Inhuman NatureJeffrey Jerome Cohen Gathering into lively conversation scholars in medieval, early modern and object studies, Inhuman Nature explores the activity of the things, forces, and relations that enable, sustain and operate indifferently to us. Enamored by fictions of environmental sovereignty, we too often imagine "human" to be a solitary category of being. This collection of essays maps the heterogeneous and asymmetrical ecologies within which we are enmeshed, a material world that makes the human possible but also offers difficulties and resistance. Among the topics explored are the futurity that inheres in storms and wrecks, wood that resists its burning or offers art and dwelling, hymns that implant themselves like viruses, the ontology of everyday objects, the seep and flow of substance, the resistant nature of matter, the dependence of community upon making things public, and the interstices at which nature and culture become inseparable. Tinker as you will. TABLE OF CONTENTS // Jeffrey Jerome Cohen - Introduction: Ecostitial / Steve Mentz - Shipwreck / Anne Harris - Hewn / Alan Montroso - Human / Valerie Allen - Matter / Lowell Duckert - Recreation / Alfred Kentigern Siewers - Trees / James Smith - Fluid / Ian Bogost - Inhuman |
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aesthetic agency alien arboreal argues Arma Christi attempt becomes body Caesar called Cambridge century Christ Christian comes common continue create Cross culture desire Dream Duke University DylanÛs early early modern ecology effects English environment environmental essay example exists experience figure fluid force forest garden geometry hewn host human hymn imagination inhuman ItÛs Jews kind less living London mark material matter means measure medieval Middle mind motion move narrative nature never noise objects ocean Oliphaunt once origin parasite park performance perhaps Philosophy physical play position possible qualities reading recreation relations seems sense Serres shape shipwreck side song sonic space speaks stone story Studies suggests symbol Tale term things thought tion trans transformation translation tree turn University Press walk wood Wound writing York