24 LULU DEWEY ENVIRONMENTAL WRITING – 2019
The Art and Craft of Environmental Writing
12:30-1:20 PM MWF
Instructor: Louisa (Lulu) Dewey
Required Texts:
Short readings posted each week on ICON (please bring a printed copy of each reading to class)
About a Mountain, John D’Agata
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
No matter where you’ve come from and where you hope to end up, your environment continues to shape you even as you shape it. From large-scale issues such as climate change and natural disasters to the local impacts of environmental injustice and shifting food systems, we are constantly navigating and narrativizing our interactions with the natural world.
In this course, we’ll be guided by writers such as Walt Whitman, Carolyn Finney, Wendell Berry,
N. Scott Momaday, and Amy Leach. We’ll explore environmental folklore, from creation myths to local legends, and create compelling and well-crafted essays that explore our own relationships with the environment. As we write, we’ll investigate the ways in which our identity and the environment intersect through the lens of our communities, our families, and our personal histories.
Our reading will be rigorous, our writing will be honest, and our process will be critical. I intend this to excite you—not intimidate you. Working together as a community of creative, empathetic writers, we will workshop each student’s writing twice throughout the semester.
COURSE EXPECTATIONS:
This is a reading and writing intensive course and requires that you diligently read and write throughout the whole of the semester.
I expect you to come to class with a deep reading of the assigned texts, whether they are from established authors or from your classmates; your own independent thoughts, questions, and interpretations; and the desire to discuss those ideas and questions with your peers.
Some weeks we will engage in a Writing Lab, where you’ll get a prompt from me and in-class time to begin working on an essay that you could potentially submit for workshop. I expect that you take this time seriously and dedicate yourself to the writing process.
Collaborative discussion and engaged participation characterize this course. Both students and myself as your teacher will contribute significantly to the learning community in classroom conversations, workshops, and our written work. This approach aims to cultivate creativity, encourages personal initiative, and expects caring consideration toward everyone in the class. Thank you for demonstrating compassion and respect toward all class members and their perspectives, identities, and positions. This is a space for you to curiously and freely explore ideas, some of which can generate controversy.
ATTENDANCE:
You may miss two classes excused or unexcused—but will not be able to “make up” any missed work. If you anticipate that you will miss class for some reason, please just shoot me a quick email noting that you will miss class and why. No matter what it is that’s causing you to miss class, it’s very helpful for me to know that you will not be in attendance.
Technology Policy:During class discussions and activities, laptops and cell phones should be put away unless otherwise instructed. Keep in mind that your participation grade will be adversely impacted by inappropriate use of technology during class time.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Critical Review – 15%
You will find an environmental essay of your choosing (any style from any source) and write a one page critical review of this essay. We’ll take a look at your review together as a class and discuss your reading of the essay. You should bring printed copies for each of your classmates the class period before your review will be discussed.
Workshopped Essays + Final Portfolio – 40%
Each of you will produce two five-to-fifteen-page original, creative, environmental (in whatever way you define) essays. These will be works of nonfiction prose. You will bring a copy for each person in the class one week ahead of your assigned workshop date. These essays can take whatever shape you want them to be. They can be heavily researched, journalistic, personal, observational, performative, lyrical, etc.! There are no limits on style or form. We will be doing a considerable amount of prompted, in-class writing this semester, and you should be using those days as breeding grounds for the essays you share with the class.
You will schedule a meeting with me in the first few weeks of class to discuss possible topics for your creative essays. I’ll give you the green light and you should get into the practice of regularly writing and thinking about your essay topics. This is the time for you to have fun, challenge yourself, and try writing something in a new or different way.
Your second essay may build on your first essay as an extended revision or stand alone as its own project.
At the close of the semester, you’ll turn in your revised essay(s) as well as your critical review and a 1-page reflection as part of a final portfolio. This will be due Monday, December 16th.
Presentations – 15%
In pairs of two, you will sign up to give one presentation about the week’s assigned reading, providing some background on the piece, any relevant information about the author, and what reception the piece/the author has received (if any). You’ll also come up with 2-3 questions to pose to the class about the piece that will help us to facilitate discussion. These presentations should be 10-15 minutes long.
Class Participation – 25%
I will objectively grade your presence in class each day by taking roll, and I will grade your contribution subjectively by making note of how present, active, and interesting you are in class. And I do mean interesting. I want to hear new, exciting, personal, creative ideas about how you interpret these texts.
If you actively participate—talking in discussion, showing that you’ve read, demonstrating independent thought, asking questions, being kind and respectful to your fellow students—you’ll be successful in this course. It is important to note that simply talking “a lot” does not guarantee you a better grade.
Skip class, and you get a zero for the day. During your workshop feedback meetings, you may feel free to discuss your participation grade with me.
Workshop Responses – 5%
A thoughtful letter responding to, supporting, and critiquing your classmates’ essays, at least one paragraph in length, written or typed, for each essay you workshop. Graded for completion, one point for each workshop that is not your own.
Grade Breakdown
| Critical Essay – 15% |
| Presentations – 15% |
| Class Participation – 25% |
| Workshop Responses – 5% |
| Final Portfolio – 40% |
| TOTAL – 100% |
Grades:
For Creative Work
{A}: Excellent work that shows initiative and sophistication that goes beyond general expectations. The writing is well crafted and reflects a commitment to the creative process. The writer is capable of analyzing, reflecting and revising so that the work improves over time and reflects skills gained in the course of the class. The writer takes risks in service to the work.
{B}: Strong work. The writing is well crafted and demonstrates that the writer is engaged with the creative process in ways that are above average. The writer demonstrates attempts to reflect, and analyze his or her writing and can make some choices about revision. Risks are taken, some may be more successful and resonant than others, but they show an attempt to serve the work.
{C} Competent work that meets the basic requirements. The writer’s work could be stronger with more engagement with the creative process. The writer has composed essays that reflect varying levels of success. There is some revision, but it’s superficial. Overall the work does not show a full commitment to receiving and incorporating feedback.
{D} Weak work that falls below the basic requirements. The writing produced is brief or not fully developed. The writing does not show an engagement with the creative process and does not reflect the writer’s potential.
{F} Unacceptable work. It exhibits fundamental problems, which consistently go unaddressed or ignored. The work is frequently incomplete. Writing that does not represent the writer’s original work will get an F.
A—F scale based on performance in the grade categories detailed above.
| A+: | 98-100 | B+: 87-89 | C+: 77-79 | D+: 67-69 | F: 59 and below |
| A: | 93-97 | B: 83-86 | C: 73-76 | D: 63-66 | |
| A-: | 90-92 | B-: 80-82 | C-: 70-72 | D-: 60-62 |
Class schedule:Titles listed underneath dates will be discussed on that day. Come prepared with notes and points to discuss during that day.
All items on the calendar are subject to change.
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WEEK ONE
Monday, August 26
“Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front,” Wendell Berry
Wednesday, August 28
Cahto Creation Myth
Genesis (King James Version)
The Story of Corn and Medicine (Cherokee)
Friday, August 30
Writing Lab – Creation Myths and Origin Stories
WEEK TWO
Monday, September 2 Labor Day– NO CLASS
Wednesday, September 4
N. Scott Momaday, selections from The Way to Rainy Mountain
“In Camp on the North Fork of the Merced,” John Muir
Friday, September 6
“The Weasel” and “Total Eclipse,” Annie Dillard Presentation by ______
WEEK THREE
Monday, September 9
“The Trouble with Wilderness,” William Cronon Presentation by ______
Wednesday, September 11
“This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land,” Carolyn Finney “The Space Between the Words,” Carolyn Finney
Presentation by ______
Friday, September 13
Writing Lab
WEEK FOUR
Monday, September 16
“The Really Big One,” Kathryn Schulz
“The Uninhabitable Earth,” David Wallace-Wells Presentation by ______
Wednesday, September 18
“Is Nature Natural Anymore?” and “Wild Heart, Anthropocene Mind,” Diane Ackerman Presentation by ______
Friday, September 20
Critical reviews by Kate, Kaeleb, Nathaniel
WEEK FIVE
Monday, September 23
Workshop day!
1.
2.
Wednesday, September 25
Workshop day!
1.
2.
Friday, September 27
Workshop day!
1.
2.
WEEK SIX
Monday, September 30
Workshop day!
1.
2.
Wednesday, October 2
Workshop day!
1.
2.
Friday, October 4
Workshop day!
1.
2.
WEEK SEVEN
Monday, October 7
Workshop day!
1.
2.
Wednesday, October 9
Workshop day!
1.
2.
Friday, October 11
Workshop day!
1.
2.
WEEK EIGHT
Monday, October 14
Walt Whitman, selections from Song of Myself
“The Weather, Does it Sympathize with the Times,” Walt Whitman Presentation by______
Wednesday, October 16
“Flood Tide” and “Birth of a Mackerel,” Rachel Carson “I Have No Choice but to Keep Looking,” Jennifer Percy Presentation by _______
Friday, October 18
Critical reviews by _______
WEEK NINE
Monday, October 21
“The Solace of Open Spaces,” Gretel Ehrlich
“Cabin Cabin” and “Save the Whales, Screw the Shrimp,” Joy Williams Presentation by _______
Wednesday, October 23
“The Language of Trees,” Peter Wohlleben “First Voices,” Eduardo Galeano Presentation by ________
Friday, October 25
Critical reviews by ______
WEEK TEN
Monday, October 28
“There Are Things Awry Here,” Lia Purpura
“The Stars,” “Fall,” and “Winter,” Eliot Weinberger Presentation by _______
Wednesday, October 30
Amy Leach, selections from Things That Are
Presentation by ______
Friday, November 1
Critical reviews by _______
WEEK ELEVEN
Monday, November 4
About A Mountain, John D’Agata Presentation by _____
Wednesday, November 6
About A Mountain, John D’Agata
Friday, November 8
Critical reviews by _________
WEEK TWELVE
Monday, November 11
About A Mountain, John D’Agata
Wednesday, November 13
Critical reviews by _________
Friday, November 15
Workshops!
1. 2.
WEEK THIRTEEN
Monday, November 18
Workshops!
1. 2.
Wednesday, November 20
Workshops!
1. 2.
Friday, November 22
Workshops!
1. 2.
WEEK FOURTEEN
Thanksgiving Break!
WEEK FIFTEEN
Monday, December 2
Workshops!
1. 2.
Wednesday, December 4
Workshops!
1. 2.
Friday, December 6
Workshops!
1. 2.
WEEK SIXTEEN
Monday, December 9
Workshops!
1. 2.
Wednesday, December 11
Workshops!
1. 2.
Friday, December 13
Last day of class!