Background The relationship between literature and concepts of nature is a far reaching one. From the hierarchical relationship Adam naming animals around him found in Genesis, the conceptions of the wilderness in Exodus (Cronon 1995), to the pastoral poetry of the English Renaissance that romanticizes rural life, concepts of nature have long been rendered in […]
Naming the Wilderness: Values and Histories of Toponyms of Wilderness Areas in the United States
Background Why do humans name? Humans assign names to nearly everything: people, professions, places, items, ideas. It is a fundamental act to name and we often take names and labels for granted. Theorists such as Jacques Derrida have spent countless hours delving into the politics, ethics, and nuances of language contained in the act of […]
Definitions of Big Words
In my quest for better big words, I am interested in the following: theory, justice, compassion, and of course, environment. I turn to the Oxford English Dictionary for help in defining these giant words to begin the process of thinking through them Theory: The conceptual basis of a subject or area of study. Contrasted with practice. […]
Big Words about Other & Bigger Words
One of the questions I’ve struggled with the most during this semester of environmental theory is the challenge of: why is theory important? Is it important? Who cares about a bunch of academics fighting over definitions of things? IS IT REAL? My initial reaction is yes. Yes its important and its important because its real. […]
Festival of Scholars
Last Friday, Lewis & Clark College held an annual conference called the Festival of Scholars. Instead of classes, the college hosts a collection of panels, art exhibitions, performances, poster sessions, and other displays of student produced research and work. I was fortunate enough to participate in two poster presentations for my Environmental Studies classes (330 […]