ENVS 239 Environmental Humanities

Have you ever wished to immerse in the nature of writing by reading about nature? The roots of ecology are seeded in meanings of “home” and “dwelling”—not merely a house but a life— interrelated with other lives. This course cross-pollinates literary genres (nonfiction, fiction, poetry, hybrid arts) to deepen interdisciplinary senses of place at Rhodes College. Ecology is not isolated but interconnected, as relationships between organisms and environments grow reciprocally with the more-than-human world. The act of reading literatures as landscapes (and landscapes as literatures) can hone the art of attention beyond pages to places, growing our imaginations to renew ways to care for and repair our shared planet. Special attention will be given to our campus ecosystem. Our course will interweave some histories of environmental literature to expand our sense of home on this living, breathing Earth.