"Reclaiming Nature Writing" with Amanda Machado

When we think about traditional “nature writing,” poems and essays about getting lost in “pristine wilderness” and survival stories of (mostly White) rugged adventurers may come to mind. In this course, we’ll use nature writing from Black, Indigenous, Immigrant, Queer and other writers of color to explore how we can write about nature and the outdoors  in ways that also considers issues like ancestry, colonization, racial justice, migration trauma, sexuality, and more.

In our time together, students will read work from authors like Audre Lorde, Kiese Laymon, Natalie Diaz, Sabrina Imbler, Marta Valdés, George Abraham, Robin Kimmerer, and many others to help expand their idea of what nature and outdoor writing can look like. We’ll use this work as inspiration and an entry way for creating and eventually sharing our own nature and outdoor writing with the group. By the end of the course, students will have at least one piece of nature writing (of any genre) to present to the class.

This class will meet on Zoom. Registered students, please contact the instructor directly for Zoom details.

Amanda E. Machado is a writer and facilitator who explores how race, gender, sexuality, and power affect the way we travel and experience the outdoors. Her work has been published in The Atlantic, the Washington Post, Slate, Harper’s Bazaar, NBC News, Vox, and many others. In addition to her essay writing, she also facilitates workshops on anti-oppression and inclusive storytelling for organizations around the world including REI, Patagonia, HipCamp, Kampgrounds of America (KOA), University of California Berkeley, and many others. Amanda has a degree in English Literature and Nonfiction Writing from Brown University. After spending nearly a third of her twenties abroad, she is currently creating home in Oakland, California. You can learn more about her work on her website: www.amandaemachado.com.

Contact: amandaemachadowrites@gmail.com

When: Wednesdays, July 28; August 4, 11, 18, 2021

Number of sessions: 4

Time: 7–9pm Pacific Time (10pm–12am Eastern Time)

Where: Zoom

Course fee: $300

For those with financial need, please contact the instructor to inquire about additional discounts.