can “read” more books that way, especially when I drive.
One book you’ve read multiple times: “The Scorpio Races” by Maggie Stiefvater. I’ve read it three times and listened to it another four or five.
Other than writing utensils, one thing you must have within reach when you write: Wallaby (nicknamed Wally), who is one of my Aussiedoodles and my dog shadow. He follows me around the house then sleeps on the guest bed in my office when I sit down to work. Every so often, he gets up to check in by licking my elbows. If I get up to go upstairs, he gets up and follows me. Then, when I sit back down at my desk, Wally resumes his position and takes a nap. Dog snuggles are an essential part of the writing process.
Best antidote for writer’s block: Get outside into nature, feel the sun on your skin and the grass between your toes. If that doesn’t work, take a shower. I come up with the darndest things in there.
Most valuable beta reader: My sister