Month: March 2022

First Reflections

Relationship w/Nature

When I go out into nature, whether it be a beach, a forest, or any other place, I go for the same reasons. The sense of wonder and curiosity that comes from being in nature is a powerful motivator for me. Living on a small island for much of my life led me to see many of the same places over and over again. Even though I have a strong familiarity with these places, I experience these feelings everytime I go. Every time there is something there for me that I didn’t notice before, something that will bring me back again and again. The freedom of these places allows for me to let go of the rest of the world, I can be mindful of all that is around me, or nothing at all.

On Nature Writing

Much of the nature writing that I have read comes in the form of popular science writing. I have read many books that look at certain topics throughout nature, but written for a general audience. Many of the books had to do with birds, evolution, and harder sciences. However, I have read many different things because of the classes I have taken at UNE. In environmental ethics I got a chance to read many different authors and philosophies such as conservation, deep ecology, eco-feminism. I loved reading different perspectives on our relationship with nature. One piece of nature writing that stands out to me was Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. The very first chapter of that book was one of the most profound chapters I have ever read, I remember after flipping that last page of the chapter, simply putting the book down with my mouth open, contemplating what I just read. She is such a powerful writer, her words were able to convey so much emotion. Writing like this can have such a huge impact on those who read it. It allows people to see the world in different ways, and can change peoples minds, and put them into action to protect nature. 

Reflections on Creative Nonfiction

First Reflection

Because of my educational experience, most of my reading in terms of human relationship with nature have come in the form of scholarly articles. A multitude of classes such as environmental racism, environmental ethics, and environmental policy have led to a wide range of these readings. While they do touch upon the relationship with humans and nature, it is not in the same scope as the writings of this class. They focus more on how human decisions can impact nature, or how the decisions of nature can affect other humans. They deal very much in the physical, medical, and scientific realms of nature. Some of my early environmental classes had me reading classic nature literature from authors such as Thoreau and Leopold. On my own time however, I have done some reading of nature writers. I have read many travel books, about naturalists going to exotic places and writing about what they find. While these were definitely exciting to read and filled the imagination, they do not focus much on the human aspect. One problem with traditional nature literature, like the ones I had to read for class, is they are not accessible to modern readers. From my experience, the average person either has never heard of the authors, or have heard of them, just never read them.

Final Reflection

Looking back on my original reflection of CNF, I don’t think I really knew what I was reflecting on. What I had in my head was different from what we were actually reading and writing about. Now, looking at the work we have read and the stuff we have written, I have a greater appreciation for this form of nature writing. I feel it is a great way to express themes, stories, philosophies, or emotions through the lens of nature. I wish that this form of nature writing was more well read, especially in schools. Growing up, I never read anything like this in school. I feel like it can be a great lens for students to learn how to write and to care about nature.

Reflection on Poetry

First

My only real experience with poetry has come from my education experience. I have never been a fan of poetry, I found it difficult to understand and the teachers at my school always shoved it down our throats whenever they had the chance. The one and only experience with nature poetry I can remember came in my junior year of high school, in my British Literature class. My teacher had us do poetry recitals, standing in front of the class reciting poems from memory (I had a pretty horrific experience with having to recite a 35 line monologue from Julius Caesar). My final poem I read I believe was called Barred Owl, unfortunately I can’t remember who wrote it or find it anywhere. That was the first time I ever enjoyed poetry, and I believe it is what got me into birding in the first place. 

Final

While I enjoyed most of the poems that were assigned to us, and there were definitely plenty that had an impact on me, the one that struck me the most was one that was not assigned to us. It was a poem that I read for the ascento assignment. I started by reading through Gary Snyder’s Turtle Island and found many lines that I liked in it. But the one that stood out the most to me came from Drew Lanhams book Sparrow Envy. Unfortunately I cannot remember the poem’s title, but it had a profound impact on me. One line really struck me, and it was “Entropy comes as the grim reaper to woods”. The poem was about swamps, and when I read that I was struck by its meaning. It uses such powerful language to convey a somewhat simple point. My interpretation of this line is that while humans may see nature as chaotic or random, it isn’t. It is highly organized, and when we introduce entropy, we destroy nature. I believe that Lanham was saying that humans are the unstable element that threatens nature. This poem was really my first experience of poetry as a form of nature writing. It was able to convey a message in a different way than any of the creative nonfiction works. It was more mysterious and harder to understand, but it really made me think. This poem in particular made me question a lot about how humans affect nature, and the fine line we draw that separates us from nature

The thing I appreciated most about these poems is they made me think. It was almost a challenge to figure out what the authors were talking about. Many of them I found myself surprised by lines because of what I perceived to be the meaning of them. I think the poems we read had a more concentrated message compared to the creative nonfiction, but at times were harder to understand. 

While writing my own poem, I used my home as a form of inspiration. My memories of Block Island and how it has changed was what I used to write about. I really wanted to send a message about the attitude of humans and the Rhode Island government towards nature, how our “hope” is misplaced. I think I expressed this message well, but at times I got caught up in my own thoughts. 

Reflections on Fiction

First

I have not read a whole lot of fiction that relates to the environment. I have read Dune by Frank Herbert. I know Herbert wanted the book to be a guide to environmental awareness and many people consider it to be an early example of climate fiction. When I read it I struggled to find those themes in the book, but it was also really confusing and I would probably have to read it again. It was obvious to me the detail that Herbert put into describing the environment of the planet, and he put a lot of consideration into its ecology. It is really interesting reading about ecology in a fictional setting. I think eco-fiction could be a great way to raise people’s environmental awareness. 

Final

I really liked all the fiction pieces that we read. I think they all tell an interesting story and bring up important themes about humans’ relationship with nature. The one that resonated with me the most was The Great Silence by Ted Chiang. It differed greatly from the other things we have read so far in class. We read it as one of the first fiction pieces. Compared to the other things we have read so far, it was totally different. Writing from the point of view of a parrot lends the reader an interesting view on the criticism of humanity that Chiang is writing about. Unlike the other things we had read so far, creative nonfiction and poetry, it took the point of view of nature, rather than the person experiencing nature. Because we get this perspective of nature, it ends up being a somewhat heartbreaking story about the disappearance of parrot species. As I mentioned previously in my journal, this story is a parallel between humans and parrot species, and it shows nature in a very human way of thinking. 

After reading these pieces for class, my ideas of fiction have changed overall. When I think of fiction I tend to lean towards science fiction and fantasy, that have these complex and faraway worlds that are entirely different from our own. Reading the fiction texts for class has shown me how interesting a story about our world is, and how nature writing and themes can easily be portrayed through fiction. When I wrote my first thoughts on fiction, I mentioned that all I had read before was Dune by Frank Herbert, and that I struggled to find the overt environmental themes in that book. Looking back I think it is easier to understand nature writing themes in fiction when it is on a smaller scale, revolving around the environmental problems that plague our world. Overall, I think fiction as a form of nature writing can bring a lot of awareness to people. Fiction has a way of being more accessible to a general audience than creative nonfiction or poetry do. Fiction also has the tools to hook people about an issue, whether by creating a relatable character or playing off familiar themes such as family. 

Reflections on Climate Writing

The climate text that resonated the most with me was Searching for the Sacred on a Planet of Crisis by Megan Mayhew Bergman. The reason I really liked it was because it went beyond just doom and gloom and talking about climate change. It related climate change back to human needs of community, organization, and family. It seeks to find meaning in this era of climate fear and anxiousness. I really appreciated its approach to writing about climate change because it related it back to religion and spirituality, a topic I have always found interesting when talking about nature. It honestly makes me want to start going to church more, especially because the organization that I am a part of focuses heavily on individuals finding spirituality in your own way (i.e. nature for me). When we first read this I mentioned that Begman “highlighted the ideas of human morality, and how it can affect our decisions about climate change,” and I still think this is true. Confronting climate change will not be easy or comfortable, so being able to find connection and meaning with other people will be a driving force to finding solutions.

I think the best way writing will be able to help in the fight against climate change will be by conveying information to people. Even today, there is a lot of misinformation about what causes climate change and the consequences of it. I think the more people write about the intricacies of climate change, the real facts will become more mainstream. And this goes well beyond just the science of climate change. There are so many other aspects of this climate crisis than just what causes it. Human behavior, reactions, sociology, psychology, and many other ways of thinking play into climate information. 

My own climate fiction piece was about a winemaker and his family in Champagne, France. It is from the perspective of the father, but tells the story of his farm and his family starting when his daughter is born. It delves into how he must deal with climate change on his farm and his own expectations about his family and gender roles. His biases and worldview have to change in order for his passion and family history to survive. This comes in the form of accepting climate change as an issue for his farm and accepting his daughter as the person who will ultimately save the vineyard. I think I got a good start on portraying these ideas, as well as showing the effect climate change will have on families and culture. As of right now I think its greatest success is its theme about family and climate change. I want to continue to write this story and really flesh out the characters and story. I think it can make a really interesting way of looking at climate change beyond environmental issues. One thing I learned about nature writing through this piece is that fiction is hard to write. It seems rather simple but I really struggled with conveying ideas about climate change through fiction. But I think the more I work on it and practice, the better I will become as a nature writer. 

Final Reflection

On Nature Writing

There are pieces from every genre that we read this semester that struck me, but the ones that struck me the most were The First Morning by Edward Abbey, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, and Tomorrow’s Song by Gary Snyder. Each showed me a different form of nature writing, and each inspired me in my own writing in this form. Each was my favorite in the forms that we read, and have their own unique attributes that I connected to. For example, the imagery conjured by Abbey in The First Morning really struck me. Being one of the first pieces we read for this class, his style of writing has really stayed with me throughout the semester and was a great inspiration to me when we wrote our creative nonfiction pieces. Secondly, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood was such an interesting story. Her style of writing, especially the format in which she wrote the book, was really captivating for me. It was great exposure to large scale fiction that deals with nature themes. One of the most important themes from the book was humans’ relationship with nature, and how we have veered towards humans dominating nature. One insight I mentioned about this had to deal with Crake’s mindset, “Through genetic manipulation he seeks to create a perfect human that is separate from nature.” He wanted to be above nature, to be perfect. In reality nature is the one that is “perfect”. The natural balance and ecological processes is what keeps nature in a state of harmony. Humans have disrupted that harmony. The last piece, Tomorrow’s Song by Gary Snyder is one of my favorite poetry pieces we read this semester. The philosophy of deep ecology is ever present in it and I think it is a very interesting way to look at the world. 

My perception of nature writing has really evolved this semester. Being exposed to the types of pieces that we read in class provided me with a diverse experience from a wide range of authors, film makers, and songwriters. One of the main things I got from the whole semester was how nature writing can be used to address almost any issue surrounding nature and society. It can be used as a tool to motivate and to teach.

On Myself as a Nature Writer

I have maintained a pretty similar theme and message throughout all my writing this semester. I often relate my family and association with my home back to nature. I find it easiest to write about these kinds of things because my family and my home have been such strong forces in my life and have really made me who I am today. In both my creative nonfiction piece and poetry piece, I wrote about my hometown of Block Island, RI. 

Throughout this semester I learned that my motivation for writing comes when I am really interested in the topic. Nature is one of the key aspects and passions in my life, so writing about it has gotten me more into writing than anything else really has. The biggest surprise had to be my interest in poetry. I can remember dreading poetry throughout my education. But this was different, I found nature poetry easier to understand, and I had a greater desire to understand and analyze poetry than I ever had before. If someone told me freshman year that I would get into poetry, I would have told them they were crazy. I have even gone to pursue it in my own time. I bought myself a copy of Turtle Island by Gary Snyder and read it over spring break. 

The work that I am most proud of is my creative nonfiction piece. Writing about an experience in my hometown, a place I thought I knew so well came so easily to me. It was so natural for me to put my thoughts into the piece and it flowed nicely. I am also proud of my fiction piece, I think it has a lot of work left to go, but I was really proud of the idea and I look forward to exploring it and the characters in greater detail. 

I really hope to continue writing, perhaps in a professional way in the future. One area I would like to explore more is eco fiction, I think it is a really great tool for spreading environmental messages and I just love fiction. However I was really motivated by an interview I conducted with a Rhode Island nature writer, Todd McLeish. He writes nonfiction, following scientists on their studies and writing about the animals he encounters. That kind of writing also interests me. Also, I plan on continuing writing for myself. Over spring break I found myself really uncomfortable with my surroundings, just because it was so unfamiliar to me. The way I helped get over the anxious feeling I had was writing about the natural environment I saw around me. I feel as if it gave me an enhanced understanding of this new place that I would not have gotten if I did not do that. So whenever I am in a new and unfamiliar place I am going to write about what I see.