Representations of Extinction- 38125 -ENST-143
Professor: Karen Shaup
As Elizabeth Kolbert outlines in The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, we are currently living in an age of potential mass extinction as a result of anthropogenic (or human-made) climate change. This course examines how the possibility of mass extinction is culturally mediated through literature, nature documentaries, wildlife calendars, zoos, Endangered Species chocolate, and other cultural artifacts. How do we encounter the potential of mass extinction, intellectually, artistically, and affectively? What are the aesthetic forms of extinction, and how do they shape our understanding of the past, present, and possible futures? How do representations of endangered species and vulnerable ecosystems engage with environmental justice and the legacies of imperialism and colonialism? What ethical questions emerge as writers and artists confront the loss of biodiversity?
