Fourteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

Rachel Carson is widely credited as the founder of the modern environmental movement. In her groundbreaking classic, Silent Spring (1962), Carson weaves poetic language together with rigorous science. Despite the chemical industry’s attempt to discredit her findings, Carson’s masterful use of literary devices interlaced with scientific data stirred the public to take action against the dangers of DDT. In this workshop, we will create our own aesthetic response to today’s environmental crisis. We begin by exploring Carson’s evocative portrait of a idyllic mid-century American town and its insidious destruction from pesticides. Drawing on Carson’s stylistic strategies including metaphor, alliteration, and detailed observation, participants will engage in spontaneous writing exercises describing the ecology of their local communities. Then, we will conduct on-the-spot scientific research on related global issues. Prompted by Carson’s probing questions, we will juxtapose poetic depictions of place with hard facts. Participants will be invited to share their writings as poet-performers in the form of a dialogic exchange which may culminate in a ritual enactment. Afterwards, the group will consider how this interdisciplinary process can serve as an arts-based model for participatory eco-activism