Tongues in a Greening Field: "Queering" Ecology Through Poetry with Kelly Weber

There is a rich tradition of ecological and pastoral writing by queer authors. Despite this--or perhaps because of it--it can be hard to define just what makes nature writing or ecology "queer." How can "queer ecology" explore and and trouble the definitions of "natural" and "unnatural"? How can queer ecology open up the way we understand our kinship and community with each other and with the natural world? How can we "queer" the way we think about ecology and the way all of life is connected?

In this class, we will explore these questions as we study pastoral and ecological poems by queer authors. We will discuss the many ways poets can "queer" ecology.

At the end of the class, we will practice writing some poems of our own that think about ecology in queer ways. Individuals of all identities are welcome and encouraged to join--we can all practice "queering" the way we think about ecology and the natural world! Beyond identity, queer can be a verb, an action, a mindset as we all consider the way our bodies and minds live in the web of ecological existence. Let's all practice some queer thinking together!

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KELLY WEBER (she/they) is the author of We Are Changed to Deer at the Broken Place (Tupelo Press, forthcoming December 2022) and You Bury the Birds in My Pelvis, winner of the 2022 Omnidawn First/Second Book Prize (forthcoming October 2023). She is the reviews editor for Seneca Review. Their work has appeared or is forthcoming in a Best American Poetry Author Spotlight, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Southeast Review, Salamander, The Journal, Passages North, Foglifter, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA from Colorado State University and lives with two rescue cats. More of their work can be found at kellymweber.com.

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After you register, you will receive an "admission ticket" with the zoom link information on it.

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$35 or FREE to Members

Annual Membership $35