¿­ÐýÃŹÙÍø

Course Description

Summary

For generations, the passage west and the idea of wilderness have provided resonant subject matter for American writers. In the words of Wallace Stegner, "the wilderness idea is something that has helped form our character and certainly shaped our history as a people." The course will explore how our understanding of wilderness has evolved from perceived notions of untouched earth to managed landscapes, the biodiversity of which is a matter of constant human intervention and cultivation. Reading will range from the sublime to the satirical, including works by John Muir, Wallace Stegner, Bill McKibben, ecologist David Graber, and playwright Sam Shepard.