New Forms of Environmental Writing: Gleaning and Fragmentation

This book explores how women writers are responding to the environmental crisis through innovative forms of literature, emphasizing the importance of individual encounter, fragmentary form, and themes of attention, care, and loss. It proposes a new model of gleaning to understand the role of individual agency in a more-than-human world and draws on theoretical perspectives such as ecofeminism, new materialism, and posthumanism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 16 June 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This book delves into a comprehensive exploration of contemporary poetry, fiction, and memoir written by women, shedding light on our most pressing environmental concerns and showcasing innovative approaches to addressing our ecological crisis. Through its analysis, it advocates for the significance of individual encounters and fragmented forms in 21st-century literature, highlighting themes of attention, care, and loss. By viewing fragmentary texts as a mode of resistance, the author emphasizes the ways in which they challenge dominant narratives and offer alternative perspectives on our relationship with the natural world.

The author proposes a novel model of "gleaning" that encompasses concepts of collection, assemblage, and relinquishment, drawing upon theoretical frameworks such as ecofeminism, new materialism, and posthumanism. By examining the works of writers like Sara Baume, Ali Smith, Elizabeth-Jane Burnett, Bhanu Kapil, and Kathleen Jamie, the book provides valuable insights into our planetary predicament, challenging our assumptions and prompting us to reevaluate our roles in shaping a sustainable future.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350271319