Writing Poems This Month, For A Lifetime
In this poetry writing and reading workshop, we will learn how personal, national and international “occasions”, events, and news offer us the opportunity to engage language, form, and feeling in writing and revising our poems. We will read published poems, as examples, and respond to prompts, in and out of class, that will allow us to experiment with and refine our own poems. This course counts as an introductory creative writing elective for the ENAM major.

History of the English Language
Who was the first “dude”? Is “unfriend” acceptable English? In this course we will explore the story of English as a history of language contacts and language change. We will begin the story in 449 AD with the Germanic dialect of Anglo-Saxon invaders, and end by examining global Englishes in the digital age. Along the way we will study literary and popular texts (from “Caedmon’s Hymn” to Harry Potter) representing the major English periods (Old, Middle, Early Modern, and Modern) in order to understand the changes in spelling, pronunciation, grammar, syntax, and vocabulary resulting from both internal evolution and such external, cultural factors as war, migration, global markets, music, film, television, and the internet.

The Nature of Intimacy
In this course we will investigate how contemporary ideas of nature, environmentalism, and environmental degradation intersect with different notions of intimacy. Scholars such as William Cronon, Val Plumwood, and Jenny Price will provide the backdrop for our exploration of a provocative range of literature and art—including fiction by Don DeLillo, photography by Subhankar Banerjee, poetry by Mary Oliver, and films by Werner Herzog. We will consider the following questions: can art and literature animate questions of intimacy in our environmental context; what kind of environmental politics can aesthetics inspire; and how is digital culture changing the face of nature and intimacy? This course counts as elective credit towards the ENAM major.

Celebration and Resistance: Modern Representations of War in Literature and Film
In this course we will consider some iconic war novels and films that have defined our modern understanding of war. In particular, we will consider the narrative as a vehicle for both celebration and resistance. Questions we will address include: Does the narrative change from war to war? Is there a “good” war in these narratives? If representation requires a kind of exaggeration to approximate its object, what happens when the object of representation is itself extreme? How is social capital transformed in war? What constitutes bravery in resistance? When does resistance become terrorism? What kinds of resistance are possible in literature? This course counts as elective credit towards the ENAM major.

Sustainability: Writing and Rhetoric
In this writing-intensive course we will examine the ways in which sustainability and environmentalism have been shaped and defined through a variety of literary, scientific, political, and popular texts. Class discussions will trace the roots of sustainability in environmental writing, analyze the diverse debates surrounding sustainability, and consider local, national, and international texts about sustainability. Students will engage with invited guest speakers, conduct field research on environmental texts in local communities and institutions, and create their own narratives and scenarios for sustainable futures based on their findings and speculations. This course counts as a cognate for ENVS majors.

Conservation and Land Management in Practice
In this course we will investigate conservation and resource management issues with a focus on Trinchera Ranch, a 265-square mile ranch in the greater Sangre De Cristo Conservation Area in southern Colorado. Studying the application of conservation tools and practices at spatial scales from site to landscape, we will explore forest, game, and wildlife management; agricultural production; water use/conservation; fire; and energy. We will visit public and private lands to glean the local, regional and national context and hear numerous perspectives. We will develop spatial (GIS-based) analyses for conservation and management efforts on the ranch and in the region. This course counts as a cognate for ENVS majors.(Approval required; informational meeting on November 4 at 7:00 p.m. in MBH 331)

Kingdom Community Wind - Perspectives On Renewable Energy Development
In this course we will study the Kingdom Community Wind Project in Lowell, Vermont. We will consider the perspectives of the project developers, project opponents, Public Service Board, legislature, and news media, and will examine the role of federal policy. Using public materials from the permitting process and contemporaneous news coverage, we will analyze the case’s issues and arguments and the diverse positions taken by Vermont’s environmentalists. We will ask: How should renewable energy projects be sited in Vermont? Is the existing approval process fair to neighboring towns and landowners? Are the claims of project proponents and opponents accurate? This course counts as a cognate for ENVS majors.

Impact Investing for a Sustainable Planet
In this course, we will explore the field of impact investing, with specific emphasis on innovative financing instruments ranging from venture capital to harvest finance. Using EcoEnterprises Fund as the platform for learning, we will focus on the evolution of the sector that encourages new business models (e.g., “first movers”, “lost leaders” and growth companies) which sustainably manage natural resources, mitigate climate change, and protect ecosystems while making a profit. We will look at tools to measure environmental and social metrics and financial results. Lastly, we will discuss fund management strategies, including building a portfolio, effective due diligence, and structuring deals. This course counts as a cognate for ENVS majors.

Cinematography
What makes a movie look beautiful? Whether it is the heat of a scorching desert, the chill of a glacial lake, or the grime of a city street, movies look and feel the way they do because of the cinematography. In this course we will work as dedicated digital video cinematographers. In this course we will practice lighting, composition and camera movement, first in a single cinematic shot and then as a sequence of shots cut together. We will apply the work of master cinematographers to our own creative work. Finally, we will assemble into small teams to produce short film projects. (FMMC 0105)

Collaborative Video Projects
In this course groups of students will organize, devise, and produce original video projects concluding with a public screening. Students must request approval from the instructor prior to winter term registration via the application on the FMMC website. Students must do significant preproduction before January. Projects will be self-guided with oversight from the faculty, and subject to peer review. (Pass/Fail; Approval required)