The poet Wallace Stevens proposed an “environmentalism of the imagination”–a call for us to actively carve out an untamed space within our own psyches. Much of the written word, however, is designed to domesticate and demystify, taking us away from wildness. But poetry, with its deep taproots, has the opposite effect.
What is it like to write from some untamed part of the self? To stalk an image as you would a feral creature? To feel the instinctual move through you and onto the page?
During this experiential course, we’ll explore the works of nature poets like Joy Harjo, Gary Snyder, Mary Oliver, and others. Then, taking up our own pens as walking sticks, we’ll see how writing poetry can help us embody an ecological awareness that results in surprising insights into our interconnectedness with nature.
Though held on Zoom, there will be the ability to take some of the writing prompts out of doors. As well, Mary will provide writing assignments between sessions that can be done in nature.
