Liz Lerman — Shape and Momentum: An Insomniac's Guide for a World in Constant Motion - with Diana Ayton-Shenker — at Union Market

Liz Lerman, a choreographer, writer, and MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient, presents her latest book *Shape and Momentum: An Insomniac's Guide for a World in Constant Motion* in conversation with Diana Ayton-Shenker. This event, hosted at Politics and Prose at Union Market, explores Lerman's choreographic manifesto for living in motion—a sequel to her earlier *Hiking the Horizontal*. The book weaves together memoir, creative theory, and movement-based wisdom in a series of essays, from single-paragraph meditations to expansive chapters. It draws on Heisenberg's uncertainty principle to examine how we hold both shape and momentum—form and change—simultaneously. Lerman incorporates guides from her decade-long project *Wicked Bodies* and organizes essays into sections on lived experience, kinship, rejection, reflection, and radical imagination, culminating in an "Atlas of Creative Tools." The conversation will be led by Diana Ayton-Shenker, CEO of Leonardo/ISAST and professor at Arizona State University, who brings her own expertise in arts, science, technology, and global futures.

When: Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 6:00pm.
Showtimes: A single event at the listed time; no multiple showtimes.
Tickets: Free; seating is first come, first served.
Lineup: Liz Lerman in conversation with Diana Ayton-Shenker.
Run time: Not specified; typical author event at this venue runs approximately one hour.
Ages: Not specified; likely all ages, though content is geared toward adult readers.
Venue: Politics and Prose at Union Market, 1324 4th Street NE, Washington, DC 20002.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or inquire about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com ideally one week in advance. The venue will make every effort to accommodate requests up to the time of the event.
Books: The featured book, *Shape and Momentum: An Insomniac's Guide for a World in Constant Motion* (paperback, ISBN 9780819501684, $26.95), will be available for purchase and signing.
Note: This event is free and open to the public with first-come, first-served seating; no advance registration is indicated.