There has always been a gap in eco-literature: while plenty of non-fiction, “Sand Country Almanac,” “Silent Spring,” “End of Nature,” and” Field Notes from a Catastrophe,” has filled aisles, there are few great explorations of the environmental world and impending climatic and biological changes from a poet’s or fiction crafter’s point of view.

That was Paul Haeder in his column about our Earth Day Essay contributors- and how creative writing has the ability to advance the environmental discussion. Please take the time to read the winning submissions here in our documents tab.

Along the lines of eco-literature, I highly recommend News Of The Universe, a selection of poems by Robert Bly. This book was a turning point for me, highly informing my outlook on our natural world.

 

Not to get too mystic but it's called poems of a "two-fold" conciousness as Bly guides you with extensive commentary to show the shifting attitudes in poetry itself when discussing nature, moving away from the rise of technology and the denigration of the natural world. It begins with the "old position," poems that take a people centric, imperialistic view and moves on to the enlightened sensibilities of Gary Snyder, Kenneth Rexroth, Wendell Berry along with Bly's translations Goethe, Rilke, Neruda, Lorca and others to provide global examples.

It's a great starting point for those of you out there who are interesting in writing about the environment. Congratulations to all of our winners and everybody who submitted.

 

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