Climate Change, Literature, and Environmental Justice : Poetics of Dissent and Repair

Placing climate change within the long histories of enslavement, settler colonialism, and resistance, Climate Change, Literature, and Environmental Justice: Poetics of Dissent and Repair examines the connections between climate disruption and white supremacy. Drawing on decolonial and reparative theories, Janet Fiskio focuses on expressive cultures and practices, such as dance, protests, and cooking, in conversation with texts by Kazim Ali, Octavia Butler, Louise Erdrich, Winona LaDuke, Mark Nowak, Simon Ortiz, Jesmyn Ward, and Colson Whitehead. Through an exploration of speculative pasts and futures, practices of dissent and mourning, and everyday inhabitation and social care, Climate Change, Literature, and Environmental Justice illuminates the ways that frontline communities resist environmental racism while protecting and repairing the world. "This book shows how the discourse of climate change emerges within histories of colonization, enslavement, and revolution. By placing climate change within the longer histories of enslavement and settler colonialism, Janet Fiskio reveals the connections between climate change activism and enslavement, genocide, imperialism, white supremacy, incarceration. Organized around three themes-speculative pasts and futures; practices of dissent, mourning, and repair; and everyday inhabitation and social care-Climate Change, Literature, and Environmental Justice shows the ways that frontline communities resist environmental racism and protect and repair the world. It provides anaylisis of expressive cultures, including literature, dance, protest movements, oral history, and cooking utilizing decolonial and reparative theories. It offers readings of key figures, such as Octavia Butler, Louise Erdrich, Winona LaDuke, Mark Nowak, Simon Ortiz, Jesmyn Ward, and Colson Whitehead"-- Provided by publisher Introduction -- "Fear of a black planet" : ecotopia and eugenics in climate narratives -- Ghosts and reparations -- Mapping and memory -- "Bodies tell stories" : mourning and hospitality after Katrina -- Round dance and resistance -- "Slow insurrection" : dissent, collective voice, and social care -- Cannibal spirits and sacred seeds -- Epilogue: "Everyday micro-utopias" Through an exploration of speculative pasts and futures, practices of dissent and mourning, and everyday inhabitation and social care, Climate Change, Literature, and Environmental Justice illuminates the ways that expressive cultures of frontline communities resist environmental racism while protecting and repairing the world.