Nestwork: New Material Rhetorics for Precarious Species

Humans are taking action to protect critical habitats and engage more directly with species to help mitigate their decline. Jennifer Clary-Lemon's Nestwork examines human-nonhuman animal interactions, identifying forms of communication between species and within their material world. It reveals fascinating forms of rhetoric not expressed through language but circulating between species and materials objects.

Format: Hardback
Length: 190 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2023
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press

As the number of endangered species continues to rise, humans are taking a variety of measures to safeguard their habitats. In addition to protecting vital ecosystems, people are also working directly with these species to slow their decline. By designing innovative infrastructure and altering our daily lives, we are becoming more aware of nonhuman animals and making efforts to coexist with them.

In her groundbreaking ethnographic study, "Nestwork," Jennifer Clary-Lemon delves into the intricate dynamics between humans and nonhuman animals. Through a meticulous examination of sites of loss, temporal orientations, and infrastructural mitigations, she weaves together rhetorical and posthuman sensibilities to advocate for ecological care. By focusing on nonhuman species that rely on human development for their habitat, Clary-Lemon explores the complex communication between species and their material world.

One of the key cases studied in "Nestwork" is the barn swallow, chimney swift, and bobolink. Clary-Lemon examines the habitats of these species, as well as the unique mitigation efforts taken by humans to maintain them. These efforts include building "barn swallow gazebos" and artificial chimneys, as well as altering farming practices to allow for nesting and breeding. What emerges from this study are fascinating forms of rhetoric that transcend language and circulate between species and material objects.

"Nestwork" goes beyond linguistic expressions and delves into what are essentially nonlinguistic and decidedly nonhuman arguments within these local environments. By drawing on new materialist and Indigenous ontologies, the book helps attune our senses to the tragedy of species decline and fosters a deeper understanding of home and homemaking. Through her innovative approach, Clary-Lemon offers a powerful call to action for humans to take responsibility for the well-being of all species and work towards creating a more harmonious and sustainable relationship with the natural world.

Weight: 426g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780271095431