Schedule – English 680, Ecocriticism, Spring 2015

Week/Date	Topics/Readings
1 Jan 21	Nature / Pollution Intro to course and ecocriticism. ASLE, “Call for Papers” for 2015. See also CFP for “Thinking Continental.” Garrard Ch. 1, “Pollution.” Marx, Leo. “The Idea of Nature in America”; “Greening the Library: the Fundementals and Future of Ecocriticism,” Johnson; White Jr, “The Historical Roots of our Ecological Crisis.” (added bonus: “Light Pollution”)
2 26-28	Ecocriticism and Critiques of It Garrard ch. 2, “Positions.” Estok, Simon. “A Report Card on Ecocriticism,” and “Theorizing in a Space of Ambivalent Openness: Ecocriticism and Ecophobia.” Cohen, Michael. “Blues in the Green: Ecocriticism Under Critique,” and Phillips, Dana, “The Truth of Ecology.” Also, “The Woodshed: A Response to ‘Ecocriticism and Ecophobia.’” And, Mackenzie and Posthumus: “Reading Latour Outside: A Response to the Estok–Robisch Controversy” (library supersearch if link doesn’t work).
3 Feb 2-4	Pastoral Garrard, ch. 3. Thoreau, Henry David. Walden and “Huckleberries” (handout) and “Ktaadn” from The Maine Woods (handout). The Country and the City? The Machine in the Garden?
4 9-11	Wilderness Garrard, ch. 4. Abbey, Ed. Desert Solitaire and “Down the River with Henry Thoreau.” Cronin, “The Trouble with Wilderness.” Xerophilia? The Desert is No Lady? Humor and Nature Writing?
5 16-18	Place Garrard, ch. 6, “Dwelling.” Short essay handouts. Due: Your “place” paper/exploration.
6 23-25	Apocalypse Garrard, ch. 5. Atwood, Margaret. Oryx and Crake.
7 Mar 2-4	Science Love, “Science, Anti-Science, and Ecocriticism” and “Between Science and Anti-Science,” Levin, and a response to both, Clarke. Due: Critical Digest (if not now then on the relevant night).
8 16-18	Animals. Garrard, ch. 7. Kingsolver, Flight Behavior Appalachian Poetics? Two articles from Summer 2008 issue of ISLE: “Living with Ghosts, Loving the Land: Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer,” Dilia Narduzzi, and “Ecofeminism and a New Agrarianism: The Female Farmer in Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer and Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain,” Kristin Van Tassel.
9 23-25	Animals cont’d. Foer, Eating Animals? Ozeki, My Year of Meats?
10 30-1	Representation. DeLillo, White Noise. “Representing the Environment,” from The Environmental Imagination. Nature Fakers controversy.
11 6-8	Your call (a text you want to read: more theory, more primary? something global? a film?) Précis of seminar paper due: what focus question? What texts and sources?
12 13-15	Futures Garrard, ch. 8. Gessner, David. “Sick of Nature” (short version). Humor in nature writing. Mike Branch, “Are You Serious: A Modest Proposal for Environmental Humor,” and something from his Rants from the Hill. Annotated bibliography of seminar paper.
13 20-22	Education Green Cultural Studies, Environmental Justice, Ecopoetics, Ecocomposition? 10 minute presentation of your seminar paper as it is.
14 27-29	Papers SELU retreat? Seminar paper workshop. Bring two copies of complete draft.
Exam	Seminar paper due at exam time.