Title Reading and Writing with a Tree: Practising ‘Nature Writing’ as Enquiry Type Thesis URL http://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/6060/ Date 2012 Citation Nelson, Camilla (2012) Reading and Writing with a Tree: Practising ‘Nature Writing’ as Enquiry. PhD thesis, University of the Arts London and Falmouth University. Creators Nelson, Camilla Usage Guidelines Please refer to usage guidelines at http://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/policies.html or alternatively contact [email protected]. License: Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives Unless otherwise stated, copyright owned by the author Reading and Writing with a Tree: Practising ‘Nature Writing ’ as Enquiry Camilla Nelson Submitted on 10th August 2012 for the degree of PhD to be awarded by University of the Arts London in collaboration with University College Falmouth. ABSTRACT This thesis reframes, or reforms, ‘nature writing’ (‘Nature Writing Reformed’) through the practical and theoretical recombination of human, tree, and page. Understandings of ‘writing’, ‘nature’, and their phrasal relation in ‘nature writing’, are explored through a sustained enquiry into the reading and writing practices principally undertaken by the author (Camilla Nelson) in relation to one specific apple tree in the walled garden of University College Falmouth’s Tremough Campus, Cornwall. The central claim of this thesis is that composition is always environmentally constructive and constructed: how (the method with which) you read and write, and where (the environment in which) you read and write, i.e. the situation and materials you read and write with, affect not only the composition of the written text but the composition of the human, as well as the other-than- human, entities involved in this practice. This thesis is explicitly structured as an interweave of variously material (word; page; room; box; walled garden; library; studio; tree) and conceptual (word; page; theory; footnote; hyperlink; field of research) framing devices (and / or environments). The structure of this thesis and that of the orchard and studio installations, which together constitute the final PhD research submission, play on the variety of framing and reframing that occurs in relation to the spatio-temporal specifics of material and conceptual composition (as evidenced in the Media Log). This ‘reform’ of nature writing, as an interweave of human and other-than-human environments (or frames), is developed in relation to Mark Johnson’s expanded theory of ‘mind’ by way of the conceptual and material practice of metaphor (Johnson, 2007). This thesis combines the theories and practices derived from the (prinicipal) field of ‘Nature Writing’ (as defined in the correspondingly titled chapter), with those suggested by contemporary developments in cognitive philosophy, neuroscience, microbiology, systems theory, and translation studies. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Aspects of this research have been presented as part of informal academic papers within Dartington College of Arts, University College Falmouth and University of the Arts, London (2010-2012). More formal papers have been delivered under the following titles as part of national and international academic conferences: ‘Material Conservation: The Presence of ‘Nature’ in Literature’ as part of Literature and Conservation: Responsibilities: Trinity College, Dublin (2nd-4th September, 2011); ‘Reading & Writing with a Tree: An Enquiry into the Performance of ‘Nature Writing” as part of Emergent Environments: Where Next for the Humanities?; at Queen Mary’s University, London (9th & 10th September, 2011); ‘Reading and Writing with a Tree: Reading Embodied Experience & Embodied Reading Experience’ as part of Interfaces: encounters beyond the page/screen/stage at Exeter University (29th January, 2011); and ‘The Importance of Being There: A Discussion of Alec Finlay’s Mesostic Herbarium and Heidegger’s ‘Dasein’ as part of Cosmopoetics: Mediating a New World Poetics, Durham University (8th-10th September, 2010). The following material has been published in advance of the formal submission of this research: ‘wrItIng apple’ and ‘from Written Responses to Photographs and Audio Recordings, Reading and Writing with a Tree, 2010-2012’ (2012) Shearsman Magazine 90 & 91 ed. Tony Frazer. ‘nature writing’ and ‘grass work’ (2011) Writers Forearm. London: New Writers Forum Workshop. ‘hill snow car speak’ (Spring 2010) The RIALTO, 69. Nathan Hamilton & Michael Mackmin (eds.). ‘tree song’ (Winter 2010) Cleaves Journal Issue 1. Harry Godwin & Marianne Morris (eds.) (accessed 1/08/12). iii Copies of these works are included in the final pages of this submission. This research has also developed through a number of public workshops: ‘Reading and Writing with a Tree’ as part of an exhibition of work at Tremough Campus library (University College Falmouth, 6th-7th March 2012); ‘Writing with Nature’ as part of Gather (Goongillings Farm, Cornwall, 24th September 2011); ‘Writing with Trees’ as part of The Haldon Forest Festival (CCANW, 11th September 2011); and ‘Reading and Writing with a Tree: A Geopoetics Workshop’ curated by Alyson Hallett (University College Falmouth, January 2011). This research has been made possible by the assistance, either online or in person, of a great many people. Thanks go to Elizabeth-Jane Burnett, Emma Bush, Tom and Laurie Clark, Alec Finlay, Alyson Hallett, Jonathan Skinner, Johny Lamb, Marianne Morris, Eleanor Stevens, Christos Polymenakos, Katie Pamment, Natalia Eernstman, Annabel Banks, Gemma Anderson, and, in particular, Alex Metcalf, for their assistance with brain storming, information retrieval, and workshop development; and to David Garwood and all the gardening team on Tremough Campus for their continued assistance and advice on all things tree-related. This submission includes recordings (Apple Tree 2 & Apple Tree 3) of the apple tree at Tremough made by Alex Metcalf, using his Tree Listening device (2012); photographs, by Alyson Hallett, of the Geopoetics Brunch, Falmouth (January, 2010); and a video and photographs of the final VIVA exhibition by Natalia Eernstman. Particular thanks are due to my director of studies, Dr. Mark Leahy, and my second supervisor, Dr. Kym Martindale, for their consistently sound academic advice, close reading, editorial skills and energetic support throughout. Finally, thank you to all my family and friends for their support in the final stages of this work; and a very special thank you to my mother, Lucy Nelson, for her untiring enthusiasm and confidence; this research would have been a very different experience without you. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ……………………………………..………. vi INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE……………………………………. viii PREFATORY NOTE..............………………………………….. 1 INTRODUCTION…… ……………………………………….... 3 NATURE WRITING…………………………………………… 7 FRAMING………………………….…………………………… 26 HUMAN………………………………………………………… 37 TREE……………………………...…………………………….. 44 PAGE……………………………………………………………. 52 METAPHOR, METAMOR, METAMORPHOSIS……………... 64 NATURE WRITING REFRAMED………. .…………………... 99 FINAL INSTALLATIONS…………………….......................... 106 REVIEW OF FINDINGS………………………………………. 111 MATERIAL PUBLISHED PRIOR TO SUBMISSION………… 115 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………..………………….... 123 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 The Form of Distinction……………………………………….. 27 Figure 2 Circular Frame………………………………………………….. 29 Figure 3 Square Frame…………………………………………………… 29 Figure 4 Tableau…………………………………………………………. 29 Figure 5 Side Frame……………………………………………………… 30 Figure 6 Growing Out……………………………………………………. 30 Figure 7 Circle Fallen……………………………………………………. 30 Figure 8 Square Fallen…………………………………………………… 30 Figure 9 Twigs Through Paper………………………………………….. 50 Figure 10 Little Sparta, Stonypath (August, 2010)……………………….. 57 Figure 11 Little Sparta, Stonypath (August, 2010)……………………….. 60 Figure 12 Closeup of Graphis scripta on Tremough Apple Tree (31/05/11) 68 Figure 13 Oak Branch in Mist (47)……………………………………….. 69 Figure 14 Oak Branch in Mist (53)……………………………………….. 69 Figure 15 Oak Branch in Mist (63)……………………………………….. 70 Figure 16 Oak Branch in Mist (71)……………………………………….. 70 Figure 17 tree poem (in mist)……………………………………………... 73 Figure 18 tree poem (in snow)……………………………………………. 73 Figure 19 Pine (1)…………………………………………………………. 78 Figure 20 Pine (2)…………………………………………………………. 78 Figure 21 Pine (3)…………………………………………………………. 78 Figure 22 On Tree………………………………………………………… 82 vi Figure 23 On Grass……………………………………………………… 82 Figure 24 In Bucket (1)…………………………………………………. 82 Figure 25 In Bucket (2)………………………………………………… 82 Figure 26 In Snow……………………………………………………… 84 Figure 27 Ash Cameo…………………………………………………… 84 Figure 28 Grass Page……………………………………………………. 84 Figure 29 (like no BODY at all) (20/01/11)..…………………………… 84 Figure 30 (like no BODY at all) (03/02/11)..…………………………… 84 Figure 31 (like no BODY at all) (02/11/11)..…………………………… 84 Figure 32 Replay (28/03/11)……………………………………………. 94 Figure 33 (movement not butterflies) 07/04/11………………………… 95 Figure 34 (movement not butterflies) 19/04/11………………………… 95 Figure 35 (movement not butterflies) 11/05/11………………………… 95 Figure 36 (movement not butterflies) 26/09/11………………………… 95 vii INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE The USB entitled ‘CN PHD’ is Microsoft Office compatible. You will need access to a Windows PC with Microsoft Office software installed in order for the embedded hyperlinks to successfully activate. You will need access to Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Excel, and suitable audio-visual software in order to access the full contents of this PhD Submission. You will need to be connected to the interenet in