Environmental Literature Reading Group

This is a 1-credit reading group that will meet throughout the fall semester to discuss literature’s longstanding relation to natural surroundings. If we wish to better understand our contemporary attitude toward the American environment and how it emerged, its literary history is an excellent place to start. The authors and works represented in this reading group show the progression of the American environmental imagination, from the earliest voices in this environmental interaction, with the seminal “shapers” of America, to the most recent voices of environmental awareness like Joni Adamson and Ursula K. Heise. We will discuss a range of issues including deforestation, air pollution, urban sprawl, endangered species, watershed loss, animal rights, rampant consumerism, and issues faced by the diverse communities in America who are unequally exposed to risks like climate change and toxicity. We will also read and discuss materials on eco-media and eco-composition in an effort to discuss these issues within our classrooms. In addition to our literary exploration, we also plan to engage in one or two outdoor activities such as a local hiking expedition or kayaking trip.