Twenty-first-century ecological thought tends to coalesce around a certain critical framework. Decenter the human and resist anthropomorphism. Highlight “weedy” or “feral,” interstitial landscapes rather than pretty or picturesque ones. Refuse the reduction of the more-than-human world to commodity logic or road trip aesthetics. Sever ecological thought from its etymological origin in home, or oikos. What, then, are we to make of the domestic images that suffuse Rachel Carson’s ecological writing? As evidenced by her personal correspondence and her published work, Carson was both an iconoclast and an appreciator of middlebrow objects and experiences, from greeting cards to children’s literature. This workshop will dig into Carson’s hominess—even kitschiness—as something other than bad or unrefined taste. We will consider a more generous reading of middlebrow eco-aesthetics, as grounded (sometimes) in moderation, humility, and the critique of arrogance. Featuring a response by Sarah Ensor, Associate Professor of English, and organized by Sarah Ann Wells, Associate Professor of English.
Open to faculty and graduate students.
Free and in-person.
Registration required. Email: cvcps@mailplus.wisc.edu
This event will not be recorded.
