Ecocritical Aesthetics ― Language, Beauty, and the Environment

This lively collection of essays explores the vital role of beauty in the human experience of place, interactions with other species, and contemplation of our own embodied lives. Devoting attention to themes such as global climate change, animal subjectivity, environmental justice and activism, and human moral responsibility for the environment, these contributions demonstrate that beauty is not only a meaningful dimension of our experience, but also a powerful strategy for inspiring cultural transformation. Taken as a whole, they underscore the ongoing relevance of aesthetics to the ecocritical project and the concern for beauty that motivates effective social and political engagement.

Peter Quigley is professor of English at the University of Hawai‘i, Manoa, and also Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs for the University of Hawai‘i System. His publications include the edited volume Coyote in the Maze: Tracking Edward Abbey in a World of Words and Housing the Environmental Imagination: Politics, Beauty, and Refuge in American Nature Writing.

Scott Slovic is professor of literature and environment, professor of natural resources and society, and Chair of the English Department at the University of Idaho. He is author and editor of many books and articles, including Seeking Awareness in American Nature Writing and Going Away to Think.