ECOLIT: Reading and Writing the Landscape
English 380
ECOLIT: Reading and Writing the Landscape
English 380
Where is the literature which gives expression to Nature? He would be a poet who could impress the winds and streams into his service, to speak for him ...whose words were so true, and fresh, and natural that they would appear to expand like the buds at the approach of spring, though they lay half smothered between two musty leaves in a library... . (Henry David Thoreau)
Winter 2008 Schedule
| Week | Date | Topic | Primary
Texts [required and due; please print and bring to class] |
Secondary
Texts and other Resources |
Writing [dates assigned and due] |
| I | 1/7 |
The Ancient Pastoral Tradition |
Bible, Genesis 1 Cal Poly Land: A Field Guide, preface, introduction, Places, The Arts chapters
|
Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment[ASLE] |
|
| 1/9 |
Meet at Poly Canyon gate unless it's actually raining. Dress warm. Bring texts and writing journal. |
Virgil, Georgics[pdf] Cal Poly Land: A Field Guide, vegetation chapter |
notes on Georgics | ||
| II | 1/14 |
Renaissance Pastoral |
|
|
|
| 1/16 |
Romanticism and Nature Paintings by Constable and Bierstadt
|
Wordsworth , selected poems[pdf] Thoreau, "Walking" abridged[pdf]
|
Explore Thoreau website and links, especially, "Walden Express"
|
|
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| III | 1/21 holiday |
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| 1/23 | Thoreau at Walden |
Thoreau:
Walden |
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| IV | 1/28 | class cancelled | |||
| 1/30 | Thoreau, Muir and Focus the Nation |
Bill McKibben: Introduction to Walden vii-xxiii "Economy" 1-73
|
|
Focus the Nation Essay Assignment [Due Sunday February 3, 6:00 p.m. by email] |
|
| V | 2/4 | John Muir in the Sierras |
John Muir: The Mountains of California Chapter 1 [pdf] Chapter 2 [pdf] Chapter 10 [pdf] Chapter 13 [pdf] |
Explore John Muir Exhibit website |
|
| 2/6 | John Muir outdoors |
Geology and Climate Chapters in Field Guide | |||
| VI | 2/11 | Mary Austin in the Desert | Mary Austin, The Land of Little Rain
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| 2/13 | Aldo Leopold in Wisconsin | Sand County Almanac, "The Almanac," Part 1, The Almanac | lecture notes | Midterm/GWR in class | |
| VII | 2/18 | Aldo Leopold in Wisconsin | "The Land Ethic" 237-264 | quiz on Leopold readings (bring scantron) | |
| 2/20 | Wendell Berry in Kentucky |
Wendell Berry Selected readings |
First draft of Personal essay by email 4:00 p.m. due | ||
| VIII | 2/25 | Wendell Berry in Kentucky Map of Farm Hike; Meet at Crops Unit at 4:10 p.m. |
Agriculture and Stewardship chapters in Field Guide |
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| 2/27 | Barbara Kingsolver in Kentucky Gary Snyder
|
Prodigal Summer pp.1-150 |
Kingsolver notes | ||
| IX | 3/3 | Barbara Kingsolver in Kentucky Gary Snyder
|
Prodigal Summer pp.150-325 |
Kingsolver notes (updated) | quiz |
| 3/5 | Barbara Kingsolver in Kentucky Mary Oliver in New England |
Prodigal Summer pp.325-end |
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| X | 3/10 |
Mary Oliver in New England excursion to Cheda Ranch. Meet at parking area under the railroad trestle at Stenner Creek Road.
|
poems by Mary Oliver | Journal submission 2 due | |
| 3/12 | Conclusion Exam Prep |
Final draft of Personal Essay due | |||
| Final Exam | 3/19 4:10-7:00 |
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General
This is a course about nature writing or ecoliterature, an ancient literary genre that has achieved new prominence among critics, teachers, writers and readers. The course balances humanities and science, art and nature, reading and writing, talking and walking.
Subject matter includes great works of environmental literature and their traditions, the geography and ecology of Cal Poly's ten thousand acres, and practical methods of observation and expression.
Readings
Texts include primary and secondary works of Ecoliterature as well as sections of the Cal Poly Land Website on the natural history of this place.
Required texts: 1) Cal Poly Land: A Field Guide (available only at El Corral Bookstore) 2)Thoreau Walden, in the edition specified 3)Mary Austin, The Land of Little Rain, 4)Aldo Leopold, Sand County Almanac , Barbara Kingsolver, Prodigal Summer (the last four available at Aida's), and several texts to be downloaded from this website, printed and kept in a binder.
Helpful suggestions for reading large documents online
Workload and Grading
Writing assignments include a journal or weblog, a critical analysis of nature writing, a personal ecoliterary essay, quizzes and exams.
| Assignment | percent of grade | # words |
| Journal [ two entries per week, one personal, one a guided response to readings] | 25 | 2400 |
| Focus the Nation essay | 10 | 250 |
| Midterm Exam | 10 | 500 |
| Personal essay: final draft | 30 | 1250 |
| Quizzes | 10 | |
| Final Exam | 15 | 500 |
