ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES/ENGLISH 243
Introduction to Nature Writing
Fall 2007, MW 1:50-3:20 Swart 13
“part of the reason for turning to natural history writing is because it is written from a point of view that takes in a larger world than the world of just the writer. . . . So you turn to natural history as a kind of writing that’s not just about polar bears . . . or plants or birds. It’s about the fundamental issues of life.” --Barry Lopez, Writing Natural History, 23
I write to create red in a world that often appears black and white. . . . I write to imagine things differently and in imaging things differently perhaps the world will change. . . . I write against power and for democracy. --Terry Tempest Williams, Red, 112
This country’s wisdom still resides in its populace, in the pragmatic and generous spirits of everyday citizens who have not forgotten their kinship with nature. They are individuals who will forever hold the standard of the wild high, knowing in their hearts that natural engagement is not an interlude but a daily practice, a commitment each generation must renew in the name of the land.” --Terry Tempest Williams, Red, 70
We are destroying our country -- I mean our country itself, our land. This is a terrible thing to know, but it is not a reason for despair unless we decide to continue the destruction. If we decide to continue the destruction, that will not be because we have no other choice. This destruction is not necessary. It is not inevitable, except that by our submissiveness we make it so. --Wendell Berry, “Compromise, Hell!”
Syllabus (word document)
Student panels
Assignments
> Reading Journal
> Precis
> Rhetorical Analysis and an example of a student's Rhetorical Analysis
> Student led discussions
> Terms for test and examples of answers
> Prewriting
> Paper on Edward Abbey
> Peer editing evaluation form
> Paper on Terry Tempest Willaims
> Co-curricular responses
Study Questions
Abbey, Edward. Desert Solitaire
Abbey, Edward. On Ecotage (Abbey, "Eco-defense" and the Hargrove, Abbey, Foreman debate)
Abbey, Edward. "Freedom & Wilderness," "Writers Credo," "Shadows from the Big Woods," "Conscience of the Conqueror"
Abbey, Edward. Monkey Wrench Gang
Abbey, Edward. Payne on Edward Abbey, chapter 9
Austin, Mary. On Mary Austin
Barnhill, David. "The Spiritual Dimension of Nature Writing"
Barnhill, David."Surveying the Landscape."
Barnhill, David."Terry Tempest Williams and the Literature of Engagement"
Bartram, William. On William Bartram
Carson, Rachel. On Rachel Carson: Silent Spring and Payne, Chapter 8
Momaday, N. Scott. “A First American Views His Land.” (combined with questions on Silko)
Muir, John. On John Muir (Muir, "Hetch-Hetchy," Selected Quotations, and Payne Chapter 5)
Payne, Daniel. Voices in the Wilderness. Introduction and Chapter One
Payne, Daniel. Voices in the Wilderness. Chapter Two: Emerson and Thoreau
Payne, Daniel. Voices in the Wilderness. Chapter Five: John Muir (and Muir, "Hetch-Hetchy" and Selected Quotations)
Payne, Daniel. Voices in the Wilderness. Chapter Eight: Rachel Carson (and Carson, Silent Spring)
Payne, Daniel. Voices in the Wilderness, Chapter Nine: Edward Abbey
Payne, Daniel. Voices in the Wilderness, Conclusion
Silko, Leslie Marmon. "Landscape, History, and the Pueblo Imagination" (combined with questions on Momday)
Thoreau, Henry David. "Walking"
Williams, Terry Tempest. "Engagement."
Williams, Terry Tempest. Selections from Red
Williams, Terry Tempest. Selections from Refuge
Williams, Terry Tempst." "A Sprig of Sage."
on Williams, Terry Tempest. David Barnhill. "Terry Tempest Williams and the Literature of Engagement"
Readings on e-reserve
PowerPoint outlines (word documents)
>> Liberal Arts PowerPoint outline
>> Nature Writing and Ecocriticsm PowerPoint outline
>> Questions and issues in American nature writing PowerPoint outline
>> Western Views of Nature PowerPoint outline
>> Native American Views of Nature
>> American Views of Nature PowerPoint outline
>> The Ideology of Progress I PowerPoint outline
>> The Ideology of Progress II PowerPoint outline
>> Transcendentalism PowerPoint outline
>> Emerson PowerPoint outline
>> Mary Austin PowerPoint outline
>> The New Environmentalism of the 1960s
>> Terry Tempest Williams: themes
>> Patriarchy
>> Ecofeminism versus Patriarchy
Outlines of readings
>> Taxonomies of nature writing by Thomas J. Lyon and Patrick D. Murphy and the Barnhill's ecosystem approach
>> Seven Elements of Nature Writing (by Barnhill)
>> Outline of David Barnhill's "The Spiritual Dimension of Nature Writing"
>> Outline of Chet Raymo, “For wildness, hope lies in reality, not romanticism”
>> Outline of "Terry Tempest Williams and the Literature of Engagement"
Other supplementary material
Introductory section of the course
>> Glossary of terms used in nature writing and ecocriticism
>> "Nature"
>> William Bartram
>> Chronology of Amercan Nature Writing
Rachel Carson
>> Final paragraphs to Silent Spring
Edward Abbey
>> Edward Abbey: themes
>> Edward Abbey: partial index to themes in his writings
>> Why we should take seriously radical views
>> The issue of effectiveness of literary techniques and types of writing
>> Anarchism
>> Introduction to The Monkey Wrench Gang
>> Eric Temple. Interview with Edward Abbey
>> Wendell Berry. "A Few Words in Defense of Edward Abbey."
Terry Tempest Williams
>> Otherness
>> Anotherness
>> David Barnhill, "Terry Tempest Williams and the Literature of Engagement" (html)
>> David Barnhill, "Terry Tempest Williams and the Literature of Engagement" (Word document)
++++ Note: See Outlines of Readings (above) for an outline of this essay
Writing
>> Barnhill's Friendly Manual for Empowered Writing and Great Papers
>> Two models of papers
>> Citations: A Summary of the MLA Style
>> Citations: KnightCite Automatic Citation Creator
>> Common grammatical mistakes: semi-colon, sentence fragment, comma splice, run-on sentence, "it"
>> Dialectical analysis
>> Example of a student paper on Terry Tempest Williams
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