Grace V. is a Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse MA student at DePaul University. She is a passionate environmentalist and advocate for eco-friendly practices. I talked with her about eco-writing, why it’s so important, and how we can get involved!
GT: What is eco-writing, if you could sum it up for those who might not be familiar?
GV: Eco-writing (or environmental writing, as it’s also called), is both a genre and a way of approaching writing itself. On one hand, it means writing with a focus on the environment and/or environmental topics. So, for example, eco-writing could be a poem about a specific plant or animal, a news article about how solar panels reduce pollution, or even a technical description of the weather patterns in a specific habitat. In this sense, eco-writing is an umbrella term that can encompass a lot.
However, an additional way we can think about it is as an attitude toward the way we write. So, someone practicing “eco-writing” is aware that both their actions as a writer and their work itself can’t be separated from the biological, ecological reality that they’re in.
As more people have access to different experiences of nature, and as more people grow concerned about ecological crises, it makes sense that we are thinking about some of these things as writers.
GT: So when you say that we can’t separate our writing from our environment, what specifically, do you mean by that?
GV: For example, today as we’re writing this blog post – as we’re having this conversation and putting language together – it’s a really warm and sunny day. In fact, it’s unseasonably warm for November, because of the extreme heat of this year. Even so, with all the sunshine, I’m in a happy mood, and that changes the way that I’m writing and the way that I’m interacting with language today. Maybe that’s a silly example, but I think we can all relate to feeling the impact of our environment on our creativity – whether that’s the weather, outdoor sounds coming through the window, or choosing to write at a park versus in an office, etc.
Now this is a bit more “meta,” but I can also think about how I’m writing the majority of my work on my laptop. Parts of this particular laptop are made of recycled plastic and reclaimed tech waste, which is cool. Other parts of this laptop were mined, and shaped into this specific hardware. Those environmental realities can’t be separated from what I’m writing about, whether it’s a social justice issue or something else, because they are literally embedded in how I’m getting my words across as we type on Google Docs and chat on Zoom. Taking an eco-writing lens pushes me to ask, “What are the materials that I’m surrounding myself with and using to create writing? How does that impact the way I write and what I say?”
As an individual writer, I don’t have control over all those things, and the point of asking these questions isn’t to be 100% “eco-friendly” in every aspect of my writing, because that’s probably not possible. At the same time, it still matters to stay aware of those things as we realize writing is not just something that’s going on in our heads. Writing is also connected to these environmental stories that contribute to the materials we write with and what we are able to articulate with them.
GT: How did you get involved with this type of writing?
GV: Growing up, I was privileged to have a lot of access to nature, and both my family culture and the broader culture where I lived in Kentucky were committed to connecting with the natural world.
Because of this, I developed an ingrained awareness of, “Okay, the actions that I’m taking are connected to the natural/ecological world I’m part of.” As I’ve gotten older and had access to more education, I’ve also been able to learn about environmental science and to encounter more ecologies and new habitats. These things have really captured my imagination.
So, I am involved in eco-writing first and foremost because I am part of nature, I love nature, and I feel inspired to connect with it throughout what I do. I have realized that the creative and professional work that I’m doing is all shaped, in part, by the nature I’m surrounded by and working in.
Finally, my love for nature compels me to learn more about ecological crises, like climate change, and to work with others toward solutions. I’m very inspired by the passion of so many people, including my writing center colleagues, who are working to care for our natural world!
GT: Why is environmental writing or eco-writing, an important genre or approach?
GV: To me, eco-writing feels especially exigent right now, as more and more people identify as environmentalists. Especially for those of us who are traditional college age students and other Gen Z-ers, the climate crisis and other social/environmental issues are top of mind. Young people overall are very passionate about protecting the natural world.
Speaking to the audience for this blog post (people who attend and/or work in colleges and college writing centers), I think that we can do a better job of maintaining that consciousness of these environmental issues while we are also working on writing.
As a Writing Center tutor, it’s very exciting to me that we have a lot of conversations about social justice topics like honoring linguistic diversity, taking on a feminist lens, and making sure that we’re addressing difficult topics in a way that promotes our values of inclusion and critical thinking.
However, I think that a conversation about the ecological elements of writing is a little bit missing in these spaces. I think that it’s important to bring attention to eco-writing, because caring for the environment is something that college students overall really care about. If our larger mission as Writing Center practitioners is to make people’s stories be heard and to empower people’s voices in a way that advances social justice, I think that the environmental aspect of that is just naturally something that we should also be incorporating.
GT: Definitely agree. I think it’s definitely something we can do, especially in terms of the Writing Center. How can other people get started with eco-writing?
GV: This is the most fun part, because to “do” eco-writing, it’s really just important to connect with the natural world around you, see how it inspires you, and go from there!
One person’s eco-writing might look like a poem about a specific flower they just love. Another person’s eco-writing might be a speech that advocates for pollution mitigation policies. Again, it’s very broad, but I think the steps for anyone getting started can look similar: connect with the nature/ecology you find yourself in, feel how it inspires you, and use your own expertise (family stories, science knowledge, or whatever that may be!) to start writing. Think about the space you write in and the materials you use. Find resources to learn more about what inspires you, or find writers whose work inspires your own.
Finally, remember that you don’t have to be an environmental scientist or other expert to be an eco-writer! You are part of nature too, and your experience of connecting with the natural world matters in whatever way you write about it.
GT: What other resources, writers, etc., should people interested in eco-writing check out?
GV: Alright, I feel like I was getting a bit grandiose just then, so I’ll get back into more practical specifics with this answer. First, I think Atmos Magazine is a good place to start, because it’s a pretty popular publication and it features quite a range of work that covers climate science, culture, and more. Some of their articles are photography- or art-based, and others are more writing-heavy or technical.
I think it’s great to start with work by Indigenous writers from North America and beyond. Check out Braiding Sweetgrass and other nonfiction by Robin Wall Kimmerer; Wangari Maathai’s incredible memoir; the eco-poetry of Joy Harjo; and Conversations with Birds by Priyanka Kumar.
A very often cited example, and maybe some folks read this in high school, is Walden by Thoreau. There are definitely some valid critiques of his relationship with nature, but I do think that text offers some interesting perspective on how to begin cultivating a relationship with your environment. There are lots of other American naturalist “classics” like Walden, including the poetry of Mary Oliver and Robert Frost, the range of work by Wendell Berry (one of my personal favorites), and the novels of Gene Stratton Porter.
Finally, take a look at some of these more contemporary eco-fiction novels. (The Home Place by J. Drew Lanham is a fabulous eco-memoir to add as well!)
Calling it “eco-writing” might make it feel abstract at first, but I think the way the term gets used in actually pretty uncomplicated – really, it encompasses the idea encompasses that as writers, we need to be aware that we’re part of the ecology we live in, and our writing should reflect that. At the end of the day, I think that’s the most valuable lesson we can take from here into our work – both as we write ourselves, and as we work with others in the writing center.
Additional Information & Links
What is Eco-Writing?
- The Rise of Eco-Literature: Nature and Environmental Themes in Writing | by ARPIT | Medium
- Could Eco-Literature Be the Next Major Literary Wave? (thewire.in)
- Eco-writing: Kathleen Jones looks at a new genre (authorselectric.blogspot.com)
- Writing as Experimental & Ecological Practice: Eco-literature, Fiction & Cross-Genre Workshop | The Evergreen State College
Getting Started
- Want To Be An Environmental Writer? Here’s How To Start (alishashabnam.com)
- Insecure Writer’s Support Group: 10 Ways to Be an Environmentally-Friendly Writer by Chrys Fey (insecurewriterssupportgroup.com)
Publishing Your Own Eco-Writing