Ornithologies of desire : ecocritical essays, avian poetics, and Don McKay / Travis V. Mason.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mason, Travis V., 1977-

Series:

Environmental humanities

Environmental humanities series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

McKay, Don, 1942---Criticism and interpretation.

McKay, Don.

McKay, Don, 1942-.

Birds in literature.

Ecology in literature.

Ecocriticism.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

xix, 285 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Waterloo, Ont. : Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2013.

Summary:

The poetry and poetics of Don McKay provide the primary subject matter, which is predicated on attention to ornithological knowledge and avian metaphors. This focus on birds enables a consideration of more broadly ecological relations and concerns, since an awareness of birds in their habitats insists on awareness of plants insects, mammals, rocks, and all else that constitutes place. Reading McKay's work alongside ecology and ornithology, through flight and bird-song both challenges assumptions regarding humans' place in the earth system and celebrates the sheer virtuosity of Iyric poetry rich with associative as well as scientific detail. The resulting chapters, interchapters, and concordance of birds that appear in McKay's poetry encourage amateurs and specialists, birdwatchers and poetry readers, to reconsider birds in English literature on the page and in the field. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part 1

Chapter 1 Nesting 3

Chapter 2 Naming 15

Ecotone 1 Field Marks 31

Part 2

Chapter 3 Homologies 45

Chapter 4 Flight 63

Chapter 5 Gravity 81

Ecotone 2 Field Guides 99

Part 3

Chapter 6 Notes 115

Chapter 7 Birdsong 129

Chapter 8 Listening 147

Ecotone 3 Field Notes 161

Part 4

Chapter 9 Birder-Poet 177

Chapter 10 Science 195

Ecotone 4 Field Trips 215.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9781554586301

1554586305

OCLC:

816764404