ENG 110-C/ENV210 - Introduction to Environmental Literature:
Food Literature
Dr. Annie Merrill – Spring 2015
MWF 2:30 – 3:20 in Chambers 1006
Office: Carolina Inn 200 – x. 2487 – anmerrill@davidson.edu
Office Hours: M 11:45-2:00 – W 3:30-5:00 – Th 2:30-4:30
This course counts for: LTRQ, ENV major and minor (Humanities track), English major.
If you want ENV major or minor credit, make sure you register for ENV 210, not ENG 110.
Course description: Food is both a basic human need and a complex cultural and aesthetic experience. Ecocritic
and activist John Elder observes that “food has replaced wilderness as the beating heart of the environmental
movement.” In this course, we will explore the cultural, aesthetic, and environmental aspects of food through
literature, focusing on three main topics: Food as Pleasure, Food and Farming, Food Ethics and Food Justice. This
course also features experiential, real-world application of classroom learning; students will learn from local
experts and community-based projects as well as from readings, class discussion, and assignments. A grant from
the Office of Sustainability, funded by The Duke Endowment, supports the experiential components of the course.
Learning Outcomes:
-
Improved skills of analyzing and appreciating literature
Effective communication in written and oral formats
Facility with assignments that use digital technologies
Successful collaboration through group projects and community engagement
Increased knowledge about the range of food literature, in terms of both topics and genres
Ability to articulate the connections between food and sustainability
Increased familiarity with the local food scene from all three of the course’s main topics
Required texts:
Carpenter, Farm City
Fisher, How to Cook a Wolf
Ozeki, All Over Creation
Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Viramontes, Under the Feet of Jesus
* All required texts are available on library reserve; see details on Moodle.
M: additional readings on Moodle
A note on required texts for this course: As part of your class preparation, I expect you to engage thoughtfully
with all assigned readings, which includes not only underlining significant passages but also annotating them with
margin notes. During class lecture and discussion, I will refer to passages by page numbers in the specific editions
of books ordered. I also require that you cite papers according to the editions ordered for class or on reserve.
Assignments:
Class participation and preparation
20%
Paper 1: food memoir
10%
Midterm review
15%
Group projects (10% each)
20%
Paper 2: community engagement reflection and/or position paper
15%
Final examination
20%
Extra credit opportunities will contribute toward your participation grade.
Honor Code: All work for ENV 203 is subject to the Davidson College Honor Code and must be pledged. All ideas,
quotations, and paraphrases that are not your own must be documented in MLA format. If you are ever unsure
about what might constitute an Honor Code violation, please contact me: I am very happy to consult and advise.
ASSIGNMENTS
Class participation and preparation (20%): ENG 110/ENV 210 is not a lecture course; much of what we learn here
will result from each other’s informed analyses and interpretations. Your participation grade will be based on
evidence of your preparation, respect, and contributions. Preparation for class includes completing the assigned
readings and thinking carefully and critically about them, making notes, and having questions and discussion
topics ready. Respect includes arriving on time and bringing all necessary materials (assigned readings, something
to write on and with), staying awake and engaged during class, not interrupting others, remaining silent while
someone else is talking, listening carefully and responding appropriately. Respect also includes giving quieter
students a chance to participate. Contributions include the quality as well as quantity of what you say; the best
contributions show thorough preparation of the assigned readings, engaged listening to the discussion, and
thoughtful responses that further the discussion rather than digress from it.
If you are not comfortable speaking in class, please come see me during office hours in the first week of the
semester so that we can discuss strategies for your successful participation. You can earn extra credit toward your
participation by attending various literary and environmental events announced in class throughout the semester.
Short papers (10% and 15%): I expect good quality writing, and I encourage you to use the Writing Center and/or
meet with me during office hours for assistance with your papers. Read carefully the “How to Format Your Paper”
document on Moodle, and consult the grading rubric for each paper assignment for information on how I will
evaluate your work. Both papers will be eligible for posting on the Food and Sustainability website; you may submit
your work in electronic form if it includes images, links, or other elements specific to digital formatting.
Paper 1: Food memoir. Length: 1000-1200 words. Using the assigned readings in Unit 1 as models and
inspiration, write your own food memoir. We will have an in-class workshop on writing food memoir on Jan. 30.
Paper 2: Community engagement reflection and/or position paper. Length: 1200-1500 words. This
assignment is based on five hours of community engagement; see separate handout for the range of possibilities.
Your paper will take the form of a reflection on and/or a position statement about your community engagement
experience, and it must also include connections to assigned readings from throughout the course.
Midterm review (15%): covers all assigned reading and material presented in class through March 11. The
midterm will be available starting on Thursday, March 12 and is due at the start of class on Monday, March 16. The
midterm is closed-book and closed-notes, timed, self-scheduled, and governed by the Davidson Honor Code.
Further instructions and details will be provided in a study guide before the review. Please do not ask me if you
can take it earlier than the scheduled time; you will have a range of several days to complete the review, and it will
be available on Moodle. I will post example review and exam questions on Moodle each week, and I encourage
you to work on these regularly throughout the semester, including asking me any questions you might have.
Group Projects (10% each; 20% total): Group projects develop skills of collaboration, time management, conflict
resolution, delegation of tasks, and other important real-world abilities. For both group projects: you will choose
your own groups (six groups of five students each), and all group members receive the same grade, with the
possibility of adjustment for members who do significantly more or less than their share. I will provide a grading
rubric for each group project with more specific guidelines and information about how I will evaluate your work.
Project 1: Food Literature Reading Guide. Your Reading Guide will be posted on the Food and
Sustainability website as a resource for people looking for interesting literature about food. As a group, determine
a theme or focus (which I must approve), then research relevant literary works in various genres about your topic.
Your Reading Guide should include at least 15 sources with an accompanying Bibliography and 800-1000 word
Introduction that summarizes and contextualizes the selections.
Project 2: Interactive Resource for Food and Sustainability Website. Put your creative powers to work!
As a group, create an interactive resource for the Food and Sustainability website that features food literature as
part (or all) of it. Develop a prototype that you will present in class, supported by a PowerPoint or Prezi.
Final exam (20%): covers the entire course (with objective portion weighted toward material since the midterm),
is closed-book and closed-notes, and will be available during the self-scheduled exam period at the end of the
semester. More information about the final exam will be provided in a study guide available toward the end of the
semester. I will post example review and exam questions on Moodle each week, and I encourage you to work on
these regularly throughout the semester, including asking me any questions you might have.
COURSE POLICIES
Office Hours: come on by! I welcome your questions and concerns about class, and I’m happy to help with papers
and other assignments. I also enjoy getting to you know you better outside of class. You can count on me to be in
the office during my scheduled hours; if I need to change or cancel them, I will provide as much advance notice as
possible and will schedule make-up hours.
Attendance: I expect you to attend every class. If you must miss class for any reason (family emergency, athletic
competition or other authorized College activity, illness), please let me know as soon as possible. If you have a
conflict between any class session and a religious holiday or observance, just let me know; religious observance is
an excused absence. You may have two unexcused absences during the semester; each unexcused absence
thereafter will lower your final grade by two points. I will determine what counts as an excused absence; this
may require documentation from College. Chronic instances of late arrival to class count as unexcused absences.
Accommodations for Students With Disabilities: Full accommodations are the legal right of students with all kinds
of disabilities, whether learning disabilities or physical disabilities, and I am happy to provide accommodations. If
you are a student with a learning disability documented by Davidson College or other form of disability, please
identify yourself to me within the first week or two of class, so I will know what accommodations you need and
how to enhance your learning experience. All discussions will be fully confidential unless you stipulate otherwise.
Religious Accommodations for Students: Please look carefully at the syllabus during the first week of class. If any
of the assignments conflict with a major religious holiday for your faith, please let me know. I will make every
effort to make the necessary accommodations.
Late Work: The penalty for work turned in late is one letter grade (ten points) off for every 24 hours the
assignment is late, starting immediately after the due date and time. I DO NOT ACCEPT late reviews unless there
has been a life-threatening emergency and you contact me before the due date and time. Group projects must be
turned in on time; there is no possibility for extension. For papers, I will consider extensions; the earlier you
contact me about an extension, the more likely you are to get it.
ENG 110/ENV 210 at a glance:
Week Unit
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Pleasure
Pleasure
Pleasure
Pleasure
Pleasure
Farming
Farming
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16-17
Farming
Farming
Farming
Ethics & Justice
Ethics & Justice
Ethics & Justice
Ethics & Justice
Ethics & Justice
Assignments due
Required books
Paper 1
How to Cook a Wolf
Farm City
Group Project 1
Farm City
SPRING BREAK
All Over Creation
Midterm review
All Over Creation
All Over Creation
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Group Project 2
Under the Feet of Jesus
Paper 2
Final exams
Additional info
No class on 1/19 (MLK, Jr. Day)
In-class workshop on 1/30
Local Food panel
Local Farmer panel
No class on 3/13
No class on 4/6 (Easter break)
Local Food Activist panel
Unit 1: Food as Pleasure
M Jan 12
Introductions
W Jan 14
M: Williams, “This is Just to Say”; Sarton, “The Fig”; Lee, “From Blossoms”
Analyze each poem carefully, paying attention to words, sounds, line breaks, stanza form, etc.
F Jan 16
M: Kenan, “Greens: A Mess of Memories”; Kumin, “Enough Jam For a Lifetime”;
Fisher, “Why Do You Write About Food?”
Why – and how – do people write about food? How is food memoir different from food poetry?
week one
M Jan 19
No class: MLK Day
W Jan 21
M: Boyle, “Sorry Fugu”
Analyze this short story’s characters, plot, dialogue, setting, descriptions, symbols, etc.
F Jan 23
M: Neruda, “Artichoke”; Saje, “Creation Story”; Hall, “O Cheese”
Each of these poems is about one food item; what else are they about?
week two
M Jan 26
M: Joyce, “Picnic in the Yard”; Lahiri, “Indian Takeout”; Nabokov, “My Mother, Picking
Mushrooms”
How do these brief food memoirs reflect the intersections of food, culture, and identity?
W Jan 28
M: Ponce, “On the Preparation of Books”
This is a rather bizarre short story about food. In what ways is it also realistic?
F Jan 30
In class workshop: writing food memoir
M Feb 2
M: Slow Food manifesto; Kingsolver, “Slow Food Nations”; Berry, “The Pleasures of Eating”
What do you find compelling, inspiring, or unsettling about Slow Food and locavorism?
W Feb 4
In class: Local Food panel
F Feb 6
DUE at 11:30 am: Paper 1 (in hard copy to my office)
In-class work day for Group Project 1
M Feb 9
Fisher, How to Cook a Wolf, ix-65
M: Lanchester, “Shut Up and Eat”
W Feb 11
Fisher, How to Cook a Wolf, 66-132
F Feb 13
Fisher, How to Cook a Wolf, 133-200; Krissy Clark on MFK Fisher:
http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/07/19/wolf/
week three
week four
week five
Unit 2: Food and Farming
M Feb 16
M: Alcott, “Transcendental Wild Oats”; Cather, from My Ántonia
How does each writer convey the romance and realities of farming?
W Feb 18
In class: Local Farmers panel
F Feb 20
Carpenter, Farm City, 1-98 (Part I: Turkey)
M: Kingsolver, excerpt about turkeys from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
In what ways is Farm City similar to and different from other food memoirs we’ve read?
M Feb 23
Carpenter, Farm City, 99-184 (Part II: Rabbit)
M: “From Industrial Garden to Food Desert” (Ch. 5, Cultivating Food Justice)
W Feb 25
Carpenter, Farm City, 185-269 (Part III: Pig)
M: Levine, “Animals Are Passing From Our Lives”
F Feb 27
DUE at the start of class: Group Project 1
week six
week seven
Mar 3-7 = SPRING BREAK
Some general questions as you read All Over Creation: Which characters are likable and which aren’t?
What is the tone of the novel? What connections does the novel make among issues such as large-scale
agriculture, small family farming, genetically modified organisms, education, publicity and marketing,
activism, capitalism, and family relationships? How are the novel’s locations and settings significant?
Is the novel effective in addressing differences of gender, age, class, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity?
M Mar 9
Ozeki, All Over Creation, 1-107 (First and Second)
W Mar 11
Ozeki, All Over Creation, 109-168 (Third)
F Mar 13
No class (I am out of town).
week eight
M Mar 16
DUE at the start of class: Midterm review
Ozeki, All Over Creation, 169-242 (Fourth)
W Mar 18
Ozeki, All Over Creation, 243-309 (Fifth)
F Mar 20
Ozeki, All Over Creation, 311-367 (Sixth)
week nine
M Mar 23
Ozeki, All Over Creation, 369-417 (Seventh, Epilogue)
W Mar 25
M: Berry, selection of Mad Farmer poems
F Mar 27
M: Kumin, “Long Road to an Upland Farm”; Masumoto, from Epitaph for a Peach
week ten
Unit 3: Food Ethics and Food Justice
M Mar 30
Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, 1-119 (I. Industrial: Corn)
W Apr 1
Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, 123-207 (II. Pastoral: Grass)
F Apr 3
Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, 208-273 (II. Pastoral: Grass, continued)
M: Coeetzee, “Meat Country”
M Apr 6
No class – Easter Break
W Apr 8
Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, 277-363 (III. Personal: The Forest)
M: Scully, “Nature and Nature’s God”
F Apr 10
Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, 364-411 (III. Personal: The Forest, continued)
M: Allport, “Foraging in the Garden”
week eleven
week twelve
M Apr 13
In class: Local Food Activists panel
W Apr 15
DUE at the start of class: Group Project 2
F Apr 17
M: “Farmworker Food Insecurity” (Ch. 6, Cultivating Food Justice)
week thirteen
M Apr 20
Viramontes, Under the Feet of Jesus, 1-90 (One-Two)
W Apr 22
Viramontes, Under the Feet of Jesus, 91-130 (Three)
F Apr 24
Viramontes, Under the Feet of Jesus, 131-176 (Four-Five)
M Apr 27
Kumin, “Video Cuisine”; Alexie, “13/16”; Oliver, “Rice”
W Apr 29
DUE at the start of class: Paper 2
In class: informal presentations on papers
F May 1
Conclusions & Evaluations
week fourteen
week fifteen
F May 8
Exams begin
M May 11
Seniors: last exam period
W May 13
All others: last exam period