Arcadiana

A Blog about Literature, Culture and the Environment

A Case for Denise Levertov as an Ecofeminist

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Ecofeminism was not refined in its usage until the 1980’s when Levertov was losing popularity as a poet, so it is unlikely she ever would have used this term in her life (ignoring the fact that she did not want to be labelled as a feminist in the first place), however, her work and personal ideologies closely aligns with the general theories of ecofeminism established and refined throughout her lifetime.

Can Indian Ecofeminists be “Ethically” Vegan?

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A 2019 report by IndiaSpend stated that since 2012 more than 133 instances of cow vigilantism have been reported, with 50 deaths and 290 injuries (Team IndiaSpend). Cow vigilantism is a form of violent, sectarian activism that aims to prohibit eating beef and/or engaging in beef-related transactions. Among the victims, 57% were Muslims, 9% Dalits …

The Experience of Environmental Epiphany in the Lives of A. Leopold, T. Hill, and A. Schweitzer

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Can a very short event change one’s outlook on the natural environment? Can a very short event change one’s outlook on the natural environment? Environmental awareness can be attained through formal and non-formal education, as well as through active engagement in environmental activities. However, a number of historical figures witnessed a change in their outlooks in the blink of an eye. This contribution explores the impact on environmental epiphanies on humans in a human/non-human encounter by showing their role in triggering powerful emotions and a long-lasting change in the character of three environmentalist figures from the 20th century: Aldo Leopold, Thomas Hill, Jr., and Albert Schweitzer.

“Survival is insufficient”: The cautionary power of speculative fiction

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Current headlines abound with apocalyptic references to the global climate emergency. The 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released in August 2021 brought into the mainstream what climate scientists already knew – dramatic and life-altering changes to the climate are much closer than many of us expected. The ambiguous language is gone.

Humility and Serious Noticing: Résumé of a Discussion Round on “The Everyday in British New Nature Writing”

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© Mona Eendra On June 8th, 2021, my faculty hosted an online discussion round on “The Everyday in British New Nature Writing” with three acclaimed guests of the field: poet and essayist Kathleen Jamie, author and naturalist Mark Cocker, and ecocritical scholar Terry Gifford. The talk was both part of the undergraduate course on ecopoetry …

The Economy of Francesco: How to Repair the ‘Common Home’

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Francesco, va’ e ripara la mia casa;Now go, Francesco, and repair my house(From The Major Legend, St. Bonaventure, XIII century) Image by Josh Applegate on Unsplash Conference Review For those who still consider him as the saint who talked to animals, or, as historian Lynn White Jr. suggests, “the patron saint of ecologists” (14), it …

Dreaming of Home

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Review of Cara Judea Alhadeff’s ‘Zazu Dreams: Between the Scarab and the Dung Beetle: A Cautionary Fable for the Anthropocene’ (Elfrig Publishing, 2017; www.zazudreams.com)