What is Ecofiction?

 

    Corresponding with the Confluence events beginning September 10th, now seemed like the opportune time to talk about ecofiction, as a genre and a social transition. The Confluence events seek to celebrate the intersection of art, environment and activism, and ecofiction in its modern form is often inextricably bound to all three. Ecofiction, or ecological fiction, has made significant leaps over the past several decades, but certainly existed prior to the popularization of the term in the 1970’s. To even call it a genre would be a mistake; it presents, rather, as a descriptor which extends its tendrils into many different branches of the literary world. While definitions abound, Jim Dwyer’s four characteristics of ecofiction from his book Where the Wild Books Are seem to me the most comprehensive. He describes ecofiction thusly:

 

• The nonhuman environment is present not merely as a framing device but as a presence that begins to suggest that human history is implicated in natural history.

• The human history is not understood to be the only legitimate interest.

• Human accountability to the environment is part of the text’s ethical orientation.

• Some sense of the environment as a process rather than as a constant or a given is at least implicit in the text.

    Clearly, texts which comply with these principles have existed for hundreds of years, as long as humans have written about nature as a complex system within which we are intertwined. Writers like John Steinbeck, Daphne du Maurier, Frank Herbert, and E. B. White all contributed to the field of ecofiction in the early to mid 20th century without bringing up climate change as we would think of it today. That being said, the category has taken on new significance, and perhaps importance, as our notion of the environment becomes increasingly filtered through an awareness of the anthropocene and our dangerous impact on our ecosystems. In writing about the environment today, it seems like in order to ethically orient the text towards “human accountability to the environment” as described above, some mention of climate change or the human activities that cause it is necessary. However, the manner in which that concern is represented within the plot can vary drastically. The recent bestseller The Overstory, by Richard Powers, uses the natural world as a framing device for many of the stories within the novel, in which the destruction of the environment motivates some characters more directly than others. Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson, sets solving environmental catastrophe on a broad scale as the driving force behind the entire story. The new release Venomous Lumpsucker, by Ned Beauman, deals with ecological collapse through the lens of a single species. Talking about climate change in fiction appears to be as multifaceted as the phenomenon itself.

    Confluence promises to forefront many of the same themes highlighted by the books and authors listed here. The panels and discussions take the form of both an appreciation of nature and a call to action. Please consider taking some time out of your weekend to join in the celebration of our wonderful, interconnected world!

Summer Reads You May Have Missed!

The beauty about a beach read is anything can be a beach read. You don't even have to be on the beach to read it. It really is all about the feeling it evokes. Here are some of the books that you might want to add to your reading list to take with you! 

After the Lights Go Out by John Vercher (Mystery/Thriller)

Synopsis: From the critcially acclaimed author of Three-Fifths comes After the Lights Go Out--a harrowing and spellbinding story about family, the complications of mixed-race relationships, misplaced loyalties, and the price athletes pay to entertain.

Xavier Scarecrow Wallace, a mixed-race MMA fighter on the wrong side of thirty, is facing the fight of his life. Xavier is losing his battle with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), or pugilistic dementia--a struggle he can no longer deny. Through the fog of memory loss, migraines, and paranoia, Xavier does his best to keep in shape while he waits for the call that will reinstate him after a year-long suspension. He watches his diet and trains every day at the Philadelphia gym owned by his cousin-cum-manager, Shot, a retired champion boxer to whom Xavier owes an unpayable debt. Xavier makes ends meet by teaching youth classes at Shot's gym and by living rent-free in the house of his white father, whom Xavier has been forced to commit to a nursing home because of the progress of his end-stage Alzheimer's. Dementia has revealed a shocking truth about Sam Wallace, and Xavier finally gains insight into why his Black mother left the family when Xavier was young.

As Xavier battles his aging body and his failing brain, each day is filled with challenges and setbacks. His angry, confused father wants to come home, but Xavier can't take care of him. He's not even safe in his own house. Xavier sticks out like a sore thumb among Sam Wallace's white, MAGA hat-wearing neighbors, who are constantly looking for a reason to call the cops on him while he takes out his trash.

Then Xavier is offered a chance at redemption: a last-minute comeback fight in the largest MMA promotion. If he can get himself back in the game, he'll be able to clear his name and begin to pay off Shot. But with his memory in shreds and his life crumbling around him, can Xavier hold onto the focus he needs to survive?

https://eagleeyebooks.com/home/bookdetailsin/9781641293310/

Daughter of the Redwinter by Ed McDonald

Synopsis: Those who see the dead soon join them.

From the author of the critically-acclaimed Blackwing trilogy comes Ed McDonald's Daughter of Redwinter, the first of a brilliant fantasy series about how one choice can change a universe.

Raine can see--and more importantly, speak--to the dead. It's a wretched gift with a death sentence that has her doing many dubious things to save her skin. Seeking refuge with a deluded cult is her latest bad, survival-related decision. But her rare act of kindness--rescuing an injured woman in the snow--is even worse.

Because the woman has escaped from Redwinter, the fortress-monastery of the Draoihn, warrior magicians who answer to no king and who will stop at nothing to retrieve what she's stolen. A battle, a betrayal, and a horrific revelation forces Raine to enter Redwinter. It becomes clear that her ability might save an entire nation.

Pity she might have to die for that to happen...

https://eagleeyebooks.com/home/bookdetailsin/9781250811714/

Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert (Romance)

Synopsis: She was the face that launched a thousand ships, the fierce beauty at the heart of Olympus...and she was never ours to claim.

*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Patroclus that's as sinful as it is sweet.*

In Olympus, you either have the power to rule...or you are ruled. Achilles Kallis may have been born with nothing, but as a child he vowed he would claw his way into the poisonous city's inner circle. Now that a coveted role has opened to anyone with the strength to claim it, he and his partner, Patroclus Fotos, plan to compete and double their odds of winning.

Neither expect infamous beauty Helen Kasios to be part of the prize...or for the complicated fire that burns the moment she looks their way.

Zeus may have decided Helen is his to give to away, but she has her own plans. She enters into the competition as a middle finger to the meddling Thirteen rulers, effectively vying for her own hand in marriage. Unfortunately, there are those who would rather see her dead than lead the city. The only people she can trust are the ones she can't keep her hands off―Achilles and Patroclus. But can she really believe they have her best interests at heart when every stolen kiss is a battlefield?

Contemporary Works, Classic Themes

 

 

 

    As the school year threatens to emerge from its summer hibernation like a homework-dispensing groundhog, students of all ages dread trading in their summer novels of adventure and romance for the supposedly stuffy and stale fare provided by the literature curriculum. However, I’m sure I am not the first to tell you that the classics have stuck around for a reason! The themes ensconced in the pages of these old books still seem to resonate with modern readers, as evidenced by their omnipresence in even the most popular contemporary fiction. If you enjoyed any of the popular novels I list here, perhaps a new appreciation can be found for the classics and the themes and motifs which run through so much of our collective literature. Just click on a cover image to purchase the book from our website!

 

A Note: I try and avoid discussing the specifics of the plot, but some spoilers are inevitable. Read at your own discretion! 

If you liked The Secret History, why not try The Great Gatsby?

    Donna Tartt’s intensely psychological debut novel deals with many themes that define F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic work as well. Richard, Tartt’s protagonist, struggles for acceptance and recognition within his elite and cliquish environment, an environment in which appearances are paramount and conceal hideous truths. A similar environment is created in The Great Gatsby, when the facade of decadence and sophistication Gatsby creates in his weekly parties breaks down as the protagonist comes to learn more about him. In both novels, reckless social climbing is rewarded only with knowledge of the potential hollowness of the upper class. Tartt portrays a drunken, bored and intellectually elitist caste who place their own pursuits above human lives. In Fitzgerald, the rich place somewhere in a binary, either tasteless and socially inept or heartless bullies. In both cases, the lifestyle is condemned by the text, driving the characters further into toxic relationships and disregard for those who get in their way. If these themes drew you into the world of The Secret History, The Great Gatsby might entertain you more than you might have expected!

Jamille Christmans Kathryn Stockett Recipe

I am not much of a dessert person but I absolutely love no bake chocolate pie.  How could I not include a great recipe like this for a great southern novel, The Help by Kathryn Stockett. The only difference is my secret ingredient in my pie is love.

Crust:

¼ cup butter melted
2 cups oreo cookie crumbs about 24 cookies

Pie Crust Preparation:
1. In a blender pulse crushed Oreos until mixture is fine
2. In a bowl mix Oreo mix with ¼ cup melted butter
3. Press mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan and put in the fridge to chill.

Filling:
8 ounces Semi sweet chocolate chopped
⅔ cups heavy whipping cream
¾ teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream whipped to stiff peaks
2 Tablespoon granulated sugar

Filling Preparation:
1. Chop chocolate into small pieces and put in a heat-proof bowl.
2. Heat 2/3 cup of cream for about 45 seconds in the microwave, until steaming. Pour over the chopped chocolate and allow to sit for several minutes.
3. Add vanilla and espresso powder to the chocolate and cream. Whisk together to make a thick ganache. Allow to cool completely.
4. While the ganache is cooling, add your 1 ½ cup cream and granulated sugar to a clean mixing bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. Be careful to not over whip your cream! Peaks should stand on their own and not flop over at all.
5. When the ganache is cooled completely, add to the bowl of whipped cream. Gently fold the chocolate into the cream until it just incorporated, with no streaks of dark chocolate or white cream. 
6. Pour into chilled pie shell and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
7. Top with whipped cream and enjoy! (mix in a little vanilla in whipped cream to make it taste great and silky)

Buy The Help Here

Bob Munson's Dr. Seuss Recipe

 
Green Eggs And Ham is an absolute classic, and I thought I would do a recipe for Smoked Ham in The Big Green Egg.

Start out by soaking some wood chips (we like applewood) in water at least 4 hours, up to overnight.

It is important not to use a spiral cut ham. With a sharp knife score the fatty side of a ham (shank or butt portion, 7-12 lbs.) in a checkerboard pattern. Make the cuts about 1 inch apart and about 1 inch deep. 

Build a charcoal fire in your Big Green Egg. When it becomes hot scatter the wood chips. 
 
Fill a pan about 1 inch deep (we use a disposable aluminum pan) with apple juice if you have it, water if not.  Add cut up fruit for more flavor. Here we used apples and oranges. 

Set a plate setter in the Big Green Egg and cover with foil.  (This is an essential tool for indirect cooking and smoking on the Big Green Egg.  you can buy one here: https://biggreenegg.com/product/conveggtor/

Place the pan filled with juice and fruit on the plate setter.
Allow the heat to reach 275 degrees.

Over that place the grill, and this is where you’ll set your ham. 

Cook for approximately 1 hour for every two pounds of weight of the ham, maintaining as close to 275 degrees as possible. Brush with glaze during the last hour. Ham should reach an internal temperature of 155 – 160 degrees for best flavor, but ham is cooked and fully safe at lower temperatures.
 

You can see what I mean about scoring the fatty side from this photo of the completed ham. These cuts help the ham absorb the smoke, but without drying it out.


Buy Green Eggs And Ham Here

Diana & Bonnies Jane Austen Recipe

In Emma, Mrs. Elton's “poor attempts at rout-cakes” would have turned out much better with this recipe from Cooking at Home with Jane Austen.

Rout Cakes

Tiny rich sweet cakes made for routs or evening parties
Makes 16-20

Ingredients:
12 ripe Apricots
170 g / 6 oz / ¾ cup Powdered Sugar
470 ml / 16 fl oz / 2 cups of Cream
1  ¼ cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar
1 small egg
½ tsp orange juice
½ tsp rose-water
1 tsp sweet white wine or sherry

1 tsp brandy
¼ cup currants

Directions:
1. Set the oven to heat to 350.
2. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
3. Work in the butter to make a crumbly mixture, then add the sugar.
4. In a small bowl, beat the egg until liquid.
5. Add the juice, rosewater, wine or sherry, and brandy. Stir well.
6. Then mix the liquids by degrees into the dry goods, to obtain a smooth dough.
7. Lastly mix in the fruit.
8. Put the cake mixture in small, neat heaps (3/4" across) on a lightly greased baking-sheet.
Bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

http://www.janeausten.co.uk/an-attempt-at-rout-cakes/

Click Here To Buy Jane Austen Books

Doug Robinson's Alexandre Dumas Recipe

The Three Musketeers is my long time favorite novel.  Since the classic is set in Paris, I went with a popular recipe from middle ages France that is still popular to this day. This is all thanks in to Julia Child for reinvigorating Beef Bourguignon.  This is Julia Childs recipe.

Ingredients
6 slices bacon, cut into lardons
3 1/2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds stewing beef, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 large carrot, sliced
1 large white onion, sliced
1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
3 cups red wine, like a chianti
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves smashed garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 crumbled bay leaf
18 to 24 small pearl onions
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 herb bouquet (4 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf)
1 pound fresh white mushrooms, quartered

1. Simmer bacon lardons in 4 cups water for 10 minutes (Lardon is the French culinary term referring to thin strips of bacon, cut approximately 1/4-inch thick). Drain and pat dry.

2. Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large Dutch oven, sauté the bacon in 1 tablespoon of oil for about 3 minutes, until it starts to lightly brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

3. Dry the beef with a few paper towels for better browning. In batches, sear the beef on all sides in the
Dutch oven. Set aside with the bacon.

4. Back in the pot, add the sliced carrots and onions; sauté in fat until browned, about 3 minutes. If there's any excess fat, drain it now.

5. Add the bacon and beef back to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Toss. Sprinkle with flour and toss once more. Place in the center of the oven for 4 minutes.

6. Remove pot from oven; toss beef and place back in the oven for 4 more minutes. Remove the pot from the oven and reduce the heat to 325°F.
7. To the pot, add the wine and stock. The liquid should barely cover the meat and vegetables. Add the tomato paste, garlic and thyme. Bring to a light simmer on the stove, then cover and simmer in the lower part of the oven for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is easily pierced.
8. In the last hour of cooking, bring 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 2 teaspoons oil to a medium heat in a sauté pan. Add the pearl onions and toss around in the fat until they've browned, 10 minutes. Then stir in 1/2 cup beef stock, a small pinch of salt and pepper and the herb bouquet. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the onions for about 40 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated, and the onions are tender.

9. Remove the onions and set aside. Discard the herb bouquet and wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining butter and oil and bring to a medium heat.
10. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan to coat with the butter.

11. Place a colander over a large pot. Drain the beef stew through the colander and into the pot. Place the pot with the sauce over a medium heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, skimming any fat on top. Pour the beef and vegetables back into the Dutch oven. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms to the pot. Pour the sauce over the beef mix and simmer an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

Buy Julia Child's French Cooking Here

Buy Three Musketeers Here