Well, just to address the dismal title, “everything” really only means a few of my beloved tools that really do come in handy in terms of making a full life work went totally rogue…like my laptop, which really does help me write.
Mid-week, I was returning from travels to the Breakthrough Institute conference outside of Washington D.C., referred to in a recent post. Less than a week ago, I was convinced I would be writing my thesis on ecomodernism. One few-hour block of process-writing later, plus some contemplation on professional interests (supported by a Thursday guest visit to class from Career Center staff), had me realize that that would stay a separate essay project and I would need to reimagine the bounds of my topic and framework in preparation for ENVS thesis writing.
This all has got to come together soon. And it will. But when everything broke it made things difficult to happen on the order of soon.
What I have coming out of this week is not a lot of obvious outcomes, but a fresh commitment to blocking time for my writing: I’ll be editing topic and framework to give way to my reorientation.
One content outcome that grew out of this past week helps launch me into next week. That’s my first decent application of ENVS 350 work to framework outcomes, via my first “isms” critique here. I began to make sense of political ecology, via section 4.14 in Companion to Environmental Studies (Castree et. al. 2018). We’ll be considering this in class next week, with further readings…but I am proud and glad to have somewhat of a start working through it on my own.
More always to come.
Photograph: Tinkerpuff with her head in the zinnias. Occidental, California, 2018.
First, sorry about your computer! That thing is definitely crucial to the ENVS life. Second, I am interested to hear about how you are rethinking your topic and more about what prompted the change. I hope this week is informative for your process!
I love the personal voice you use in your writing and the distinct narrative that flows through it. Also I have been meaning to drop by the career center, I am glad to hear that was helpful for you. It is always bittersweet to let go of an idea you were attached to for unknown better things, I am glad you are taking the plunge!