Environmental Writing Theses

Environmental Writing Theses

Bollinger. Surface Tension: Essays on an Evolving Faith. 2020, Sydney Bollinger, 75pp. Six related personal essays that explore the overlaps and tensions between fundamentalism and environmentalism.

Bussjaeger. Down the Deer Path: the Changing Landscape of Hunting in America. 2020, Jackie Bussjaeger, 151pp. Intro, 6 Chaps, & 30pp of references. Personal essays combined with sourced material to interrogate hunting in the U.S. in the 21st century.

Galloway. Saline: On Walking Through. 2020, Kitty Galloway, 123pp. Prelude, Coda, 5 Interludes, and 6 Essays. A creative nonfiction account of walking 5,000 miles over 10+years, with strong psychological, emotional, and environmental themes and undertones.

Pellegrino. A Restless, Imminent Dread. 2020, Elizabeth Pelligrino, 68pp. Six related essays that explore eco- and climate- fears and anxiety with the goal of finding positive paths for confrontation and change.

Baker, E. Unsettled: A Memoir. 2012, Elizabeth Baker, 129 pp. Narrative, lyrical memoir of intense experiences in Palestine, as well as childhood place-based accounts of Syria, Germany, and Minnesota.

Brogan.  In the Family of Things: Stories about Simple Choices and Radical Change.  2012, Grace Brogan, 139 pp w/ references. Seven essays, with 5 interlude Turning Points on the acts of courage and good faith that inhabit everyday objects.

Brown. Between Rivers: Home, Obligation, & Otherness from a Confluence of Conservation & Connectivity. 2016, Chandra Brown, 147pp. Eight essays with Prologue and Coda centered on writer’s experiences on rivers in Ecuador.

Cole.  Wash Out: Fluvial Forms and Processes on the American Frontiers. July Oskar Cole, 2010, 160pp. Experimental frameworks for teasing out latencies in frontierism, restoration, mythology, and imagination. Lyrical, incisive, mult-genre writing in 3 main chapters with extensive case study epilogue.

Cook.  Poison in Pink: Uncovering the Toxic Beauty Industry. 2017, Sydney Cook, 116pp. Introduction and two expository and personal essays with 40 pages of research notes and bibliography.

Duncan.  An Elemental Community: Contemplation of Place.  2016, Theresa Duncan, 87pp.   Eight essays and coda, with 6pp bibliography.   Personal essays on elements, place, and spirit.

Engelfried.  Beyond Awareness: Stories from the Climate Change Movement. 2012, Nick Engelfried, Portfolio. Creative essays (2); Book Proposal (novel) with first 60 pp; 350.org Internship.

Giese.  A Hunter’s Shadows: Essays Exploring My Roles as a Hunter.  2014, Jim Giese, 80pp.  Five personal essays and afterword from writer’s lifelong experience in hunting.

Griffith.  A Thousand Invisible Cords: the Role of Relationships around Community and Food.  2014, Heather Griffith, Portfolio, 117pp.   Internship in CA, 2 years at UM FLAT, and 4 essays.

Gurche.  Chignick Summer: A Season of Work on the Alaskan Coast.  2017, Peter Gurche, 94pp.  Seven essays toward creative nonfiction book distilling writer’s multi-year experiences on fishing boats in Alaska.

Hart. Ground Fires: Essays on Land and the Ethics of Scouting.  2017, Matt Hart, 86pp.  Creative nonfiction book in progress with six essays from writer’s lifelong experience with scouting and at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.

Jackson.  While Glaciers Slept: Being Human in a Time of Climate Change.  M Jackson, 2011, 206pp.   Part personal memoir, part exploration narrative, part scientific investigation, all focused on confronting climate change and acting with hope.  Twelve named Chapters and Epilogue.

Koshere.  Falling in Yellowstone: Stories from the Summer Season.   2012, Lauren Koshere, 190pp.  Sixteen place-based essays about summers working and living in Yellowstone National Park.

Langston.  Treading Water: Essays on Life in the Margins.  2015, Erica Langston, Portfolio, 52pp.  Six essays, several published by time of defense:  personal, op-ed, and reported work.

Lanzoni.  Thirst.  Michelle Lanzoni, 2010, 100+ pp.  Essays on water from America to Africa and the Mideast.  First essay in collection appeared in The North American Review 2009, and other work from Thirst was awarded the Ellen Meloy Desert Writers Award for 2010.

Leary.  Beautiful, Battered Lands: Making Peace with Place from the Rust Belt to Appalachia.  2016, Kate Leary, 116pp.  Eighteen reflective essays set in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Littman.  When the Sap Flows: Affection and Industry in Maple Woods.  2014, Nick Littman, 201pp.  Book prototype detailing writer’s experience in maple sugaring in New York and Vermont.

May.  Wild, adjective.  2015, Colin May, Portfolio, 86pp.  Six essays that explore what we mean by “wild” in three areas: wild art, wild animal, and wild food.

McGuire (Sheffer). Walking With the Wild: Finding an Ethic of Compassion in Conservation. 2019, Jane McGuire, 76pp. Five essays and a poem that explore encounters with wildlife and wild places and ethics.

McInerney. Creative Environmental Advocacy: Writing & Education as Way Points. 2018. Megan McInerney, 109pp. Portfolio and color artworks with 3 parts: creative nonfiction, journalism and articles, and educational possibilities.

Moore, N.  Learning to be Home: Perspectives from a Year in Patagonia.   2012, Nancy Moore, 95pp.   Nonfiction account of young woman from Ohio living in small town in far south Chile in 2007.

Nelson, C.  Access: Communicating to Rekindle a Cultural Connection to Nature.  2013, Cassie Nelson, Portfolio.  Camas Editorship; FCBS Internship; Personal essays (4).

Parker. The Anatomy of Extinction: Stories of People as Place. 2019, Mason Parker, 84pp. Eleven related lyrical essays set in Oklahoma whose characters, landscapes, and events build multiple intertwined metaphors of planet earth in the 21st century.

Peterson. Things That Fly. 2018, Melissa Peterson, 107pp. Twenty-seven chapters in 6 parts: a lyrical memoir that exposes and explores environmental issues involving hawks and windfarms in Montana.

Raboin.  Environmental Communication.  2011, Beth Raboin, Portfolio.  Audio Podcasts (multiple); Camas Internship; Personal and narrative essays (3).

Sentner.  Wearing It On: A Map of Work and Land.  2017, Tom Sentner, 67pp.   Five essays centered on the writer’s manual work in locations around the U.S. involving environmental restoration and monitoring.

Smith.  Wingspan: Living With Birds.  2016, Lauren Smith, 88pp.   Seven essays recounting and reflecting from writer’s experiences with birds around America and the world.

Spivey.  We Humans: Nature, Culture, and Identity in the Anthropocene Age.  2013, Hudson Spivey, 138pp.  Expository and reflective analysis of Anthropocene issues with 21 pp. of endnotes.

Stanger.  The Millennial Who Planted Trees: Stories from a Young Restorationist.  2015, Trevien Stanger, 102pp.  Eleven essays that range widely in place and in idea: on-the-ground environmental philosophy, psychology, analysis, and ethic.

Taylor.   Cairn Stones: A Mosaic Memoir and Manual.  Bethany Taylor, 2010, 86pp.  Twenty essays that are scraps and fractals of larger personal and cultural stories and range from 2001-2010.  Together they show the growth of an open-eyed hope.

Triolo.  The Way Around: Walking into Revolution.   2016, Nick Triolo, 147pp.  Six essays that explore revolution through landscape circumambulation on two continents, activism, & ecopsychology.

Van Paepeghem.  Fences.   Russ Van Paepeghem, 2010, 90 pp  Memoir of author’s childhood in rural Idaho that explores questions of the history and romance of the West and the boundary worlds of work.  Short lyrical essays interspersed with longer expository narratives.

Vonderheide.  Sacred Zones: Examining Wilderness in Yellowstone, Maine, & Russia.  2015, Lily Vonderheide, 76pp.  Three part analysis and reflection from personal experience with 10pp endnotes.

Weatherby.  Through a Changed Landscape: Hiking the Arizona Trail.   2011, Sarah Weatherby, Portfolio.  Hikingitthrough Blog; Essays (7), Poems, Photography; Trail Guidebook storyboard.

Withnall.  Fracture.  2016, Emily Withnall, 113pp.   Exploration of connections between domestic abuse and environmental abuse centered around the landscape of north-central New Mexico.

Andrews.  Badluck Way.  2009, Bryce Andrews, 124 pp & photos.  Narrative memoir of a year working on Sun Ranch in Madison Valley in MT, documenting an attempt to reconcile ranching with conservation.

BatemanEncompassing: Notes from New Mexico.  2005, John Bateman, 96pp.  Five personal, lyrical essays set in New Mexico encompassing  environmental, ecological, cultural, and personal histories.

BrunkMissouri Haunting Spells: Reflections on Home, Wandering, Wildness, and Small Things that Matter.  2004, Tami Brunk,120pp.  Seven related personal essays on familial, natural, and religious history and issues.  Set in Ozarks, Arizona, Maine, Montana.

Burnim.   Sawtooths to Selkirks: Connecting the Wild in Idaho, Montana, & B.C. 2004, Josh Burnim, 142pp.  First 5 chapters of book on 900-mile hike to research & promote wildlife connectivity in the Northern Rockies.

Clark.  The World So Sweet: Essays on the Nature of Food.  2005, Allison Clark, 118pp.  Nine essays each centered on a different food: potatoes, sugar cane, tomatoes, grapes, corn, oranges, salmon.   Blend of personal, historical, cultural, ecological explorations of what we are and what we eat.

De Jong.  Between Earth & Sky: A Journey to the Crossroads of Faith and Landscape.  Allison De Jong, 2008, 74 pp.  Collection of 5 personal essays based in rural Iowa, the MidEast, and South America.  Examines the intersection of Christian faith and environmental concern, addressed to both communities.

DelHommeWork and the Nature of Place: Personal Essays Exploring the Connection between Work & Relationship to Place. 2005, Patrick DelHomme, 72pp.  Intro and 3 related essays about work and place.

Deysach.   Welcome to the Evolution: A Personal Inquiry into the Nature of Human Consciousness.  2004, Rebecca Deysach, 122pp.  Intro & 11 creative essays, each a blend of personal experience and reflection along with research and reference into the history and theory of human consciousness..

DrendelBleeding Heartwood: Stories from a Peace Corps Environmental Awareness Volunteer in the Dominican Republic.  2005, Aaron Drendel,  90pp.  Nine chapter/essays recounting author’s experience and reflections on two years in DR with focus on both ecological and cultural challenges and possibilities.

Farris.   A Procession of Shadows: Abortion & the Environment.2003, 103pp, Farris, Wren..  Intro, 8 essays, coda. Lyrical, personal. The beginning of an inquiry to be called The Natural History of Abortion.

Frank.  By the Seat of My Pants: Creative Nonfiction and Journalism.  2006, Matt Frank, Portfolio.  Creative essays (2); New West Editorial Internship, multiple clips; reflections on the two genres.

Fredrickson.  Roots Words: The Language of Food.  2009, Erika Fredrickson, Portfolio.  Personal essays (2); Missoula Independent feature article; EnviroVore blog, multiple posts.

FrenchWunderjahr: Apprenticeship of a Modern Normad.  2004, Adam French, 156 pp.  Personal and environmental narrative about year of travel in Central and South America studying conservation sites and issues.  About one-half of a book in progress.

Gailus.  Original Griz: Rewriting the Story of the Great Plains Grizzly.  2007, Jeff Gailus, 127pp.  First third of book in progress on GP Grizzly, mainly in Canada.  Personal, historical, cultural, & ecological analysis/reflection.

Gibbins.  Wilderness Returns: A Natural and Cultural History of the Rattlesnake Wilderness.  Tim Gibbins, 2009, 91pp with map and appendix.  Collection of 13 narrative essays serving as guide to multiple histories and descriptions of Rattlesnake Wilderness in Montana.

Green.  Of Both Worlds: How the Personal Computer and the Environmental Movement Change Everything.  2006, Hank Green, 77pp.  Six chapter extended personal, reflective, historical essay on two title concerns.  From “My Big Head” to “The Matrix and the Meatspace” to “Eco-Geeks.”

Guyaz.  Connections Between Self and Nature.   2005, Darren Guyaz, Portfolio.  Photography (exhibition downtown Missoula); Personal essay; Missoula Independent feature article.

Hall, B.  Good Like The Sea.  2006, Becca Hall, 72pp.  The opening section to a novel in progress, set in Puget Sound and Seattle 1998-2000.  A 3rd-person narrative about protagonist Rosie and her friends.

Hash.  Flatlined: One Man’s Struggle Against Mountaintop Removal Mining and Ecocide in Southern West Virginia.  2007, Brad Hash, 105pp.  First third of novel in progress, set in 2003 in WVA, with first-person narrator Rayf trying to find courage to fight MTR and its human and ecological disasters.

Hollingsworth.  Home Remedies for Grief in a Time of Mass Extinction.  2007, Megan Hollingsworth, Portfolio.  The Whale Memorial Dance (production at UM); researched essay; personal essay, poetry.

Holt. A Thirst for Connections: Self, Ecopsychology, & Addiction.  2005, Allison Holt, 92 pp.  Intro and 6 related personal essays from ecopsychological perspectives.  Set in MT, Tennessee, and Minnesota.

Hyzy.  Waif Elements: A Natural History of Restoration in Hawai’i.  2004, Katharine Hyzy, 101pp.  Intro and five essay/chapters on natural history, restoration, and personal experience on big island of HI.

Johnson. Rattling the Chain. 2004, Ann Johnson, 89pp.  Seven personal essays on interactions with wild animals in various states of “domestication,” captivity, and injury.  Set in Asia and U.S.

KesslerChaparral.  2004, Jeff Kessler, 80 pp.  Personal essays on teaching kids, traveling wide and far, and settling in, all with an eye toward environmental ideas and issues.  Set in MT, LA, and South America.

Lattuga. Tangled Landscapes: Essays from Wildness, Memory, and the Unbroken Sky. 2003, Danielle Lattuga, 150pp.  Nine essays and nine poem/vignettes.  Section themes: outdoor adventure, human-animal interaction, and gardening. Settings: Vermont, Eastern Africa, and Montana.

Lawrence.  River House.  Sarahlee Lawrence,  2008, 185pp.  Memoir of young woman facing opposing urges of  land, family, familiarity, and liberation, set primarily while narrator and father build log house in central Oregon.

LewellynVoices Hinged: A Triptych of Voices on Farming and Ranching in the Bitterroot.  2005, Kisha Lewellyn, 54pp.  Intro, Coda, and 3 personal essay profiles of agricultural lives in MT’s Bitterroot valley.

Loos.  Environmental Communication in Three Parts.  2008, Dave Loos, Portfolio.  Old School (Camas Editorship); New School (EnviroWonk blog; Business School (business plan for green hostel.)

Lundahl.  Finding Coyote: Praying into Madness.  Merrilyne Lundahl, 2009, 70pp.  Memoir of 6 essays, prelude and coda, that explores violence, mental illness, Mormonism, and wellness through motif of coyote as species and mythic character.

Marsh.  To Neighbor: Stories from Melville, Montana, a Crossroads of Land, Community, and a Way of Life.    2006, Genevieve Marsh, 94pp.  Eight essays inspired by author’s trips to Sweet Grass County in MT: her research, friendships, experiences, and reflections.  Dedicated to “the good people of Melville.”

Matthewson.  Between Plow and Wood: A Scientific & Creative Approach to Food & Farming.  2005, Melissa Matthewson, Portfolio.  Msla County Food Assessment Internship; 2 personal essays.

McKee.  What Good Can Writing Do?  Exploring 3 Genres of Writing to Ignite Local Food Consumption and Production.  2009, Heather McKee, Portfolio.  Envivore blog multiple posts; Internship Grant; personal essays

Meeks.  Blood at the Root: Of Myth, Food, Race, and Landscape in the American South.  2006, Catherine Meeks, 95pp.  Intro, Coda, and 4 essays that explore personal, cultural, ecological histories in the South.

Metcalf.  Fertile Ground: Reflections on Christian Faith Practices as Care for the Earth.  Peter Metcalf, 2009, 111pp.  Five related essays on Christian faith practices, historically and in the narrator’s experiences, and how they may be renewed for those who care about the creation.

Miller. N.  Black Leaves.  Nathaniel Miller, 2008, 127pp.  Ten narrative essays, ranging from personal journalism to memoir to reflection, which explore detachment, alienation, and wildness from multiple perspectives.

Mylchreest.   The Keel and the Going.  Melissa Mylchreest, 2007, 98pp.  A personal narrative exploration of place and human nature, based in New England and Montana.  Ten essays and coda.

Newhouse.  Broken Lines: Mending the Memories of a Scattered Childhood.  2005, Ryan Newhouse, 99pp.  Prolog and 10 essays: memoir and reflection on rural South, nuclear power, fishing, and family.

RandallSaving the Tree-Sitter, a young adult ecological novel.  2004, Brianna Randall, 152 pp.  Novel of 12-year-old girls on 200-mile escape/adventure in Western MT, educating readers as it unfolds.

Rigdon.  Fire From Ice: Reflections & Investigations of Fire, Climate, & Time.  2007, Craig Rigdon, Portfolio.  Personal essays (3); Journalism article; Researched Paper (2).  All related to fire and fire issues.

Patten.  In the Light Beyond Dreaming.  2006, Robin Patten, 210 pp.  A full draft of book on upper Gallatin Valley area in MT: a comprehensive blend of personal, natural, geological, cultural, & environmental history.

PealerThe Pollen Burden: Nomadic Communion with Landscape.  2005, Sacha Pealer, 90pp.  Fifteen essays, each with a prefatory sketch by author, centered about particular plants and reflecting on the author’s experiences and intuitions as a field botanist in landscapes across North America.

Peters.  Forever Wild: Journeys Through the North Fork.  Greg Peters, 2009, 84pp w/ photos.  Interconnected essays about North Fork of the Flathead River and surrounding ecosystem.  Ten narratives of float trips, and expository issues on associated issues: international boundary, mining, fire.

Ponikvar.  On the Way to Somewhere: A Memoir of Places.  Teresa Ponikvar, 2007, 83pp with coda.  Collection of 4 personal essays that address the tension between rootedness and rootlessness.

Shields.  Cumulonibus on Clay: Five Letters to a Difficult Place.  2006, Jesslyn Shields, 73pp + 8 color photos.  Intro and 5 essays on author’s life in and perceptions of Georgia, from Atlanta to the winding backcountry rivers.

Vranizan.  Rhetoric and the Restoration Landscape: Forest Restoration Environmental Debate.  2006, Greg Vranizan, 65 pp (73 notes and bibliography).   Extended argument for careful examination of rhetoric in restoration debate, written for general audience, drawing on author’s diverse background as scholar and sawyer.

Wetter. Communicating Nature.  2004, Erica Wetter, Portfolio.  Analytical essay; Editorial Internship at Utne Reader; Critical essay on 3 nature writers.

Wright.  Environmental Journalism: Exploration through Advocacy, Articles, & Internship.  2005, Monica Wright, Portfolio.  Internship with Living On Earth radio show; Paper on advocacy in environmental reporting; Environmental articles (4).

YalePiercing the Crow’s Eye: Reflections & Recollections on the Natural World.  2005, Kathleen Yale, 103pp.  Introduction and 14 essays recount and reflect on the author’s biologist field experiences in Montana from both scientific and spiritual perspectives.

Allen. Selected Chapters from Behind the Rocks. Mattie Allen, 2001, 230pp, 6 Sections. Selected chapters from a book in progress that combines narratives about abortion and wilderness. Divided into scientific paper headings, these personal stories and reflections reveal complexity, depth, and individuality within seemingly disparate dialogues about two highly contentious personal and political issues.

Barrett. Being As It Used To Be Long Ago, May I Walk: Stories on Relationship to Animals, to Self. G. Barrett, 1994, 70pp, 3 essays. Tracking the Bear, A Short History of Buffalo, Another Pleasant Valley Sunday. Narratives, lyrical, magically real, NA influence, alternative histories, personal stories.

Beardsley. Walk Me Home: A Story. Woody Beardsley, 1997, 109pp+, 8 chaps. Missoula to Denver on foot via CJ Pass, The Beaverhead, Centennial Valley, Yellowstone, GD Basin. Conversational tone, personal narrative of summer hiking journey to home, with many land-use enviro issues in mix.

Berger. Ice, Water, Land, & Time: A Partial Story of Glacial Lake Missoula and the Missoula Floods. Dan Berger, 2002, 121 pp w/ 4pp Biblio, 2 Maps. History and analysis, mixed with personal narrative & reflection.

Boltwood. Old and in the Way: An Evaluation of Alaska’s Dams and Anadromous Fish. Meagan Boltwood, 2002, 108 pp w/ 15pp Biblio. Two creative nonfiction essays that explore salmon issues in Alaska serve as background and introduction to formal report on 21 abandoned, limited use, or active Alaskan dams that block fish passage. The report itself was published by Trout Unlimited in Fall 2002.

Brister. Title. 2002, 128pp, Dan Brister. 5 Chapters & Appendix. A collection of related nonfiction essays about Yellowstone Bison and the author’s personal experiences in their defense between 1997-2002. (As of 2006, Dan is still defending them.)

Brunk. Yearning Wild: Confessions of a Recovering Alpha Male. Glendon Brunk, 1995, 171pp, foreword & 6 chaps. Memoir of growing up in Midwest & 12 yrs in AK during Prudhoe Bay/Pipeline Era. Personal narrative, examination of maleness, frontier, decline, loss, men healing themselves, world. Book: 2001.

Carpenter. Down the Clark Fork—A River Rebounds. Murray Carpenter, 1994, 6 chaps, maps/slides, biblio. Account of 18-day float from Warm Springs to Thompson Falls on Clk Fk River in ’93. Narrative w/ natural history, much political/environmental issue history & background. Restoration ideas.

Condon. Montana Surround: Essays on Land, Water, Nature, & Place. Phil Condon, 2000, 129pp w/ 4pp Biblio. Series of related personal narrative essays recounting interactions with animals and natural world.

Duckworth. Field Journals: Connecting People with Place. Carolyn Duckworth, 1994, 139 pp, I, C , 3 Parts, 4pp Biblio. FJ methods, values, applications. Interviews naturalist/educator, naturalist/activist, and artist who kept life-long FJ’s. Part 3: how to keep, think creatively about, & use FJ to benefit Enviro. Prof. Paper.

Deuel. To Sing of Egrets: Water Use, Culture and Conflict on Montana’s Bitterroot River. Katherine Deuel, 1999, 136pp 6 chaps, 4 Interludes. History of MT’s Bitterroot valley watershed’s development of water use and distribution and analysis of current problems. Four brief personal narrative interludes interwoven.

Fenyvesi. Friend to the Desert Owl: Towards a Jewish Environmental Ethic. Shamu Fenyvesi, 1995, 64pp, Intro, 3 Parts, 2pp Biblio. Explores idea of sound enviro ethic based on Jewish religious thought w/ basis in Book of Job. Ethic would emphasize unity, humility, justice. Judaic laws & prayers as supporting this ethic.

Flynn. Or Else We Would Fly Away: a history of place and placelessness. Jenny Flynn, 1994, 314pp, 3 parts, 7 chaps. An imaginative first-person novel about longing and belonging and about many vividly depicted places. “Where the devil lives,” “warped ecology,” and “healing herbs” are the section titles.

Friskics. How Does Nature Speak to Our Concerns? A Rhythm of Dialogue and Responsibility in Environmental Ethics and Wilderness Preservation. Scott Friskics, 1993, 267 pp w/ 5pp Biblio. Profound, in-depth discussion of E ethics that establishes dialogue model of relating to nature and ends in analysis of wilderness ethics and a defense of NREPA.

Gross. Born of the River: The Literature of Glen Canyon. Mathew Gross, 1999, 80pp, 10 Chap, 5pp Biblio. Literary history of GC Dam & Lake Powell. Background, political analysis, GC as symbol of enviro degradation. Stegner, Abey, Z. Grey, B. Goldwater, Powell, McPhee, & more.

Gordon. Gringos in the Mist: A Naturalist Journey Through Ecuador. Greg Gordon, 1992, 116 pp, Intro, PS, 6 Chaps, Biblio. 1st person, present tense account of months in Ecuador in 1991. Natural history, politics, current events. “At what point do we cease to be spectators and become participants in the world?”

Gunter. The Steens Mountain Divide: Beyond Compromise in the Oregon High Desert. Tara Rae Gunter, 2001, 109pp, 10 Chaps, 5pp Biblio. Analysis of Steens Mountain land-use agreements of 1999. Study employs personal trips to area, many interviews, background geology, natural history, politics, & cultural history. Shows development and details of unique SM agreements as possible model for other areas with multiple claims.

Hall. A Journey North: Hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Adrienne Hall, 1999, 220 pp. A personal narrative about perseverance and relationships during a 2,159 mile hike on AT. Hall also discusses many environmental and recreational issues as they arise in the context of the hike. Revised version published in 2000 by Applachian Mtn Press.

Havlick. The Wildness of Wilderness: A Study of Designated, De Facto, and Personal Wilderness. David Havlick, 1992, 59 pp, 9 Chaps, 4 maps. Both personal account and scientific study of 8-weeks hiking in 2 MT wild areas, Ananconda Pintlar Ws. & Big Hole RA. Two 1st person Chaps, natural history, and psychological effect comparisons of the 2 areas along with lyric and personal response to being in wilderness.

Homestead. The Call of Spirit. William Homestead, 2002, 288 pp w/ 5pp Biblio, 13 Chapters. Personal narratives, extended interviews, and critical expositions woven together to explore personal life callings in the context of spiritual and environmental ethics. Author argues and dramatizes how religious experience, contemplation, and critical rationality all contribute to growth of environmental ethic and commitment.

Lainsbury. Stomata: Openings. James Lainsbury, 2002, 94 pp, 7 essays. Personal essays that “pick at the kinds of wounds most people don’t like to talk about: illness, secrecy, shame” as they “reflect on what is valuable about this planet and human relationships. Set in Maine and Montana, about logging, surgery, fear, empathy, joy.

Le Vaux. Pimping & Sampling the Biosphere: Stories from the Hodad Papers. Ari LeVaux, 2001, 104pp w/ 8 Chaps & 10pp App. First 8 Chaps of novel HPs + outline of whole book. Imaginative novel with 1st person narrator Hodad as he tracks wolf--physical, psychological, cultural, mythical--through exploration of hu(man) relationship with environment and self.

Mac Millen. Looking for Hope: Environmental Themes in Seven Speculative Novels. Katie Mac Millen, 1995, 137 pp, 9 Chaps, 5pp Biblio. Free-wheeling, in-depth study of human/beyond-human relations in 5 speculative novels (1971-91) in search of hope--for alternatives for world & for reinvigorating environmentalists.

McClure. Up: A non-climber’s account of his climbing self. Kyle McClure, 2001, 78pp. An extended essay that questions the motives and purposes of climbers, their relationship to and use of nature. The essay combines psychology, history, cross-cultural analysis, and personal narrative accounts.

McCluskey. Come Out Even: A Season of Rodeo and Wild Horse Wrangling in Wyoming. Ian McCluskey, 1995, 246pp. A 1st-person novel recounting summer at Pryor Mtn Wild Horse Range. “Some of the names have been changed to protect the guilty, never mind the innocent.”

McKeen. Black Dirt, Muddy River. 2002, 106pp, McKeen, Nate. Preface and eight narrative essays set in Cedar River country of Iowa. Through personal story, family history, and cultural/ecological inventories, essays explore damage, resiliency, and wildness of heavily used farming country.

McMurray. In the Land of the Heart. Patrick McMurray, 1991, 40pp w/ 2 Chaps, 4pp Notes, Biblio. Original nature myth (20pp) w/ 15pp background, inspired by Mission Mtn landmarks, author’s life, and diverse sources such as modern poets, French cinema, Hopi tales, Navajo “bible,” cancer therapies, and Leopold.

Miller, E. The River We Carry With Us: Two Centuries of Writing on the Clark Fork. Emily Miller, 2001, 25 pp. Account of project for compiling, co-editing, and introducing book on CF River. Includes TOC for book, works consulted, and 19pp Intro, which also appears in the completed book (Clark City Press, 2002).

Miller, M. The Butterfly Effect. Mary Miller, 1998, 92pp, 5 essays. Lyrical personal essays that tell stories from the author’s life and explore many strands of environmental issues and ethics.

Peine. Women for the Wild: Douglas, Edge, Murie and the American Conservation Movement. Mary Anne Peine, 2002, 150pp w/ footnotes. Profiles of 3 women exemplary in American conservation. Primary Sources.

Peluso. The Saguaro and the Octopus: Exploring Natural History through Personal Essays & Illustrations. Beth Peluso, 2002, 111 pp w/ 6 pp Biblio. Four personal natural history essays and eight original paintings combine to complement the exploration of landscape and nature in the Great Barrier Reef, the Sonoran Desert, the Missouri River breaks, and a British Columbia glacier field.

Petrosyan. Western Religious Beliefs and Environment: Personal Reflections on the Religion and Environment. Varya Petrosyan, 2000, 51pp. Student from republic of Georgia writing in non-native English about both her personal understanding of religion and environment and historical relationships of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam with natural world.

Ryan. Works. Leslie Ryan, 1995, 105pp, 3 essays. Three intensely imaginative & wide-ranging personal essays covering the author’s childhood, feminism, child abuse, wilderness training courses, and contemporary movies. Each of them subsequently published. Author won 2000 Rona Jaffee Writing Award .

Sainsbury. Flying Lessons. Lynn Sainsbury, 1998, 95pp, 3 essays. Series of related personal essays about author’s relationship with her father, an errant geologist and Alaskan bush-pilot.

Schalm. Archaeology of an Intimate Landscape. Karin Schalm, 1996, 39 pp, 2 essays, 3 poems. Personal essays and poetry about destruction (of landscape through development, and of personality through molestation) and about the possibilities of restoration and healing. Author acknowledges work of Leslie Ryan.

Schwan. Gender, Power, and the Environmental Movement: A critique and model for change. Bryony Schwan, 1997, 114pp, w/ 8pp Notes, 2pp Biblio, 11pp App. Analysis of environmental movement’s gender imbalance and resultant ineffectiveness, using personal experience from years of activism, surveys, and research, and an account of the founding of Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) in Missoula, MT, in 1995.

Scholl. Bitterroots: A Collection of Environmental Writing on Environmental Ethics. Ron Scholl., 1998, 502 pp. Six essays, a prose poem, a novella, and a video script all exploring environmental ethics, particularly the use of storytelling, the impact of family and place, and E ethics in relation to human ethics.

Stern. Fellow Travelers: Cruising the Globe in Search of Home, Community, and Hope for the Future. Richard Stern, 1997, 110pp. Five personal essays recounting experiences in India, Thailand, Mexico, and Chiapas, most of them part of author’s participation in the Intern’tl Ecology Project Global Ecology Course.

Strohmaier. Drift Smoke: A Meditation on Fire and Loss in the American West. David Strohmaier, 1999, 131pp w/ 15pp Notes. Personal reflection and narrative are form to explore four categories of loss that wild fire brings: loss of fire, of life, of livelihood, and of place. Follow-up book, Seasons of Fire, published by U. of Nevada Press in 2001.

Thomas-Adams. Pornography, Hunting, and the Anxiety of Control. Joel Thomas-Adams, 1993, 197pp w/ 38pp Biblio/Notes. An extension of ecofeminist thought exploring masculine sexuality in two extreme and dominant forms—pornography and hunting—as connected to environmental exploitation and degradation.

Todd. An Anthology of Vermin. Kim Todd, 1999, 93 pp, 6 essays w/ 11pp Notes, Biblio. Related essay series each about intentional introductions of animals into US: honey bees, sea lampreys, vendalia beetles, reindeer, nutria, and kangaroos. Concurrent MFA thesis, “The Stranger’s Craft,” about similar topic. In 2001, author published Tinkering with Eden., a composite and revision of both theses.

Trent. Smashing the Tiger: Wildlife in Hong Kong. Tiffany Trent, 2002, 94pp w/ 3pp Biblio. Four personal narrative essays that inquire into conservation practices in Hong Kong and China, pinpointing differences between American, European/British, and Chinese conservation values and connections with animals.

Weygandt. Release: Three Seasons in the Wild with Peregrine Falcons. Clara Sophia Weygandt, 2002, 117pp. Natural history of peregrines woven into five personal essays recounting five seasons of falcon reintroduction work in California. Explores conservation and restoration issues through authentic personal stories.

Whitesides. Wings of Compassion. Ann Whitesides, 2000, 112 pp, 6 chaps. Seven related and sequential personal essays that explore ethics in ornithological fieldwork. “One woman’s experience of life, birds, and science,” the essays follow growth of author as ornithological field worker as she learns & questions herself and the discipline.

Wray. So Close to Falling: The Removal of Hydroelectric Dams on the Elwha and Kennebec Rivers. Rachel Wray, 1999, 88pp w/ 4pp Biblio. Informal and lively account and analysis of the decommissioning of two major dams that discusses the overall ecological, political, and human issues around the idea of removing dams.

Youngblood-Petersen. The Group To Which People Belong. Tommy Youngblood-Petersen, 1994, 61pp. Personal narrative and investigation of wolf ecology and related cultural/political issues. Centered around story of one particular wolf, Phyllis, in southern Canada, to which the thesis is dedicated. Excerpt printed in Camas.

Ditzler. Song Dog. Ellen Ditzler (Meloy), 1979, 87 pp, foreword & 5 chaps. “Small book of ideas” about the coyote, “presented in the form of voices.” Voice of wildlife biologist narrator, of anger, of NAs, of enemies. See her caution & belief in Foreword re vision & fact. Research, passion, conviction, creativity in defense of C. Ellen Meloy has several books, among them Raven’s Exile, which won a Whiting Award.

rancis. Pilgrimage & Change: War, Peace, & Environment. John Francis, 1986, 119pp, 9 Chaps, 1p Biblio. Personal story/memoir of 18-yr life journey. Years w/o speaking, walking only, living in CA wilderness, coming to MT. Themes of nature, spirit, peace, war, environment woven into 1st person narrative.

Grumbine. The Power Without: On the Practice of Wilderness Teaching. R. Edward Grumbine, 1982. 28 pp, w/ 7pp Course Outline for 55-day outdoor wilderness studies program in Utah. Theories behind and methods for outdoor wilderness study trips & programs w/ sample course design. Environmental Education.

Kaufmann. Mother Earth: Time for a New Metaphor. Christine Kaufmann, 1987, 64 pp, w/ 14pp of material re course author taught on “Women & Environment.” Analysis of 80’s ecofeminist movement thru lens of course and a conference. Ecofeminism should attend to science of ecology at its root and should embrace wider worldview than just women. This requires revision of dominant Mother Earth metaphor.

Murphy. Ponderosa Ponderings. Alexandra Murphy, 1989, 123 pp, 8 chaps, 4pp Biblio, photographs. A mix of natural and cultural history, personal narrative, travel writing, and philosophical musing about Ponderosas. Revised version published in 1994 by Mountain Press as Graced by Pines.

Sandstrom. Stories of Animals and Other Animals. Karyn Sandstrom, 1990, 100pp. Five inventive and fictional stories ( 3--1st person, 2--3rd person) that are author’s “attempts to remind people of our responsibilities to other animals.”

Snow. Great Spirits: Leaders and Leadership in the American Conservation Movement. Donald Snow, 1990, 320 pp, Biblio. Findings & conclusions of the Conservation Leadership Project, 1988-89, presented in depth. Central question: “people are ready for leadership in conservation, but are conservationists ready to lead?”

Wallgren. Like Nothing Uphill: Ecology and Conservation of a Northern Minnesota Peat Bog. Peggy Wallgren, 1990, 61pp w 5pp Biblio. Mix of alternating journal entries and scientific analysis & descriptions of peat bogs in Minnesota. “The paper aims to enlighten, and excite, the reader about peat bogs.

EVST Writing Emphasis Theses 1979-2010, selected

Env Memoir: G. Brunk, Francis, Condon, Flynn, Ryan, Schalm, McCluskey, Weygandt, Homestead, Bateman, T. Brunk, Newhouse, Shields, Patten, Meeks, Green, Lawrence, Van Papaeghem, Mylchreest, N. Miller, Andrews, B. Taylor,

Env Personal, Narrative, &/or Lyrical Essays: Bateman, Brunk, DelHomme, Deysach, Drendel, Farris, Johnson, Kessler, Lattuga, Pealer, Yale, Boltwood, Miller M., Ryan, Condon, Sainsbury, Schalm, Scholl, McClure, Trent, Whitesides, Weygandt, Peluso, Lainsbury, Homestead, Allen, DelHomme, Deysach, Drendel, Farris, French, Holt, Hyzy, Johnson, Kessler, Meeks, Shields, Marsh, N. Miller, Mylchreest, De Jong, Andrews

Env History: Drendel, Patten, Meeks, Gailus,

Natural History: Pealer, Yale, Patten, Gailus

Novel: Le Vaux, McCluskey, Flynn, Scholl (novella), Randall (young adult novel), Becca Hall, Hash

Stories: Sandstrom, McMurrray, Scholl, Barrett, Ditzler

Interviews/Profiles: Duckworth, Gunter, Homestead, Boltwood, Peine, Lewellyn, Marsh, Hash

Anthologies: Gross (Glen Canyon), E. Miller (Clark Fork River), K. Johnson (PEAS Farm)


EVST Writing Emphasis Theses 1979-2010

Animals: Barrett (bear, bison), Ditzler (coyote), Le Vaux (wolf), Sandstrom, Todd, Whitesides (birds), Youngblood-Peterson (wolf), McCluskey (horses), Sandstrom (several), Condon (several), Weygandt (peregrines), Lainsbury (work horses, bobcat), Trent (tigers, bears, monkeys), Lattuga (elephants) Johnson (elephants, monkeys, wolves), Yale (many), Marsh (cattle), Gailus (great plains grizzly), Lundahl (coyote), N. Miller (bison)

Plants: Todd (exotics), Wallgren (peat bog plants), Murphy (ponderosa pine), Peluso (saguaro cactus), Pealer (12-15 different plants), Hyzy (HI native/exotics) Clark (5 food crops)

Place: Bateman (New Mexico, Los Alamos, Santa Fe) Brunk, T (Missouri Ozarks); Burnim (Idaho Mountains); Drendel (Dominican Republic); French (Central & S. America); Hyzy (Hawaii, big island); Lewellyn (Bitterroot Valley0; Yale (Montana); Havlick (MT Wilderness), Carpenter (Clark Fork River), Gunter (Steens Mtn, OR), Wallgen (N Minn), Deuel (Bitterrroot Valley), Condon (Western MT), Gross (Glen Canyon), McMurray (Mission Mtns), Miller E. (Clark Fork River), Boltwood (Alaska), Berger (W MT), Lainsbury (Maine & MT), Meeks (Tenn/SO), Hash (WVA), Marsh (Melville MT), Newhouse (rural SO), B Hall (Puget Sound), Patten (Gallatin Valley), Andrews (Madison valley), Gibbins (Rattlesnake Wilderness), Lawrence (central Oregon), Van Papaeghem (west central Idaho), Ponikvar (MT, Mexico), Peters (North Fork)

Travels: Hiking (Beardsley—N Rocky Mtns, Havlick—MT Wilderness, Hall—Appalachian Trail, Burnim—N. Bitterroots); Floating (Carpenter—Clark Fork R, Lawrence—many rivers, Peters—North Fork Flathead); Other Travels (Francis, Gordon, Stern, Trent, Peluso, French, Kessler, B. Taylor)

Environmental Movement: Kaufman, Schwan, Snow, MacMillen, Peine, Green, Vranizan

Environmental Education: Duckworth, Grumbine, Randall, Kessler

Agriculture/Farming/Gardening/Ranching: Lewellyn, K. Johnson (PEAS anthology), Lattuga, Clark, Marsh, Andrews, Lawrence

Environmental Ethics & Philosophy / Ecopsychology: Friskics, Petrosyan, Strohmaier, Thomas-Adams, G Brunk, Condon, Kaufman, Le Vaux, McMurray, Miller M., Schalm, Scholl, Youngblood-Petersen, Homestead, Deysach, T Brunk, Holt, Pealer, Yale, Clark, Newhouse, Green, B Hall, Shields, Marsh, Patten, Meeks, Metcalf, De Jong, B. Taylor

Environmental Feminist Issues/Approach: Kaufmann, Ryan, Schalm, Schwan, Thomas-Adams, Peine, Farris

International Environmental Issues: Stern, Petrosyan, Trent, Johnson, French, Kessler, Drendel

Religion/Spirit: Fenyvesi, Petrosyan, Homestead, T. Brunk, Deysach, Pealer, Newhouse, Patten, De Jong, Metcalf

Recreation: McClure (climbing), Thomas-Adams (hunting), Hall (Appl. Trail), Lainsbury (biking), Lattuga (skiing, rafting), Patten (hiking, riding), Lawrence (rafting), Gibbins (hiking),

Natural History: Murphy, Gunter, Wallgren, Whitesides, Havlick, Weygandt, Peluso, Berger, Pealer, Yale, Burnim, Drendel, Hyzy, Clark, Patten, Gailus

Water Use/ Watersheds: Deuel, Newhouse, Shields

Work/Jobs: Lainsbury, DelHomme, Drendel, Pealer, Yale, Hyzy, Johnson, Kessler, Shields, Green, Marsh, Vranizan, Andrews, N. Miller, Van Papaeghem

Dams: Boltwood, Wray

Fire Ecology: Strohmaier, Patten

Mining: Hash

Wilderness/ Wilderness Issues: Havlick, Friskics, Condon, Francis, Grumbine, Ryan, Sainsbury, Allen, Lattuga, French, Burnim, Patten, Gailus, Gibbins

Env Literature: Fenyvesi, Gross, MacMillen, Meeks

Restoration: Hyzy (Hawaii), Pealer, Yale, Marsh, Patten, Vranizan, Andrews, Gailus, Gibbins,

Other Information

Publications by Author

Author

Titles

Ellen Meloy, ‘79:

Raven's Exile, Henry Holt, 1996
The Last Cheater’s Waltz, U. of Arizona Press, 2001
The Anthropology of Turquoise, Pantheon, 2002
Eating Stone: Imagination & the Loss of the Wild, Vintage, 2006

R. Edward Grumbine, ’86

Ghost Bears: Exploring the Biodiversity Crisis, Island Press, 1992

John Francis, ’86

Planet Walker: Changing the Planet One Step at a Time, EM Press, 2005 *

Sandra Murphy, ‘89

Graced by Pines, Mountain Press, 1994 *

David Havlick, ‘92

No Place Distant, Island Press, 2002

R. Glendon Brunk, ‘94

Yearning Wild, Invisible Cities Press, 2001 *

Greg Gordon, ’92

Gringos in the Mist, Laughing Coyote Press, 1995 *
Landscape of Desire, Utah State University Press, 2003
When Money Grew on Trees, U. Oklahoma Press, 2014.

Jeffery Smith

Where the Roots Reach Water, North Point Press, 1999

Kim Todd, ‘99

Tinkering With Eden, Norton, 2001 *
Chysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian & the Secrets of Metamorphosis, Harcourt, 2007
Sparrow, Reaktion Books, 2012

Adrienne Hall, ‘99

A Journey North, Appalachian Mountain Press, 2000 *

Beth Peluso, ’02

The Charcoal Forest: How Fire Helps Animals & Plants, Mountain Press, 2007

David Strohmaier, ‘99

Drift Smoke, U Nevada Press, 2005
Seasons of Fire, U. of Nevada Press, 2001 *

Matt Gross, ’99

The Last Myth, Prometheus Books, 2012

Phil Condon, ‘00

Nine Ten Again, stories, Elixir Press, 2009
Montana Surround, essays, Johnson Books, 2004 *
Clay Center, a novel, Eastern Washington U. Press, 2004
River Street, stories, Southern Methodist U. Press, 1994

Miner, Tara Rae, ‘01

Your Green Abode, Skipstone Press, 2010

Homestead, William, ’02

Path of My Soul, Acropolis Books, 1999

Gailus, Jeff, ‘07

The Grizzly Manifesto, RM Books, 2010
Little Black Lies, RM Books, 2012

Lawrence, Sarahlee, ‘08

River House, Tin House Books, 2010

Bryce Andrews, ’09

Bad Luck Way, Simon & Schuster, 2013

Barilla, James, ‘90

West With the Rise, U. Virginia Press, 2006.
My Backyard Jungle, Yale U. Press, 2013.

Carpenter, Murray, ‘94

Caffeinated, Hudson Street Press, 2014.

Book Publications, Editor or Co-Editor

Author

Titles

Don Snow, ‘90

The Best of Northern Lights, Co-Editor, Vintage Books, 1994
The Next West, Co-Editor, Island Press, 1997
The Book of the Tongass, Co-Editor, Milkweed Press, 1999
Environmental Movement, Conservation Fund, 1992 *

Tracy Stone-Manning, ’90

The River We Carry With Us, Clark City Press, 2002

Matt Gross, ’99

The Glen Canyon Reader, U. Arizona Press, 2003 *

Kyle McClure, ’01

American Environmental Leaders:, ABC-CLIO, 2000

Emily Miller, ’01

The River We Carry With Us, Clark City Press, 2002 *

Kristi Johnson, ’04

Staying Home: Reflections on Food, Farming, Place, 2004 *

Writing Recognitions & Awards

Author

Titles

Ellen Meloy, '79

Pulitzer Prize Finalist 2003
Utah Book Award 2002
Whiting Writers Award 1998

Leslie Ryan, '94

Rona Jaffe Writers Award, 2000. *

Kim Todd, ’99

PEN-Jarard Award for First Manuscript by Female Author, 1999 *

Phil Condon, ’00

National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship Award, 1993
New Orleans Faulkner Society National Novel Award, 2001
ALA Booklist Top Ten First Novels List, 2004
Elixir Press National Fiction Award, 2010

Tiffany Trent, ’02

Goldfarb Family Fellowship, VA Creative Arts, 2003
Green Earth Book Award, 2012

Kisha Lewellyn, ‘05

Richard J. Margolis Env. Journalism Award, 2005 *

Melissa Mylchreest, ’08

Merriam-Frontier Award, UM 2012
Obsidian Prize, High Desert Journal, 2012, 2013

* From EVST Thesis