Upcoming online writing workshops at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology

If there is an upside to this pandemic (and I realize I’m grasping) it is that there are a wealth of online writing programs now available. I wanted to draw your attention to two upcoming programs at the wonderful Sitka Center for Art in Ecology in our home state of Oregon: Changing in PlaceInstructor: Nancy …

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Book Review: Dark Side of the Ocean

If you are one of those for whom solid scientific information is a balm for environmental anxiety, Dark Side of the Ocean is the book for you. Albert Bates, the author of 18 books on climate, history, and ecology, provides a torrent of information in easy to understand language. It is technical but not thick. It …

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Green Stories Writing Competition: Stories for children

If you’ve got a children’s story focused on making this world a better place, check out this free writing competition: We are looking for stories for children that in some way touch upon ideas around building a sustainable society. We will consider all genres, and the story doesn’t have to be about sustainability or climate …

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New environmental journal: Ecocene

Always nice to see the emergence of a new environmental publication. This one is called Ecocene and is published by the Cappadocia University Environmental Humanities Center. The inaugural issue is free to download — see below: The idea with our first special issue is to inaugurate not just the journal but the kind of key …

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Learning to love weeds: Beyond the War on Invasive Species

Dandelions. Bull thistle. Kudzu. Japanese knotweed. Himalayan blackberry. From front lawns to woodlands, these are among the most despised of plant species. Species that, we are told, are hell-bent on taking over every square inch of soil, crowding out native species, ruining ecosystems, giving gardeners ulcers. But what if everything we know about weeds is …

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Review: In The Art of Earth Architecture everything old is new again

As an architectural enthusiast, I have long admired Louis Khan. When I first visited San Diego years ago, I made sure to visit The Salk Institute. To see how concrete was used as both structure and frame, guiding my eyes toward the ocean. Kahn inspired me to dream about one day building a home made …

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Bird by Word: Two reviews of American Birds: A Literary Companion

As I finished reading American Birds: A Literary Companion I realized that there were two reviews I could write: the “typical American birder” review and the “atypical vegan birder” review. And that, in the end, I needed to write both reviews. Let’s begin with the “typical American birder” review. In this review, I admire the …

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Writing Opportunity: And Lately, the Sun

Now that so many of us are hibernating these days, there’s more time to write and submit. Such as to this planned anthology… Our project, “And Lately, The Sun”, explores climate solutions in a short story anthology slated for publication in November 2020. We are currently calling for submissions until midnight (GMT) on the 30th …

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Review: Building a Better World in Your Backyard

When it comes to nonfiction environmental books these days, I feel that we’re reaching “peek dystopia.” Or, at least I hope we are. Because it seems that between books about our warming planet, animal extinction, water shortages and wars, I’m sufficiently enlightened and depressed. What we don’t have enough of these days are hands-on books …

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New Writing Opportunity: Everything Change Climate Fiction Contest

Sponsored by the Imagination and Climate Futures Initiative at Arizona State University, the contest organizers are “looking for short stories that help us imagine how humans can live within Earth’s planetary boundaries—at the individual level, yes, but more importantly at the level of organizations, communities, and societies, and at the level of a global human civilization.” Work will …

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New Podcast: John Yunker joins The Afterword for a Chat About Environmental Stories

Author and EcoLit Books co-founder John Yunker joined guest Joelle Teachey, executive director of Trees Upstate, for a podcast focused on environmental literature. The Afterword is a podcast devoted to the “future of words” and is hosted by Amy Bowling and Holland Webb. You can listen to it here. You can also subscribe via iTunes.

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