Reading and Writing Nature

Course Description

The natural world surrounds and sustains us, yet the pace of modern life rarely invites us to slow down, look closely, and consider what that world means to us or how we might find the language to express it. This first-year seminar welcomes all nature lovers and invites students to deepen their connection to the natural world through reading, reflection, and creative writing. Texts assigned will offer topics and fresh perspectives on nature while also modeling the craft of nature writing.

Through journaling, poetry, and non-fiction, students will experiment with different forms of creative expression, giving and receiving supportive feedback as a community of developing writers. And because a course centered on the natural world should engage with it directly, some class sessions will move outside to explore the beauty of our campus as both subject and inspiration.

Faculty Spotlight

Kristin Shepard – Lecturer, English

Academic background

Kristin Shepard is a Lecturer in the English Department who has been teaching first year students at UNC Asheville for the past ten years, primarily Academic Writing and Critical Inquiry (LANG 120). She is a first generation college graduate with a Master’s Degree in English from the State University of New York at Fredonia. Her scholarly and creative interests include Autism, disability, writing about nature, and anything to do with birds — especially owls.

What makes this course meaningful for students?

Writing is a means of making meaning from our experiences, so any course involving writing is inherently meaningful! Class readings, conversations, and activities are aimed to tap into the wonder and joy of experiencing the amazing world we call nature. Past students have shared that they notice so much more when they walk across campus and they’re more willing to slow down and appreciate the beauty that’s all around us.

Favorite spot in Asheville

Get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and drive west from Asheville for about an hour to reach Black Balsam. Hike above the treeline and take in a 360 degree view of the mountains. Sit between blueberry bushes and wild angelica and watch clouds be born as water vapor rises from the valleys, merges with dust, and is sent aloft with the breeze. Note the interplay of sun and shadow over layers of mountains, and how, at that altitude, light and wind gain a dramatic focus.

While that might be Shepard’s favorite place in the region, within Asheville she loves her own backyard and neighborhood in West Asheville, where she takes daily walks with her family, savoring the unfolding of each season.