Natural Resources: Poetics, Practice, & Clim Chg

Graduate topics and material that may eventually develop into a regular course offering.

Classes are synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronus online meetings Wednesday July 2nd for intro to class then following Mondays and Wednesdays (90 minutes) 7pm-8:30pm. Aysnchronous weekly participation in discussion board due each Sunday.

The full title of this course is Creating A New Mythology: Poetics and Practice at the Intersection of Climate Change and the Anthropocene

Goals/intentions: • Build capacity for engaging in conversations of complexity as a relational skill rather than one that is binary or problem -solving • Increase capacity to create, communicate and present complex and sometimes contradictory information • Understand and build our capacity to engage multi-disciplinary storytelling as a practice, both to communicate information and grow new relationships and collaborations across difference • Develop a diverse list of resources that illuminate the complexity of climate change, the Anthropocene and their intersection. • The topics we will be covering during the course include, climate change, Anthropocene, human history, archaeology and anthropology, speculative fiction, climate art, indigenous history, storytelling, mythology • Possible resources include: • Books • David Graeber & David Wengrow The Dawn of Everything • Dougald Hines At Work in the Ruins • Kim Stanley Robinson Ministry for the Future • Films & videos • Danger of a single story Chimamanda Adichie • Emergence Magazine Shifting Landscapes Film Series • Artwork • Climate Artists on All Arts

Grades: 25% Prepared attendance includes both having read the materials required for discussion and participation in both online discussion and discussion board 40% Final multimedia project 15% student bibliography 20% Final Reflection paper Student Bibliography A list of all reference materials (outside of the required resources for the class) that have informed your own discussion posts online as well as the creation of your personal mythology. Final Reflections A final 1000-word paper on your own unique journey towards the discovery and expression of a personal mythology Personal Mythology This final project is a creative exercise in expressing complex (and sometimes contradictory) ideas, beliefs and aspirations in the creation of your own personal mythology. This can be a historical mythology expressing some of your deeply held beliefs, perceptions and assumptions. It can be aspirational, expressing ideas, beliefs and inspiration or dreams for a possible future. It can also be transitional, expressing your view of the current world and its transition toward future possibilities; or anything else you wish to express using the framework of mythology.