Initial bibliographic entries by Ying-Wei Zhang and the students of UC Merced's Theatre and Ecology Course, Fall 2020.
If you would like to suggest more works to include or revise an entry, contact us!
Brayton, Dan, “Shakespeare and the Global Ocean.” In Ecocritical Shakespeare, edited by Lynne Bruckner and Dan Brayton, Taylor & Francis Group, 2011, pp. 173-190. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucm/detail.action?docID=674517
In Brayton’s chapter regarding the global ocean, he reiterates and expands upon his mention of the ocean as a “waste space” in his book Shakespeare’s Ocean. Brayton begins this chapter by stressing emphatically that ecocritical performance must take up the defence of the sea before it is too late. He relies upon the assertions of a 17th century Dutch jurist named Hugo Grotius to present how Early Modern humans viewed (incorrectly on many points) their relationship to the ocean, from ideas of the ocean’s boundlessness to its untouchable nature. Brayton looks at the specific language that Shakespeare’s characters use to describe the ocean, particularly “strange” and “wild,” both of which will be helpful to me when I analyze the existence of Caliban’s island in the middle of this strange/wild sea. An interesting piece is his focus on Caliban as a “salvage and deformed slave,” as defined in the First Folio. The word salvage in particular, which is now associated with the ocean, may prove very useful in an ecocritical interpretation of The Tempest.
Brayton, Dan. Shakespeare's Ocean: An Ecocritical Exploration, University of Virginia Press, 2012. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucm/detail.action?docID=3444029.
In this book, Brayton presents the issues of water pollution, using both figures and his own experiences on sailing vessels. He then relates how Shakespeare and his contemporaries viewed and presented the ocean in plays, as a thing of wonder, somewhere between real and beyond understanding. The work provides a comprehensive background on the idea of the global ocean and the importance of that ever-expanding idea for those in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In Chapter 7, “Prospero’s Maps,” Brayton specifically focuses on The Tempest, which is especially relevant to my own research topic. The results of this chapter are an exploration of the relevance of the island being unmapped until Prospero’s arrival(which is a parallel to the increasing occupation of cartography in Shakespeare’s time) and the supposed independence of the sea, which is challenged by Prospero’s magic. The intentions of the book overall are to draw attention to the significance of the ocean and its inhabitants in Shakespeare’s plays and to highlight the lack of scholarship on ecocriticism and the ocean. The language of the book, even when discussing technical concepts, is very easy to read, and the many subjects that Brayton explores make it a good reference for anything related to Shakespeare and the ocean.
Brayton, Dan. "Sounding the Deep: Shakespeare and the Sea Revisited." Forum for Modern Language Studies, vol. 46, no. 2, 2010.
This article starts off by taking a look back at the foundational piece(of which there are still very few) on Shakespeare’s works and oceanic language: Alec Falconer’s 1964 Shakespeare and the Sea. Following this, Brayton relates how closely the concept of human life was connected to sea life in Shakespeare’s time. This connection between the two could be very useful for someone wishing to advocate for ecocriticism using Shakespeare, as the playwright and his contemporaries already relied upon the relationship of humans and sea. Brayton explains how much fantastical meaning the sea was also attributed during Shakespeare’s time, but also how people struggled to define exactly what the sea was - a waste space, a non-place, or a realm of either horror or wonder. Relevant to my own research are those qualifications of the ocean during Shakespeare’s time in regards to how they allow Shakespeare, his characters, and the people during his own time and ours to misuse the ocean. In this piece, Brayton looks at Hamlet, The Tempest, King Lear, Twelfth Night, and Henry IV Part I with regards to their references to the ocean, so I would recommend this short article to those researching such things.
Brokaw, Katherine Steele. "Shakespeare as Community Practice." Shakespeare Bulletin, vol. 35 no. 3, 2017, p. 445-461. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/shb.2017.0034.
Brokaw’s article proposes the study of Shakespearean productions within local communities, especially of marginalized populations and amateur actors, as a way to not only reveal how said productions affect said communities and reveal social and political context, but in addition how local communities-- free of the authoritative intimidation of professional companies-- can be transformed by the bard. Three practices are suggested: ethnography, Practice-as-Research (PaR), and Applied Theater/Community Performance (AT/CP). This article draws attention to activities outside of performance, such as rehearsal, audience-actor relationship, and Shakespeare-community relationship. Lastly, this article asks how Shakespearean productions change systems of power, how the plays may connect marginalized communities to the world, and activism follows. With reference to Shakespeare in Yosemite as community eco-theatre.
Bruckner, Lynne. “Teaching Shakespeare in the Ecotone.” Ecocritical Shakespeare, edited by Lynne Bruckner, and Dan Brayton, Taylor & Francis Group, 2011. pp. 223-237. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucm/detail.action?docID=674517.
Bruckner describes her experience teaching ecocritical Shakespeare through experimental methods of instruction, such as rewriting her syllabus to accommodate more environmental history, encouraging outdoor experiences of performance and exploration, and breaking away from the traditional class setting and new historicist methods. She advocates for stepping away from the pastoral interpretations of Shakespeare’s green spaces and introduction of “riskier” teaching methods.
Chiari, Sophie. Shakespeare's Representation of Weather, Climate, and the Environment: the Early Modern 'Fated Sky'. Edinburgh Univrsity Press, 2020.
This book focuses on how Shakespeare portrayed climate, providing an in- depth explanation for the ways that climate influenced Shakespeare.
Cless, Downing. “Ecodirecting Canonical Plays.” Readings in Performance and Ecology, edited by Theresa J. May, Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. pp. 159-168. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucm/detail.action?docID=931771.
Cless’s straightforward chapter “Ecodirecting Canonical Plays” acknowledges the troubles of creating productions to address ecological issues with one main culprit: most plays have become human-centered, especially Western canons. He provides a solution: bring nature into the contemporary using ecotheater by recognizing a concept called “ecohubris” and giving nature agency within productions. Cless uses his own experience practicing said solution to exemplify its effectiveness.
Conkie, Rob. "Nature's Above Art (An Illustrated Guide)." Shakespeare Bulletin, vol. 36 no. 3, 2018, p. 391-408. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/shb.2018.0037.
Conkie uses his piece titled, “Nature Above Art,” to both describe and critique his production of King Lear at La Trobe University. Conke, while repetitive,leads the reader through a literary field trip (with some pictures included) in which the reader is invited to join audience members, turned temporary actors, as they experience the play in an outdoor setting. Conkie’s King Lear focuses the audience’s attention on the natural elements that the characters are fighting against - the audience has to face the cold weather outside, but they also see the trees and rocks that are more than just backdrop, they are often the subjects of the play. The fact that the play is outdoors and includes all including audience members furthers one of the points Conkie is attempting to make, “all the world’s a stage,” (395) and we must care for it as such. Conkie pays particular attention to all of the impacts that his production is making upon the environment, from moving the soil in one scene to littering in another, each impact creates a new point of contemplation for Conkie. This article would work great for research geared towards the productions of Shakespeare plays and the environments that “play” a role in said production.
Dionne, Craig. Posthuman Lear: Reading Shakespeare in the Anthropocene, Punctum Books, 2016.
Craig Dionne's introduction to Posthuman Lear, titled "This is the Thing", aims to stress the interdependence of specific areas of study such as ecology to others, such as Renaissance Literature, as well as interdependence between human and non-human subjects in nature...despite little to no obvious links. Dionne's emphasis on connections between a variety of realms is one that makes the world seem both bigger and smaller at the same time. The associations introduce the ability to consider the ways in which the world doesn't have to be focused solely on the human experience. "This is the Thing" is focused on multiples and duality in study, nature, Shakespeare, and life in general. The humanistic solitary way of thinking ("Humans are separate then the rest", "Literature has nothing to do with science") is one that is limiting and can lead to dire consequences for humans, for nature, and for different areas of scholarship. In this way, he is keeping in mind the worlds most densely populated city, where techno-futurism, faux 50's American styles, and Lolita intermingle , all just a few miles away from a nuclear power point. Dionne argue Shakespeare is so bizarre, how can it not be about Japanese culture? Ecological catastrophe is eminent at all times, and Dionne believes the same apocalyptic suspense is apparent in Shakespeare and this should be something everyone is, not just alarmed by, but interested in tackling.
The introduction to this book identifies it as a merging of subjects and disciplines under the overarching subject of Shakespearean study. Within the analysis of King Lear are studies of evolutionary psychology, new materialism, and ecology that include citations of relevant studies in each field. Craig Dionne holds a Ph.D. in Literary and Cultural Theory and has published many articles and books relating to Shakespeare as well as eco-criticism and culture. The language of the book’s introduction goes along with Dionne’s claim that the book is for people of many disciplines. It is easy to read, and the previews it gives of the rest of the book reveal a variety of fascinating topics.
Estok, Simon C. “Doing Ecocriticism with Shakespeare: An Introduction.” Ecocriticism and Shakespeare : Reading Ecophobia, Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. pp. 1-17. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucm/detail.action?docID=686638.
Estok’s introduction reflects on hope for ecocriticism’s activism during its infant stages of development, and calls for application of “ecophobia” as a new term that stretches to different fields of daily life that we may have overlooked in past research. Then agreeing with O’Dair on Shakespearean ecocriticism needing to be presentist, Estok also promotes the practice of confluent theorizing which may create structure and definitions that ecocritics seek. Estok discusses the relationship between ecophobia and instances of othering in Shakespeare’s work, and how such othering--sexually, religiously, economically, and/or racially-- demonstrates environmental loathing through fear of what cannot be controlled. Additionally, he mentions that boundaries of the human and nonhuman become confused through disruption of “normalcy.” He uses examples from The Tempest, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, and The Merchant of Venice among other excerpts to illustrate his arguments.
Estok, Simon C. "The Muddy Shakespearean Green: Theorising Shakespearean Ecocriticism." Green Letters, vol. 11, no. 1, 2009, pp. 83-92, https://doi.org/10.1080/14688417.2009.10589056.
Estok argues that we are producing too much ecocritical content without the value and activism that ecocriticism inherently calls for; it has been all promise but no action. He strongly suggests we analyze the relationship between past and present to see where, in our specific case, Shakespeare may contribute. Finally, he recommends producers of ecocritical content aim to reach the “unpreached” via accessible and-- sometimes-- entertaining methods.
Fiskio, Janet, and Bamert, Sophia. “New Directions in Ecocriticism.” American Literature in Transition, 2000–2010, edited by Rachel Greenwald Smith, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2017, pp. 291–308. American Literature in Transition.
The concept of ecocriticism first emerged in the 1990s as a study between literature and the physical environment. As this lens of criticism has evolved, it has grown to include more aspects of environmental conversation like eco-centrism (intrinsic value of all living organisms), bioregionalism, pollution, and toxic exposure. With this concept approaching its second decade as a redefining method of analyzing literature, we see an emphasis on intersectional analysis applied to both literature and biological studies. Fiskio and Bamert continue to briefly observe the growth of the second wave of ecocriticism, noting key developments and ways in which the new method has generated more conversation involving not only ecological studies, but queer studies, animal studies, environmental justice, etc. Beginning with the term ecocriticism itself, the authors discuss how it set itself apart in the 1990s by being the first type of criticism that emphasized interdisciplinarity; or drawing on multiple branches of knowledge. From 2000 on, ecocriticism incorporated environmental justice, social movements, and activism into its definition, allowing the margins for environmental writing to widen and eventually include topics of race, class, gender, sexuality, citizenship structure, and politics. This addition of a justice-based discussion allowed environmental literature to begin critiquing the structural oppression that continuously puts communities of color into environmentally dangerous situations, including toxic living and working places. It also created a space in which a person’s work, play, eating, learning, and worshipping habits became the center of the environmental justice movement, demonstrating how culture and nature can help reshape the field of ecocriticism.
Grady, Hugh. “Reinfication, Mourning, and the Aesthetic in Antony and Cleopatra, and The Winter’s Tale.” In Shakespeare and the Urgency of Now : Criticism and Theory in the 21st Century, edited by Cary DiPietro, and Hugh Grady, Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. pp. 172-186. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucm/detail.action?docID=1330974.
Grady argues for contemporary art and aesthetics relevance in critiquing modern day society, including Shakespeare, one that he calls a “reified world” to borrow from Marx and Lukács. He develops his argument through examining the aesthetics in Antony and Cleopatra and The Winter’s Tale. In the former play, he suggests that sex and death are two “natural” human qualities that cannot be conquered of nature. Desire triumphs over death in the highly idealized suicide scenes. In The Winter’s Tale’s tragicomic aesthetics, despite the tyranny and abuse of power in the beginning, the tragedy of death is solved through the miraculous union of families.
Hirschfeld, Heather, and Steve Mentz. "Green Comedy: Shakespeare and Ecology." The Oxford Handbook of Shakespearean Comedy. Oxford University Press, October 09, 2018. Oxford Handbooks Online.
Mentz’s article, edited by Hirschfeld, examines the imperativity of evolving Northrop Frye’s literary model of “green comedy”-- in which one moves from the real world to an alternate space to solve issues before returning to the former-- to accommodate the post-human and post-natural. The article calls for reexamination of green spaces as pastoral and advocates for further recognition of the disorderly blue ocean’s duality as a space of danger and desire. Finally, Mentz expresses the need to retreat from human-centered interpretations and acknowledge species interdependence to survive the ecological chaos of today.
Kammer, Miriam. "Breaking the Bounds of Domesticity: Ecofeminism and Nature Space in Love's Labour's Lost." Shakespeare Bulletin, vol. 36 no. 3, 2018, p. 467-483. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/shb.2018.0041.
As well as touching on scenography and linguistics, Kammer’s article discusses Love’s Labours Lost through an ecofeminist lense and exhibits the breaking down of culture/nature dualism. Though some feminists scorn any connection between womanhood and nature, Kammer proposes social-material ecofeminism as an alternative route for exploring said relationship. By showing that the divide asserted by patriarchy can be crossed, Kammer asserts that said divides can be crossed as demonstrated by the non-human’s “invasion” of the human world. In addition, the author also argues that by placing the female characters in the non-human, natural realm of the garden (which has been twice domesticated by patriarchy), role reversal occurs as power is granted to the female characters who take advantage of their situation.
Laroche, Rebecca. “Ophelia’s Plants and the Death of Violets.” Ecocritical Shakespeare, edited by Lynne Bruckner, and Dan Brayton, Taylor & Francis Group, 2011. pp. 211-221. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucm/detail.action?docID=674517.
Specifically addressing directorial decisions in Hamlet’s Act IV Scene V, in which Ophelia enters with a variety of medicinal plants, Laroche points out that the absence or presence of the real plants-- as opposed to figments of Ophelia’s imagination or alternative props, both choices seeming to be canonical in our present--decides the socio-political and ecological leaning of the adaptation. Furthermore, Laroche introduces historical context regarding women and knowledge of medicinal herbs to promote a new, Ophelia-centered interpretation as opposed to a male-centered and male-driven interpretation.
Martin, Randall and Evelyn O'Malley. "Eco-Shakespeare in Performance: Introduction." Shakespeare Bulletin, vol. 36 no. 3, 2018, p. 377-390. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/shb.2018.0036.
In this introduction to a special issue of Shakespeare Bulletin devoted to Shakespeare and eco-performance, the discussion focuses around the effects of performing Shakespeare in environmental spaces, with reference to several specific productions and projects.
Mentz, Steve. At the Bottom of Shakespeare's Ocean, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2009. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucm/detail.action?docID=601872.
This book is referenced by Dan Brayton as being the only response to studying Shakespeare and the ocean(prior to his own works) since Falconer’s Shakespeare and the Sea. This, therefore, foundational book begins with the acknowledgement that defining the ocean is near impossible, and that in attempting to do so, man often comes up with a reflection of himself. He defines Shakespeare’s ocean as a place of unstable happenings, which he parallels with the entire world of today. When looking at The Tempest and the ocean, Mentz focuses on how volatile a thing the ocean is, discussing how it is a force that creates “radical transformation.” (7) When looking at the use of the word ‘fathom,’ there is a very culturally relevant piece of information that could be thoroughly utilized today: a fathom is six feet, the distance currently suggested we stay away from each other for safety from the coronavirus. Shakespeare uses this term extensively, and regardless of the researcher’s intent, Mentz discusses how a fathom is not a large distance, but the unpredictability and entrancing nature of the sea(and Ariel) makes it seem unsurmountable. In the epilogue of his book, Mentz references a plethora of ocean-,Shakespeare-, and early Modern-related sources that he used to write this book, and this is a great place for other researchers to gather inspiration and background knowledge.
Miller, Justin. “The Labor of Greening Love’s Labour’s Lost.” Readings in Performance and Ecology, edited by Theresa J. May, Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. pp . 191-200. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucm/detail.action?docID=931771.
Miller’s article is a case study of his graduate work in “greening” a production of Love’s Labour’s Lost. His case study provides an accurate and useful account of successes, challenges, and inspiration for future productions. He encourages environmentally friendly methods; to name a few: emphasizing on reduce and reuse over recycling, favoring local businesses and connections over shipping, eradicating misconceptions about green theater, and creativity in reuse of scenic elements and costumes.
Moezzi, Mithra, Kathryn B. Janda, and Sea Rotmann. “Using Stories, Narratives, and Storytelling in Energy and Climate Change Research.” Energy Research & Social Science. Elsevier, August 12, 2017. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617302050.
This article talks about using creative methods for energy and climate change research.
O’Dair, Sharon. “Is it Shakespearean Ecocriticism if it isn’t Presentist?” Ecocritical Shakespeare, edited by Lynne Bruckner, and Dan Brayton, Taylor & Francis Group, 2011. pp.71-85. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucm/detail.action?docID=674517.
As she does in the title, O’Dair asks whether Shakespearean ecocriticism can be itself without being Presentist as well, answering simply that it cannot. She elaborates by addressing the fears and clashing between historians and presentists, and points out that contemporary Shakespearean productions and drama are themselves presentist. Later, she challenges historicism, Kastan’s “The New Boredom,” and their attempts at modifying “research” to be more rigorous. At last, O’Dair expresses the importance of Shakespearean ecocriticism to be activist and applicable to public policy.
O’Dair, Sharon.“‘To Fright the Animals and to Kill Them up’: Shakespeare and Ecology.” Shakespeare Studies, vol. 39, Jan. 2011, pp. 74–83. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=67008623&site=ehost-live.
This essay is an incredible trove of connections between Shakespeare and Nature. Each instance that is presented has incredibly thorough and clear analysis as well as a real-world example of the ideas in play. These real-world connections are very interesting and full of supporting information, which will be helpful in further research. That being said, it provides tons of direct data, such as numbers and statistics, that will be helpful to me when communicating the profound impact that humas have, as well as potential may have, on the environment.
Salazar, Rebecca. "A Rogue and Pleasant Stage: Performing Ecology in Outdoor Shakespeares." Shakespeare Bulletin, vol. 36 no. 3, 2018, p. 449-466. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/shb.2018.0040.
Salazar’s article focuses on Bard in the Barrack’s canceled 2014 production of Hamlet in Atlantic Canada, the reason for its cancellation due to Hurricane Arthur. This specific company and production becomes the basis for the author’s analysis of open-air theatre productions and how they lend fertile ground to audience-nature interaction as well as empowerment for ecological practices. This article also mentions specific examples of how the outdoor setting-- Odell Park-- temporally collaborates and challenges its actors and audience members. Salazar further remarks the dangers of “wilderness space” due to its human-made implications.
Snyder-Young, Dani. Theatre of Good Intentions: Challenges and Hopes for Theatre and Social Change. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.
Snyder-Young’s book addresses the opportunities, limitations, and unexpected results of theatre used for social change. Via case studies ranging from high school drama class experimenting with Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed to a collaboration between housed and homeless performers to theatre in a women's prison, she discusses effects on both the participant and audience. In addition, she acknowledges impacts due to institutional agendas, and dedicates her final chapter on Hurricane Katrina and its aftereffects within the theatre community. Overall, I personally found this book to be enlightening as somebody who has only seen the final performative product but not the work behind the scenes.
Strickler, Breyan. Sex in the City: An Ecocritical Perspective on the Place of Gender and Race in Othello, ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, Volume 12, Issue 2, Summer 2005, Pages 119–122, https://doi.org/10.1093/isle/12.2.119
In this ecocritical discussion of environment as it relates to gender, Breyan Strickler sets the foundation of observation as follows: the emphasis on bodies and the natural world in Othello creates three basic ideas; 1) the basic understanding that ecocriticism recognizes effects of colonization and the almost inseparable racism that comes with it, 2) an acknowledgement that the natural world has impact on one’s social environment, and 3) a redefined construction of masculinity and femininity shaped by tensions between the wild and the urban. In order to understand Othello overall, we need to apply idea number one to it. By doing this we are applying a postcolonial lens to an ecocritical discussion, allowing us to better understand how the Venetians constantly battled with other countries, disease, and the natural world that surrounded them. The advantage to this method is a more holistic image of how “the evolution of our relationships with nature (how we observe, define, infiltrate, conquer, reclaim, and are defeated by nature) impacts all of our social relationships” (Strickler, 121). According to Strickler and Estok, Iago seems to read Othello through this postcolonial perspective, especially in the way he describes Othello. The most famous line uttered by Iago that directly connects to his general comes when he tells Desdemona’s father that “an old black ram is tupping [his] white ewe” (1.1.123). This isn’t the first time women have been directly related to animals, and this was a common method of metaphorizing gender during this period. However, since we know that Desdemona, albeit a woman, arguably has higher status than Othello simply based on her race and ancestry - to equate Desdemona to the wild is a mistake. Although there is not a forest of transformation like in As You Like It or A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there is a figure that is representative of the wild. That figure is Othello, and Desdemona flees to him and throws herself into their marriage rather than disappearing into the wilderness. This further emphasizes that Othello’s characterization is that of a beastly nature that is built upon ignorance and racism. Strickler references Jeanne Roberts; a scholar who concluded that the Shakespearean wild is necessary for the males to exert power over more determined, erotically-tempting women. In most plays this is true. We see it with Ophelia and Hamlet, Hamlet and his mother, and even with Julius Caesar and his wife. This is really only possible in a society or environment where the man is part of the majority. In this case, Othello is not just a minority, but he is also not accepted culturally, socially, or even as a human being by those surrounding him. This is why this typical model of “man over woman” is not possible or present in Othello. Desdemona would likely be the one attempting to annex her husband into Venetian culture to help him avoid the terrifying confrontation with the white males present.
Tribble, Evelyn, and John Sutton. "Cognitive ecology as a framework for Shakespearean studies." Shakespeare Studies, vol. 39, 2011, p. 94+. Gale Literature Resource Center, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A272444949/LitRC?u=ucmerced&sid=LitRC&xid....
Tribble and Sutton connect cognitive ecology with the theater. In this article, they also rethink the relationship between cognition and the external world, later replacing the latter with theater space to analyze their interplay. Mentioning J.J. Gibson’s “affordances,” the difference in cognitive processing of actors and audiences in the past is set in comparison with the present.
Watson, Robert. “The Ecology of Self in Midsummer Night’s Dream.” In Ecocritical Shakespeare, 33–56. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate Pub., 2011.
Watson's brilliant chapter on Dream analyzes the way the play helps human think through the biome that lives inside all bodies.
Yearwood, Rev. Lennox. “S2 Ep 17: Not The Last Poets w/ Jessica Care Moore.” Hip Hop Caucus, season 2, episode 17.
This podcast takes a dive into working for racial justice and political change for African Americans, specifically in the Detroit area. Jessica Care Moore, the guest for this episode, talks about her work as a poet, her inspirations, and the causes she works for in Detroit. Putting the voices of African Americans, especially women, out into the world is one of the main subjects of the episode, and she also speaks about the harsh ecological climate that poor African Americans in Detroit and elsewhere suffer through and die in each day. As a poet, author, activist, producer, and performer, Moore has expertise and involvement in many areas, and her push for art to showcase subjects that need political attention is noteworthy for the study of eco-criticism.
Moore is signed to a major recording label and thus is connected to many hip-hop and R&B legends. She uses this, in addition to her other platforms, to promote black women, artists, and overall culture. Such as reminding the youth of the real history of music and media by revealing their black origins and influences. Lastly, she is an activist for impoverished and endangered communities, that are living in conditions that clearly violate human rights.
Too often the literary area of study is portrayed as separate, good or bad, from the rest of the world, perhaps even dissociated, however, in actuality the study of literature is rooted in activism, in unification, in much more than the study of words of old, dead, white people. The mention of the Black Lives Matter movement goes to show how extended the reach of literature is. There is no right way for literature to look, sound, read, understand - it is ours to have and take from what we need. The literary institution is an inexhaustible resource which should be introduced, and furthermore celebrated, in every area of life!
