Twenty-five percent of thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail are women, and, let me tell you, these are hardcore women who take after the Mary Rowlandsons and Hannah Dustans of America. Before I reached the 100-mile mark, however, I had already heard several hikers use the phrase, "I'm going to take this mountain like a man," … Continue reading Hiking Like a Woman
Research & Environmentalism
“Leave No Trace”: When American Transcendentalism Leads to Wilderness Preservation
Having hiked over 500 miles of the Appalachian Trail this summer, dutifully carrying a copy of Thoreau's writings with me, there are certain habits I've cultivated with a now-ingrained daily routine that I'll take with me off the trail. The "Leave No Trace" policy of American hiker culture is what keeps the Appalachian Trail special for everyone … Continue reading “Leave No Trace”: When American Transcendentalism Leads to Wilderness Preservation
Losing a Wild Soundscape
Hiking the Appalachian Trail this summer has been a musical experience beyond anything I could have predicted. I've now hiked over 300 miles along the state line of North Carolina and Tennessee, arriving in Virginia yesterday just in time for the shocking gun-like echo of fireworks. Before I get to that, let me share with … Continue reading Losing a Wild Soundscape
Addressing Despair in the Classroom: An Ecocritical Approach to Non-Canonical American Writers
Pedagogy and American Literary Studies (PALS) invited me last month to write a guest post on teaching the American Literature Survey Course. While collaborating and making edits, the wonderful team at PALS gave me an opportunity to write a second post about something else that happened in the course. Take a look:
A Week on the Appalachian Trail Reading Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau writes in "Walking," that every walk is a crusade, and declares sauntering an art. I set out this summer to hike about 1,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail, bringing a copy of Thoreau's A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers with me for the first 100 miles. I've spent more of … Continue reading A Week on the Appalachian Trail Reading Thoreau
Walking the Walk: Combining Graduate Study with Teaching
"How womankind, who are confined to the house still more than men, stand it I do not know; but I have ground to suspect that most of them do not stand it at all." --Henry David Thoreau, "Walking" As I prepare to teach "Gender in the American Renaissance" and "American Literature: Origins to the Civil … Continue reading Walking the Walk: Combining Graduate Study with Teaching
