Join Dr. Emily Rau this summer at Cedar Point Biological Station in Ogallala, May 22-June 3, for a field immersion course in literature and the environment. In this course, we will immerse ourselves into literature of the Great Plains spanning the past century. Our syllabus prioritizes the work of Indigenous authors, weaving those texts together with works by canonical writers from a settler colonial context in order to offer a more comprehensive perspective on the stories of the Great Plains. This course will closely explore the complex history of the region, while looking towards potential methods for reconciliation and for cultivating a responsible relationship with the space we inhabit. Throughout this course, we will explore the relationship between literature and the natural environment, introducing concepts such as ecocriticism, ecofeminism, and environmental justice. This is an introductory course and requires no prior knowledge of ecocriticism or environmental literature. Our exploration of literature and the environment will center on discussions of the different ways humans inhabit, claim, and impact the land in the Great Plains, introducing and exploring settler colonialism, Indigenous sovereignty, historical geography, and the production of space. Beginning with Willa Cather and ending with Diane Wilson, we will explore questions such as: who tells the stories of this space, and how? How does paying attention to space and environment change our understanding of literature and culture? How do we see the stories and histories we read inscribed onto the land around us?
ENGL 317 fulfills ACE 5, and counts in both the English major and minor.
For more details, see this link: https://cedarpoint.unl.edu/literature-and-environment. You can find more information about CPBS here and access enrollment directions here.