Abstract

This keynote address will deliberate some of the ways in which literature can contribute to how we think about wood. Some participants at the “Wood in a Changing Culture” symposium are interested in scientific approaches to promoting sustainable wood, and such topics certainly require serious attention. Other delegates are concerned with economic aspects of the wood industry, and reasons to consider both environmental and commercial factors when planning workable strategies for the future. Certainly, as we proceed deep into the twenty-first century, it is more crucial than ever to find ways to cooperate. 

This conference is a multidisciplinary event, and I have been asked to discuss other aspects of wood, from a humanities perspective. This keynote address will deal with the ways in which art, and more specifically literature, have been influenced by the very idea of wood. While experts in plant science, economics, and law all have much to contribute to creating a sustainable future for wood, what might the arts add to the conversation? You might not already know, but right now, in dozens of countries around the world, environmental literary scholars are deeply engaged in discussing larger philosophical and aesthetic questions about issues such as wood sustainability. And these important questions really need to be addressed. 

Therefore, this talk will consider fascinating examples from different literary texts to show ways that art contributes to how we think about wood, and by extension, ecology. More specifically, I will discuss historical examples from literary texts that reveal a changing view of the forest over time: As a location of hostility, a site of economic growth, and, finally, as a place of human renewal. 

Speaker Biography

Dr. Chad Edward WEIDNER, Assistant Professor of UCR Utrecht University, the Netherlands

Education
PhD in Literature, Ghent University, Belgium
Dissertation title: “The Green Ghost: An Ecocritical Study of Selected Texts by William Burroughs.” Professor Kristiaan Versluys (Promoter)

Master of Arts in English, University of Nebraska Graduate College, USA
Thesis: “Thresholds: From Rosenthaler Platz to the Platte River Valley.” Professor Barbara Emrys (adviser)

Bachelor of Arts in English (German minor)
University of Nebraska, USA

Present Position
Assistant Professor (tenured) 2013
Instructor (tenured), 2006-2012
University College Roosevelt - Utrecht University, the Netherlands
Arts and Humanities/Academic Core
This position includes teaching, research, and tutoring. I am track coordinator of the BA minor in theatre and media studies. I supervise honors theses in theatre and media studies and teach film history and Academic English. I have also coordinated the Academic English section, which is responsible for teaching 200 students a year.

Previous Positions
Adjunct, 2004-2006
Bremen University, Germany
Department of English Speaking Cultures
This position involved developing and teaching content courses at the MA level.

Graduate Teaching Assistant, 2000-2002
University of Nebraska at Kearney, USA
English Department

This position included teaching courses in first-year composition and academic writing, as well as committee service.

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