In The Ecological Thought, eco-philosopher Timothy Morton has argued for the inclusion of "dark ecology" in our thinking about nature. Dark ecology, he argues, puts hesitation, uncertainty, irony, and thoughtfulness back into ecological thinking." The ecological thought, he says, should include "negativity and irony, ugliness and horror." Focusing on this concept of "dark ecology" and its invitation to add an anti-pastoral perspective to ecocriticism, this collection of essays on American literature and culture offers examples of how a vision of nature's darker side can create a fuller understanding of humanity's relation to nature. Included are essays on canonical American literature, on new voices in American literature, and on non-print American media. This is the first collection of essays applying the "dark ecology" principle to American literature.

In The Ecological Thought, eco-philosopher Timothy Morton has argued for the inclusion of "dark ecology" in our thinking about nature. Dark ecology, he argues, puts hesitation, uncertainty, irony, and thoughtfulness back into ecological thinking." The ecological thought, he says, should include "negativity and irony, ugliness and horror." Focusing on this concept of "dark ecology" and its invitation to add an anti-pastoral perspective to ecocriticism, this collection of essays on American literature and culture offers examples of how a vision of nature's darker side can create a fuller understanding of humanity's relation to nature. Included are essays on canonical American literature, on new voices in American literature, and on non-print American media. This is the first collection of essays applying the "dark ecology" principle to American literature.

First book-length ecocritical study of Cold War American literature Compelling analyses of the function and representation of Nature in a wide range of Cold War fiction and poetry by authors including Paul Bowles, J. D. Salinger, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Mary McCarthy reveals the prevalence of portrayals of Nature as an infinite, interdependent system in American literature written between 1945 and 1971. Daw astutely highlights the Cold War's often overlooked role in environmental history and argues that Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962) can be considered as part of a trend of increasingly ecological depictions of Nature in literature written after 1945. By exploring the most recent developments in the field of ecocriticism, the book is embedded within current ecocritical debates concerning the Anthropocene and anthropogenic climate change. Key Features Contains five case studies of six Cold War writers: Paul Bowles, Peggy Pond Church, J. D. Salinger, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Mary McCarthy Offers an in-depth exploration of the influences behind each writer's presentation of Nature Shows the Cold War to be a time of seismic change in the human's relationship to the environment, and demonstrates the degree to which this inflects Cold War literature Engages with the most recent developments in the field of ecocriticism, which drive the study's analytical methodology and embed the book within current ecocritical debates

First book-length ecocritical study of Cold War American literature Compelling analyses of the function and representation of Nature in a wide range of Cold War fiction and poetry by authors including Paul Bowles, J. D. Salinger, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Mary McCarthy reveals the prevalence of portrayals of Nature as an infinite, interdependent system in American literature written between 1945 and 1971. Daw astutely highlights the Cold War's often overlooked role in environmental history and argues that Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962) can be considered as part of a trend of increasingly ecological depictions of Nature in literature written after 1945. By exploring the most recent developments in the field of ecocriticism, the book is embedded within current ecocritical debates concerning the Anthropocene and anthropogenic climate change. Key Features Contains five case studies of six Cold War writers: Paul Bowles, Peggy Pond Church, J. D. Salinger, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Mary McCarthy Offers an in-depth exploration of the influences behind each writer's presentation of Nature Shows the Cold War to be a time of seismic change in the human's relationship to the environment, and demonstrates the degree to which this inflects Cold War literature Engages with the most recent developments in the field of ecocriticism, which drive the study's analytical methodology and embed the book within current ecocritical debates