This course will explore one
of the most important poetic movements of our time, Eco-Poetics, which examines
the relationship between poetics, nature, ecology, and environmental justice.
We will map, historicize, and contextualize the histories and theories of
eco-poetics. We will explore eco-poetics from various cultural perspectives,
including Pacific Islander, Native American, White American, African American,
Asian American, and Latino perspectives, as well as within the intersecting
frameworks of class, gender, and sexuality. We will also study the vibrant
range of creative techniques that eco-poets utilize, including the pastoral,
modernist, postmodernist, documentary, postcolonial, situational, and spoken
word, to name a few.
As creative writers, we will
write, workshop, and revise for publication our own eco-poetry that addresses
global and local issues, such as industrial and GMO agriculture; oceans,
waters, and marine life; land and urbanization; pollution, plastic, garbage,
and toxicity; animals and nonhuman life; climate change and adaptation;
extinction and precarity; sustainability and climate activism; labor and migration;
tourism and militarism. This course will emphasize hands-on activities, and
students will be required to participate in individual and group eco-poetic
excursions, exercises, and performances (which may involve on-site, virtual,
musical, and video components).
Student Learning Outcomes:
Develop an understanding of
the discipline of English (specifically, Poetics) and its relationship to other
disciplines (Nature, Ecological, and Environmental Justice Studies)
Develop
an awareness of the contributions of Oceanic, Asian, and other cultures to the
formation of the field of Eco-Poetics and English Studies in the 21st Century
Develop
an understanding of advanced research methods and creative techniques in
relation to Eco-Criticism and Eco-Poetic practice
Develop
the ability to demonstrate advanced critical analysis in both written and oral
formats in relation to the history and theory of Eco-Poetics
Develop
the ability to map, historicize, and contextualize the history and theory of
Eco-Poetics, as well as it major sub-fields
Develop
advanced creative writing skills for publication
Required Texts
Ann
Fisher-Wirth & Laura-Gray Street, editors, The Ecopoetry Anthology
J. Scott Bryson, Ecopoetry: A Critical Introduction
A list of recommended texts
will be provided in the syllabus, and other critical and creative readings will
be provided via Laulima.