Adventure Literature

Catalog description

Adventure Literature ( ENGL 183 ) students not only read Thoreau, but like him, they travel to the mountains, the river, or the seashore; they hike, climb, and/or kayak; they interview residents with a stake in the area; and they synthesize their experiences through writing. In this course, students analyze works of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction (including scientific and historical texts) that interrogate human relationships with a specific natural environment or region. As part of the course, students visit the region that inspires that literature they explore its wild places on foot and/or by water, and meet authors, activists, and experts invested in its continued legacy. The course combines physical adventure with intellectual rigor; students of all majors will hone their writing and close reading abilities, enhance their analytical and integrative thinking skills, and gain unique insight into diverse US values, traditions, beliefs, and customs rooted in place and environmental practice.