Ecocomposition

While ecology is the study of the interrelationships between organisms and their environments, Ecocomposition is the study of the interrelationships between writer and reader. In this class we will study ecology and ecosystems as metaphors for the writing process, as well as address traditional and nontraditional environmental issues such as the natural world as a place for recreation, consumption, survival. We will read and respond to essays by Edward Abbey, Annie Dillard, Gretel Erlich, Barry Lopez, Joy Williams and Joyce Carol Oates, among others. As often as possible, we will read and write essays concerning our immediate landscape (the desert, the southwest, New Mexico) and we will study how these essays impact the ecology of writing; how they are examples of ecocomposition. We will tackle questions such as: how do the essays we read influence the way we think and write? How does the act of writing influence the way we think about a topic? How will the things we write effect other people? How can we enter into an existing dialogue about environmental issues? How can we use writing as a tool for change?