Spelling Bees: Literature’s Environments

The literary texts at the heart of this course probe our complex relationships to other living beings in the so-called “natural” world. We will adopt a flexible eco-critical approach to a wide range of creative and critical writing foregrounding the impact of human activity on both green and urban spaces. In this gateway course to the major, students will also develop skills in reading, writing, and critical analysis crucial to further study in the field. Readings will trespass conventional historical and national boundaries, moving from canonical Anglo American poetry to a vibrant sampling of multi-ethnic American and postcolonial writing. Topics explored include the industrialization of food production, climate change, gardening, species-extinction, capitalist enclosure, agricultural work and workers, flowers, and dolphins. 3 hrs. lect./disc.