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Greening the Library: the Fundamentals and Future of Ecocriticism

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Greening the Library: the Fundamentals and Future of Ecocriticism Bibliographic Essay Greening the Library: The Fundamentals and Future of Ecocriticism By Loretta Johnson lists worldwide, along with the creation of interdisciplinary academic faculty positions ver the last three decades, ecocriticism has emerged as a to teach them. Peter Barry added a chapter field of literary study that addresses how humans relate titled “Ecocriticism” to the second edition to nonhuman nature or the environment in literature. of his Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory, but Today, with the development and expansion of ecocritical correctly claims that ecocriticism has no Ostudies, any line between human and nonhuman nature universal model. Accordingly, he lists has necessarily blurred. So when subjected to ecocriticism, literature “what ecocritics do,” which includes read literature from an ecocentric point of view; of all periods and places—not only ecocentric or environmental apply ecological issues to the representation literature or nature writing, but all literature—is viewed in terms of of the natural world; focus on nonfiction and environmental writing that features “nature”; and show appreciation for ethical place, setting, and/or environment, from the Greek root oikos, means “house.” positions toward nonhuman nature. all of which have taken on richer The OED cites the German oecologie as the Although of major importance to meaning. Ecocriticism poses a variety first appearance of “ecology” (in 1876), ecocritical studies, omitted from this of questions: Would a shift toward an meaning “the branch of biology that deals essay are works on environmental science, ecological perception of nature change with the relationships between living ecology, environmental history, ecological the ways humans inhabit the Earth? organisms and their environment.” Just as economics, and theology. Instead the essay Do authors impute certain values and “economy” is the management or law of focuses exclusively on the new practice make assumptions when they present the house (nomos = law), “ecology” is the in this area and includes only the most the environment and nonhuman life in study of the house. Ecocriticism, then, important works on the relationship their works? How does one avoid binary is the criticism of the “house,” i.e., the between culture and nature relative to oppositions, or should one perceive human environment, as represented in literature. ecocriticism. As a result, most of the works nature in an I/it or I/thou relationship? But the definition of “house,” oroikos , is discussed here are within the purview of A rapidly changing theoretical not simple. Questions remain: What is English and American literature studies approach, ecocriticism grows out of the environment? What is nature? Why and literary theory in English departments. the traditional approach to literature, did the term “environment,” which derives in which the critic explores the local or from the verb “to environ or surround,” global, the material or physical, or the change to mean that which is nonhuman? Essential Texts and historical or natural history in the context Are not humans natural and a prominent of a work of art. Such approaches can be environment in themselves? Where and Manifestos interdisciplinary, invoking knowledge of in what does one live? Ecocriticism is environmental studies, the natural sciences, by nature interdisciplinary, invoking Some ecocritics date the birth and cultural and social studies. Though it knowledge of environmental studies, of the word “ecocriticism” to William became a subject heading in the Library the natural sciences, and cultural and Rueckert, who in a 1978 essay titled of Congress list of “Authorities” in 2002, social studies, all of which play a part in “Literature and Ecology: An Experiment ecocritism is not yet listed in the Oxford answering the questions it poses. in Ecocriticism” wrote that ecocriticism English Dictionary. However, many words Since 1990, ecocriticism has entailed “application of ecology and prefixed “eco” are listed, among them burgeoned. Today, a keyword search for ecological concepts to the study of “ecofeminism” and “economics.” “Eco,” “ecocriticism” in the MLA Bibliography literature.” Cheryll Glotfelty and online produces 422 hits, three-quarters Harold Fromm quite rightly included Loretta Johnson is adjunct professor of humanities at of which are from the last eight years. Rueckert’s essay in their edited volume The Lewis & Clark College. Ecocriticism has entered academic course Ecocriticism Reader: Landmarks in Literary December 2009 CHOICE 7 Ecology, which, more than fifteen years of American Culture. In this groundbreaking apocalypse, dwelling, animals, and the after its publication, remains a benchmark work, Buell offers four criteria for Earth. Along with offering a useful glossary text in the field because of the passion of determining whether a text is environmental: and bibliography, Ecocriticism can serve as its contributors, its scholarly breadth and first, “the nonhuman environment is present an introductory textbook in the field. In depth, and the diversity of its essays. In not merely as a framing device”; second, “the postmodern studies, the “environment” a 1989 Western Literature Association human interest is not ... the only legitimate takes on new meaning. As Garrard points meeting, Glotfelty had urged literary interest”; third, “human accountability to out in a chapter titled “Futures: The Earth,” critics to develop an ecological approach the environment is part of the text’s ethical ecocriticism oriented toward nature writing to literature, one that would focus on the orientation”; and fourth, “there is some sense has led to urban and ecojustice revisionism, cultural dimensions of humans’ relationship of the environment as a process.” Buell went so much so that he finds it “more productive to the environment. At the same meeting, on to write Writing for an Endangered World, to think inclusively of environmentality as a Glen Love delivered a speech titled which, more than any of his other books to property of any text.” “Revaluing Nature: Toward an Ecological date, takes the threats to and concerns about Timothy Morton’s Ecology without Literary Criticism,” and Glotfelty and the environmental crisis head on. Here he Nature: Rethinking Environmental Aesthetics Fromm included that text in their volume. revokes the dualism between nature and complements Buell’s work by pursuing the Another basic resource that reveals the humans and approaches both built and nature of nature in ecocriticism. Morton diversity of ecocritical approaches is The unbuilt nature. He also reaches beyond the documents the changing definition of the ISLE Reader: Ecocriticism, 1993-2003, American nature writers to diverse and global word “nature” and—echoing Buell, to a edited by Michael Branch and Scott Slovic texts. Another of Buell’s books, The Future certain extent—suggests that nature can (who is the author of Going Away to Think, of Environmental Criticism: Environmental be anything. Yet ecocriticism, despite its which looks at ecocritical responsibility). Its Crisis and Literary Imagination, emphasizes murky borders, continues to be a vibrant nineteen essays cover broad landscapes and as essential and necessary a shift in and relevant approach to literature, one that are written by top ecocritics in the field. The ecocriticism to study built as well as natural promises to stay. New Literary History, an British counterpart to The ISLE Reader is environments. In this manifesto, Buell online journal that “resists short-lived trends The Green Studies Reader: From Romanticism identifies the environmental movement’s and subsuming ideologies,” devoted its to Ecocriticism, edited by Laurence Coupe, forays into English departments as the first summer 1999 issue to ecocriticism, providing which with its many voices eloquently wave of ecocriticism, a wave that focused on a Who’s Who and a What’s What of the field challenges the notion that nonhuman nature nature writing, ecocentric texts, and natural of ecocriticism as it was then emerging. is subordinate to human nature, a belief that history. A product of the revived interest in Glen Love, a leader in the development is rapidly becoming outdated. The essays nature writing in the late twentieth century, of ecocriticism, has been teaching and in Green Studies examine major writers, first-wave ecocriticism gave way to second- writing for years with the intent of bringing primarily English, and cover basic genres, wave ecocriticism, which moves from unbuilt communication between the natural sciences making no excuse for political praxis. Like to built environments, from wilderness to and the humanities closer together. His other collections, it makes clear that the urban landscapes, and ultimately all space, Practical Ecocriticism: Literature, Biology, and perception of the environment in literature including “nonspace” (a blank page may be the Environment nicely outlines the issues is a matter of ethics and survival. Another an environment, just as an office cubicle is an that the “two cultures” face together. Love excellent compilation is Reading the Earth: environment). In short, ecocriticism defies demonstrates the consilience or pattern New Directions in the Study of Literature and a neat paradigm or unified methodology of universal features in nature predicated Environment, edited by Michael Branch typical of, for example, feminist, queer, by evolution and adaptation that serves et al., which comprises
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