The renowned author Barry Lopez is often described as a “nature writer,” yet he resisted that label himself, instead arguing, “I’m not writing about nature. I’m writing about humanity. And if I have a subject, it is justice. And the rediscovery of the manifold ways in which our lives can be shaped by the recovery of a sense of reverence for life.” The course starts from this question: what constitutes “nature writing”? What does this genre assume, contain, or foreclose—and what might it generate, open up, or create? What does it mean to label someone a “nature writer”? We will read poetry, nonfiction, and fiction writing in English, mostly from North America, to explore these questions and others. We will also write our own examples, using the space of our class community to shape our collective understanding of what this writing can do. About half of our time will be spent exploring our readings, and half writing and workshopping our writing. Students in this course can expect to write a lot: we will produce writing weekly, and we will also give feedback to one another. Students will compile a final portfolio of revised works. We will also spend some time outside on the Whitman campus.