The Nature of Cities: Ecocriticism and Urban EnvironmentsCities are often thought to be separate from nature, but recent trends in ecocriticism demand that we consider them as part of the total environment. This new collection of essays sharpens the focus on the nature of cities by exploring the facets of an urban ecocriticism, by reminding city dwellers of their place in ecosystems, and by emphasizing the importance of this connection in understanding urban life and culture. The editors—both raised in small towns but now living in major urban areas—are especially concerned with the sociopolitical construction of all environments, both natural and manmade. Following an opening interview with Andrew Ross exploring the general parameters of urban ecocriticism, they present essays that explore urban nature writing, city parks, urban "wilderness," ecofeminism and the city, and urban space. The volume includes contributions on topics as wide-ranging as the urban poetry of English writers from Donne to Gay, the manufactured wildness of a gambling casino, and the marketing of cosmetics to urban women by idealizing Third World "naturalness." These essays seek to reconceive nature and its cultural representations in ways that contribute to understanding the contemporary cityscape. They explore the theoretical issues that arise when one attempts to adopt and adapt an environmental perspective for analyzing urban life. The Nature of Cities offers the ecological component often missing from cultural analyses of the city and the urban perspective often lacking in environmental approaches to contemporary culture. By bridging the historical gap between environmentalism, cultural studies, and urban experience, the book makes a statement of lasting importance to the development of the ecocritical movement. |
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Contents
ANDREW ROSS INTERVIEWED BY MICHAEL BENNETT | 15 |
Walking Streets and Urban | 33 |
Origins of Antebellum Urban Nature | 93 |
Copyright | |
3 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
The Nature of Cities: Ecocriticism and Urban Environments Michael Bennett,David W. Teague Limited preview - 2021 |
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12 Monkeys activism African American animals areas argues associated beauty become begin Bryant building Central century claim concept concerns connections construction contemporary created criticism cultural D-fens describes early ecofeminist ecology economic effects environmental essay example experience fact green housing human important industrial interest John justice kind land landscape lead literary literature live London look Lorde Lorde's means moral move movement narrative nature original park past perspective physical poem poetry political position possible present preservation problems production race relations relationship represent representation residents rhetoric rural sense social society space spatial story Street suburban suburbs suggests things tion tradition trees turn understand urban environment utopia walking wild wilderness woman women writing York
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Nature of Cities: Ecocriticism and Urban Environments |
| Author | Professor of Palliative Medicine Michael Bennett |
| Editors | Michael Bennett, David W. Teague |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | University of Arizona Press, 1999 |
| ISBN | 0816519471, 9780816519477 |
| Length | 311 pages |
| Subjects | › Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection Nature / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |