Abstract
In the COVID-19 pandemic, the fragility of life and the need to deal with the necessity of “shelter,” “shelter in place” or other shelter needs comes into sharp focus. Musing on these concepts led us to research endangered species who, through communal/governmental/environmental efforts, have come off the international Endangered Species List. Their stories and reemergence are sources of hope. In this multidisciplinary (relief printing, bookmaking, poetry) creative series, we follow the trajectory of three such species: the Oregon Chub Minnow, Kirtland’s Warbler (native to Michigan and northern Ohio), and Eggert’s Sunflower (native to Kentucky, Tennessee, and northern Alabama). The images explain the near demise of the subjects and their comeback as they are delisted. The poetics of listening to the decline of species connects to human experiences of lockdown and the isolation and restricted contact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As recovering species, these plants and animals reflect the complex relationships that emerge through the lens of a global event that creates new ways to understand the interconnectedness of human and natural worlds; extinction takes on positive connotations as the cessation of some human habits opens new pathways through which the natural world can reemerge. The presenters share their prints and poetry as examples of work they have done with these delisted and reemerging species to tell a story of how the natural world, combined with science and people who care, can overcome, survive, and even flourish. We hope that the series offers solace in a time of fear and despair.
Presenters
Samantha EarleyProfessor, English, Indiana University Southeast, Indiana, United States Nancy C DeJoy
Associate Professor, Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
COVID-19 Pandemic, Endangered Species, Series, Poetry, Art, Information, Viewers, Interpretation
