真善美

Dr. Catherine Diamond   diamond_catherine@yahoo.com

        Nature has always been a primary source of inspiration for artists and writers; the creativity of Nature itself has been the model for human artistic creativity. During the last fifty years, more of the world’s species of plants and animals have been made extinct by human activity than in all the rest of history put together. From the upper parts of the atmosphere to the depths of the oceans, to the interior of forests and deserts, have all been polluted, devastated by human greed, carelessness, or poverty. For the first time in human history we are facing the finiteness of Nature. The damage being done is permanent. At stake is not only the survival of human civilization, but the recuperative ability of the entire earth. The magnitude of this threat not only makes it an important subject for literature, but also a necessary concern for every person living today. This course will look at the literary works that consciously address the issues of human’s relationship with the natural environment, and later with the human-made environment that impacts nature. The course will combine science, literature and sociology because we will discuss individual action and responsibility as well as social movements.

        The readings will be a combination of essays, poems, stories and criticism, but as most of them will be by American and English writers, I will ask students to find relevant Taiwanese writers. The course will combine literary criticism, creative writing, journalism in its approach to studying the relationships between humans and nature.

Requirements for Second Semester:

1. Regular and prompt attendance. I will start class on time, not five or ten minutes late.  After three unexcused absences you will receive a zero. Three late appearances will be considered an absence. If you have a reason for being late, please let me know IN ADVANCE.
   
2. Reading and being prepared to discuss the readings BEFORE class. You need not finish the article, or understand everything, but you must have looked at the readings and have a general idea of the contents. This is a senior seminar and students should be prepared to offer their views on the readings during class discussions. I will give surprise quizzes on the readings.
   
3. A group in-depth investigation project about some aspect of environmentalism or eco-literature. At the end of the semester the groups will present an oral presentation in which every member will participate. Students will keep a weekly record of the progress of the investigation and how they are conducting it—their methods, results and aims.
   
4. A final on the readings. 

In-Class Behavior:

Please follow these rules:

5. No eating in during class. Once class starts, put away all food. You can eat during the break.
   
6. Turn off your mobile phones when you enter class. You can talk on your phones during the break OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM.
   
7. The teacher is not called “teacher.” She has a name. You can call her “Dr. Diamond” or “Professor Diamond” or Dai Laoshih. You cannot use her first name.

Second Semester Reading List:

1. Blind Panic                                 Douglas Adams

2. Cetecea                                       Otto Fong

3. Making Peace                              Barbara Kingsolver

4. Airborne Toxic Event                 Don DeLillo

5. Ecotopia                                      Ernest Callenbach

6. A View of the Woods                  Flannery O’ Conner

7. The Ecological Crisis as a Crisis of Character   Wendell Barry

8. The Idea of a Garden                   Michael Pollan

9. The Land Ethic                            Aldo Leopold