From: NetMail%"[EMAIL PROTECTED]" 15-JAN-1996 18:34:02.23
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Subj: Major Nature Writing Conference
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id <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Mon, 15 Jan 1996 18:33:59 -0500 (EST)
id XAA08042; Mon, 15 Jan 1996 23:25:08 GMT
15 Jan 1996 23:33:07 GMT
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 1996 18:32:29 -0500
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Major Nature Writing Conference
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On April 15-20,1996, U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass,
The Orion Society, and The Library of Congress are holding a major conference
and series of public events in our nation's capital to celebrate American
writers, the natural world, and community values. It is called "Watershed: A
Celebration of Writers, Nature, and Community," and will take place in the
week leading up to Earth Day and during the first-ever National Poetry Month.
The conference will bring together an unprecedented number of the country's
best known nature writers and poets, including Wendell Berry, Lucille
Clifton, Cornelius Eady, John Elder, James Galvin, Poet Laureate Robert Hass,
Joy Harjo, Linda Hogan, William Kittredge, Barry Lopez, Peter Matthiessen,
Gary Paul Nabhan, Richard Nelson, Scott Russell Sanders, Annick Smith, Gary
Snyder, Terry Tempest Williams, and others. The Watershed conference and
public events will also be attended by environmental educators and
representatives of grass-roots conservation and restoration groups,
representing the many different bioregions of the country (see "A request").
The conference participants will be invited to attend lectures, afternoon
dialogues, panel discussions, and public readings, and there will be free
time for the participants to make visits to their congressmen and senators.
The gathering's purpose is: to celebrate the long-standing connection between
American writers and the natural world; to connect individuals and
organizations from across the nation who have shared these visions and who
are working for the environment at the grass-roots level; and to emphasize
the importance of environmental education in the effort to cultivate
nature-literate citizens whose desire to work actively on their homegrounds
grows from a deep attentiveness to and love for the natural world.
During April 10-15, The Orion Society's Forgotten Language Tour will be
barnstorming up the East Coast, making stops in Atlanta, hosted by Emory
University, Davidson, North Carolina, hosted by Davidson College, and
Virginia . The Tour writers and poets will then join with the other writers
in Washington for the Watershed events.
Related events:
On April 20th, the Poet Laureate, The Orion Society, The Library of Congress,
and Poetry Flash are planning a family Earth Day Festival on the Mall,
highlighted by music, poetry, storytelling, performances, and earth art.
Also: The Poet Laureate, The Orion Society, the Library of Congress, and a
coalition of water resource-oriented organizations headed by the
International Rivers Network, have organized a national poetry and poster art
contest - "River of Words" - for K-12th graders on the theme of "watersheds."
The winners will travel to Washington, be hosted by the Poet Laureate and
The Library of Congress, and will present their work at the outdoor festival
on the Mall.
**A request**
In late January, we will be sending out invitations to approximately 4000
local and regional conservation, restoration, and environmental education
groups around the country, inviting them to attend the conference and public
events (all ASLE members will receive invitations). I am in the process of
putting together the invite list, and would be grateful to know of any
published resources that might provide a comprehensive list of these groups
nationwide. I am currently relying on network organizations to provide lists
and am worried that I may miss some groups doing particularly good work. Is
there a book with up-to-date information? Also, if you know of groups in
your area that you think would be very interested in sending someone, please
send that information along.
E-mail address to send information on grass-roots conservation, restoration,
and environmental education groups:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
For info about the River of Words poetry & poster art contest call
(510) 433-7020 (International Rivers Network)
or visit the web site at:
www.irn.org/irn
For info about the outdoor festival on the Mall, call
(510) 525-5476 (Poetry Flash)
E-mail for all inquiries about the Watershed conference, Forgotten Language
Tour and other Watershed events: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (The Orion Society)
or call the Watershed info line at
(212) 744-5382
Thanks.
Laurie Lane-Zucker, managing director, The Orion Society
p.s. We would also be very grateful if the ASLE community would help us get
the word out about this conference. All those involved - writers,
organizers, associate sponsors - feel that the time is ripe for a gathering
of this sort, in Washington D.C., in an election year, when the environment
is taking such a beating in Congress. We hope that by celebrating
bioregionalism, the literary imagination, and grass-roots action in this way,
that we will be sending a message that desperately needs to be heard.
