Climate Fictions
Eugene Lang College Lib Arts: Literary Studies
CRN: 17208
Credits: 4
The challenge of representing and responding to anthropomorphic climate change has led to the production of some of the most exciting and innovative novels in recent decades. This course investigates the emerging genre of Climate Fiction, foregrounding novels like Monstro, by Junot Diaz; Gold, Fame, Citrus, by Claire Watkins; 10:04 by Ben Lerner; The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd, The Swan Book, by Alexis Wright; Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin; and “The Tamarisk Hunter,” by Paolo Bacigalupi. Throughout the semester, we will discuss topics including species-loss, sea-level rise, techno-utopianism, climate apocalypse, environmental justice, resiliency, and others as we analyze the formal strategies, thematic concerns, and ethical impacts of climate fiction. Asking how, when, and why novels matter in the world, the course builds connections between literature, theory (scholarship in the Environmental Humanities), and practice (including policy documents like the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocols, and the Paris Accords). This course requires no prerequisites and should appeal to anyone with an interest in literature and the environment.
College: Eugene Lang College Lib Arts (LC)
Department: Literary Studies (LIT)
Campus: New York City (GV)
Course Format: Seminar (R)
Modality: In-Person
Max Enrollment: 18
Add/Drop Deadline: September 9, 2024 (Monday)
Online Withdrawal Deadline: November 17, 2024 (Sunday)
Seats Available: Yes
* Seats available but reserved for a specific population.
Status: Closed*
* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 2:12am EST 12/4/2024