Engl 3050 Literature and the
Environment, Spring 2024
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Readings ]
Calendar
last update: April 24, 2024
-
Class meets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11:40am to 12:35pm in Warf Pickel 517.
- AE = American
Earth, the environmental writing anthology edited by Bill McKibben.
WEEK
1
Wednesday,
Jan 17
Introductions.
Friday,
Jan 19
Read Serena:
A Novel, by Ron Rash, through part I (to page 100).
WEEK
2
Monday,
Jan 22
Read Serena through
part II (to page 210, which is the end of chapter 21).
Due: In the form of a memo, addressed to me,
and to your classmates, write a response to Rash's novel, so far. Write at
least three hundred words (2-4 paragraphs), responding to any aspect of the
book. Consider: Do you find any of the characters particularly
interesting? What do you think of the way the people of Appalachia are
portrayed? How are gender roles represented? What do you think of the
politics of the book – that is, do you think you could guess how the author would
vote this year in the presidential election?
Wednesday,
Jan 24
Read Serena
through part III (to page 317, which is the end of chapter 32).
Friday,
Jan 26
Finish
reading Serena (through chapter 37 and the Coda, which ends
part IV).
Also
read these two review essays:
-
"Review -- Serena by Ron Rash: Jay Parini
is impressed by a bloodthirsty tale of greed and the ruthless pursuit of
power." The Guardian [Manchester, UK], October 9, 2009. www.theguardian.com/books/2009/oct/10/serena-ron-rash-review
-
"Couple Creates an Empire by Felling Trees and Anyone in Their Way"
[review of Serena]. By Janet Maslin, The New York Times, October 5, 2008. www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/books/06masl.html
WEEK
3
Monday,
Jan 29
-
Read the first three chapters of Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behavior (through
p73).
Wednesday,
Jan 31
-
Read Kingsolver at least through chapter 6 (through p154).
Friday,
Feb 2:
Class cancelled.
WEEK
4
Monday,
Feb 5
Read
Kingsolver at least through chapter 10 (through p285).
Due: In the form of a memo, addressed to me,
and to your classmates, write a response to Kingsolver's novel, so far. Write
at least a few hundred words, responding to any aspect of the book. Consider:
How do you like the writing? Do you find any of the characters particularly
interesting? What do you think of the way the people of upper East Tennessee
are portrayed? How do you respond to the way science is discussed in the
book?
Wednesday,
Feb 7
Finish
reading Kingsolver (chapters 11 through 14; pages 286-433).
Friday,
Feb 9
Read
the following book review essays:
-
"Book
World: Barbara Kingsolver’s novel approach in ‘Flight Behavior’." By
Ron Charles. The Washington Post, October 30, 2012.
-
"The Butterfly Effect: ‘Flight Behavior,’ by Barbara Kingsolver." By
Dominique Browning. The New York Times, Sunday Book Review,
November 9, 2012.
www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/books/review/flight-behavior-by-barbara-kingsolver.html.
(Click here for a
cached version.)
-
"Electrified Rivers and Other Attempts to Save the Environment"
[review of Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbert]. By Jennifer Szalai. The New York Times, February 10, 2021. www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/books/review-under-white-sky-elizabeth-kolbert.html.
(Click here for
a cached version.)
-
"Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbert review – the path to
catastrophe: A damning survey, drawing on skilful and
subtle reporting, that tracks the spiralling
absurdity of human attempts to control nature with technology." By Ben
Ehrenreich. The Guardian, March 26, 2021.
WEEK
5
Monday,
Feb 12
Read
Kolbert, pages 1-60 (part I, chap 1, on the Chicago Canal; and chap 2, on
Mississippi Delta flood control)
Wednesday,
Feb 14
Read
Kolbert, pages 63-89 (part II, chap 1, on the Devils Hole Pupfish)
Due: In the form of a memo, addressed to me,
and to your classmates, write a response to Kolbert's first three chapters. Are
you surprised by anything that you're learning? Do you have any emotional
response to what you're learning? What do you think of Kolbert's writing?
Friday,
Feb 16
Read
Kolbert, pages 90-113 (part II, chap 2, on coral reefs)
WEEK
6
Monday,
Feb 19
Read
Kolbert, pages 114-140 (part II, chap 3, on CRISPR, gene editing, and cane
toads)
Wednesday,
Feb 21
Read
Kolbert, pages 143-164 (part III, chap 1, on carbon capture and sequestration)
Friday,
Feb 23
Read
Kolbert, pages 165-207 (part III, chap 2, on solar geoengineering; plus the 4-page afterword)
Also
-- this is a last-minute assignment that I will announce in class on Weds Feb
21 -- read the following article and view the following video, about global
warming and American politics:
-
"A Republican 2024 Climate Strategy: More Drilling, Less Clean
Energy." By Lisa Friedman. The New York Times, August 7, 2023. www.nytimes.com/2023/08/04/climate/republicans-climate-project2025.html.
(Click here
for a cached version.)
-
"The Biggest Climate Bill of Your Life - But What does it DO!?. vlogbrothers youtube video. August 12, 2022. Runtime -- 22:23. 835,000
views as of February 2024. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw5zzrOpo2s
WEEK
7
Monday,
Feb 26
Draft
of essay 1, book review, due. Bring two extra copies (a total of 3
copies) for a writing workshop.
Wednesday,
Feb 28
In-class
review for exam 1.
Some time this week, read
the following reviews:
-
"A Burning Planet: Should the climate movement embrace sabotage?"
[review of the book, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, by Andreas Malm]. By Thea Riofrancos. The
Nation, July 25, 2022. www.thenation.com/article/culture/andreas-malm-climate-politics/
(Click here
for a cached version.)
-
"‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ Review: A Different Kind of Oil Boom -- A
book that proposed violent action in response to the climate crisis becomes a
propulsive heist thriller." By Ben Kenigsberg. The
New York Times, April 6, 2023.
www.nytimes.com/2023/04/06/movies/how-to-blow-up-a-pipeline-review.html.
(Click here for a
cached version.)
Friday,
March 1:
Class cancelled.
WEEK
8
Monday,
March 4:
Exam 1
Wednesday,
March 6
In
American Earth, read the following:
-
Janisse Ray, excerpted from her book, Ecology
of a Cracker Childhood, p898-906.
Read
the following online:
- "Birding While Black: J. Drew
Lanham on race, belonging, and a love of nature" (excerpt from The Home
Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature). By J. Drew
Lanham. Literary Hub, September 22, 2016. lithub.com/birding-while-black/
- "9 Rules
for the Black Birdwatcher." By J. Drew Lanham. Orion Magazine,
October 2013. orionmagazine.org/article/9-rules-for-the-black-birdwatcher/
Friday,
March 8
In American
Earth, read the following:
-
John Muir, "A Wind-Storm in the Forests" p89-97.
-
Julia Butterfly Hill, excerpt from The Legacy of Luna p907-919
-
Aldo Leopold, excerpts from A Sand County Almanac p266-294.
SPRING BREAK: March 11 to 15
WEEK
9
Monday,
March 18
Revision
of essay 1, book review, due for a grade.
In American
Earth, read p9-19, an excerpt from Thoreau's Walden,
"Chapter I: Economy."
Wednesday,
March 20
In
AE, read p19-25, an excerpt from Thoreau's Walden, "Chapter
II: Where I Lived, and What I Lived For."
Also
in AE, read excerpts from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass,
p62-71.
Friday,
March 22
In
American Earth, read the following poems:
-
Gary Snyder, "Smokey the Bear Sutra" p473; "Covers the
Ground" p477
-
Wendell Berry, "Mad Farmer Liberation Front" p505
-
Mary Oliver, "The Summer Day" p737
WEEK
10
Monday,
March 25
In American
Earth, read the following:
-
Terry Tempest Williams, excerpt from Refuge p739-759
-
Annie Dillard, "Fecundity," p531-49.
-
N. Scott Momaday, "A First American Views His Land," p570-581.
This
week: Begin reading The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. Bring that book to
class today.
Wednesday,
March 27:
Class cancelled.
Friday,
March 29:
Good Friday
WEEK
11
Monday,
April 1:
Class cancelled.
Wednesday,
April 3
Read
The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. Dr. Honeycutt will lead class discussion.
Friday,
April 5:
Class cancelled.
Some time this week, watch
"Grizzly Man" (runtime: 1 hr and 24
minutes) and read the following reviews:
-
"The grizzly story of a bear man" [review of "Grizzly
Man"]. By Roger Ebert, August 11, 2005. www.rogerebert.com/reviews/grizzly-man-2005
-
"Loners -- The Current Cinema" [review of "Broken Flowers"
by J. Jarmusch and "Grizzly Man" by Werner Herzog]. The New Yorker,
July 31, 2005. www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/08/08/loners.
(Click here for
a cached version.)
-
"Exploring One Man's Fate in the Alaskan Wilderness -- Movie Review:
'Grizzly Man'." By Manohla Dargis.
The New York Times, August 12, 2005.
www.nytimes.com/2005/08/12/movies/exploring-one-mans-fate-in-the-alaskan-wilderness.html.
(Click here
for a cached version.)
WEEK
12
Monday,
April 8:
Class cancelled.
Wednesday,
April 10
Due: In the form of a memo, addressed to me,
and to your classmates, write a response to Herzog's film, "Grizzly
Man."
Begin
reading Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer.
Bring the book to class.
Also
read these two reviews:
-
"Annihilation review – 'You'll find yourself afraid to turn the
page': Jeff VanderMeer may visit familiar
alien-invasion territory, but his story of biological research – the first in a
trilogy – enters the realm of real horror." By Simon Ings. The Guardian,
March 5, 2014. www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/05/annihilation-review-jeff-vandermeer-afraid-turn-page
-
Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer [review]. By
Sara Sklaro. The Washington Post, February 25,
2014. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/annihilation-by-jeff-vandermeer/2014/02/25/.
(Click here
for a cached version.)
Friday,
April 12
Read
Annihilation at least to page 87 (through chapters 1,
"Initiation", and 2, "Integration").
WEEK
13
Monday,
April 15
Read
Annihilation at least to page 120 (through chapter 3, Immolation").
Due: In the form of a memo, addressed to me,
and to your classmates, write a response to Annihilation.
Wednesday,
April 17
Read
the last two chapters of Annihilation ("Immersion" and "Dissolution")
Friday,
April 19
Read
two essays by Wendell Berry, in American Earth:
-
"The Making of a Marginal Farm," p507-516.
-
"Preserving Wildness," p516-530.
WEEK
14
Monday,
April 22
-
Alice Walker, "Everything is a Human Being," p659-670.
-
Barbara Kingsolver, "Knowing Our Place," p939-947.
Wednesday,
April 24
In-class
review
for exam 2.
Friday,
April 26:
ETSU Study Day -- no class.
Exam 2: Monday, April 29
3:50-5:50pm