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ENG 491A: Major Texts of the Environmental Movement Number of Credits 3 Instructor Jonathan Katalenic Jonathan Katalenic is a PhD candidate in English at the University of Nevada, Reno. His major focus of study is ecocriticism and environmental literature, and he is extremely excited about teaching this course. Though this is an English course, he welcomes majors of all types and all perspectives, particularly if they have any experience with environmental issues. He’s happy to answer any questions about the class, the paper assignment, or the readings, and can be reached at [email protected]. Catalog Description Survey of important texts of the environmental movement, e.g., Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, Edward Abbey. How such literature changes consciousness and influences policy. Prereq(s): CH 201; CH 202 or CH 203; junior or senior standing. Required Textbooks/Materials The following texts are required material in this course: Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire Willa Cather, O Pioneers! Linda Hogan, Solar Storms Ursula K. LeGuin, The Left Hand of Darkness Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac Jane Smiley, A Thousand Acres We will also be watching the animated films Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Wall-E in class. Additional readings from WebCampus will also be required. Student Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students will be able to • understand modern environmentalism through the major texts of its most influential writers; • analyze environmental texts from the perspectives of rhetoric and science; • sharpen critical reading and writing skills; and • develop the habit of viewing problems as opportunities. First Week of Materials/Assignments The following schedule is subject to change: January 3: Introduction to Class The Birth of the Environmental Movement Read “And No Birds Sing” in class What do key terms mean to us? Homework: Read O Pioneers! for January 4 January 4: Early Environmental Movements John Muir and the Creation of the National Parks Walden and its Influence O Pioneers! and the Settling of the Frontier Homework: Read A Sand County Almanac, Parts I and IV (pages 3–98 and 237–295) and Glotfelty (WebCampus) for January 5 January 5: Twentieth-Century Concerns about the Environment The Move from Agriculture to Industry A Sand County Almanac and the Birth of Conservation Ecocriticism and Environmental Theory Homework: Read Desert Solitaire; Lynch, Glotfelty, Armbruster, and Seymour (WebCampus) for January 9 January 9: Changing Views of the Environment Bioregionalism and its Impacts Toward an Irreverent Ecocriticism How the Mid-Twentieth-Century Approaches the Environment Homework: Read packet of Flannery O’Connor stories, Katalenic, and Martin (WebCampus) for January 10 January 10: The History of Environmental Horror Horror as Stand-In for Environmental Catastrophe Silent Spring as a Horror Text O’Connor and the Rise of Southern Environmental Horror Homework: Read Solar Storms, chapters 1–11 (pages 11–195), and Silko (WebCampus) for January 11 Course Details This course looks at the history of the environmental movement, from the period prior to the publication of Silent Spring at the mid-twentieth century up to the present day. We will be reading six books and you will be expected to produce one paper of between seven to twelve pages relating to the environmental movement and/or the texts we are exploring. Among the movements we will be exploring are ecocriticism (environmental literary criticism), bioregionalism (focus on a specific region or place), ecofeminism (meshing of environmental and feminist criticism), queer ecology (meshing of environmental and LGBT criticism), and environmental justice. We will talk about the implications of what we read both in terms of the assigned books and how we can think about these issues more broadly in the context of the world today. Grade Breakdown The point and percentage distribution for the course is: Attendance Participation Major Paper (7–12 pages) Total A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D DF 92.5–100% 89.5–92.49% 86.5–89.49% 82.5–86.49% 79.5–82.49% 76.5–79.49% 72.5–76.49% 69.5–72.49% 66.5–69.49% 62.5–66.49% 60–62.5% below 60% 10% 40% 50% 100%