Re: Nature Writing Manifesto

[David Gresham <dg@davidgresham.com>]

Being merely an MFA student and running an environmental non-profit  
in Houston of all places, and not approaching the issues from an  
academic perspective, I'm finding this entire thread very  
interesting.  We started with an essay that provided a new and  
different way to think about what we nature writers consider "nature"  
and how we write about it, followed by a heap of responses, many of  
which defend the current state, find fault, label, criticize, etc.

In my humble opinion, I welcome new ways of thinking about writing,  
not taking any approach or critical theory as gospel, but remaining  
open to new ways of seeing the world. It's not that I agree or  
disagree with Price (maybe the location choice, if LA is the navel,  
Houston must be the armpit), and perhaps it's because I'm still  
exploring who I am as a writer and haven't adopted a specific  
perspective, that I look at Price's manifesto and think: "Wow, now  
that's an interesting perspective."

And just to throw this upon the bonfire, I believe nature really is  
where you find it; the redwoods in Muir Woods, or the blade of grass  
growing between two chunks of sidewalk outside my door, both are  
worthy subjects for a nature writer.

-dg
______________________________________
David Gresham, Executive Director
Citizens' Environmental Coalition
(713) 524-4232
(713) 524-3311 (F)
<http://www.cechouston.org>