Godmothers Gather: Angelica Glass

The long tale of family trauma—and the healing power of a long walk. Author Angelica Glass joins us to share “Scavenging Beauty: A Memoir in Walks,” her story of the discovery and transformation that unfolded as she walked every street in Santa Cruz County, California, to find unexpected healing. Angelica spent decades as a social worker helping families struggling with poverty, addiction, abuse, and neglect. Needing relief from work-related stress, she turned to walking as an outlet. What began as a way to incorporate more exercise into her busy life transformed into something extraordinary: a years-long odyssey in which she drew upon physical exercise, a close observation of the natural world, and long periods of introspection to reconcile with her own past. Between moments of awe as she explored her community and documented what she saw with her camera, she grappled with the turmoil of her early years in a complicated, challenging family, the aging process, long-held insecurities, and grief. Whether wandering through residential neighborhoods, over redwood-strewn mountain passes, or along the seashore, she found solace and developed a growing sense of peace. By looking to the natural world to suture old wounds — by scavenging beauty on her terms — she came to understand what it means to feel whole.