Thinking Nature

For the second issue of Thinking Nature we are seeking papers which address the relation between nature and aesthetics. Writing on and about nature whether theoretical or not often relies on the aesthetic as a means of highlighting nature’s importance and the importance of ecological politics, activism, and living. For this issue we are seeking speculative and experimental approaches to the opportunity and problem of aesthetics as it crosses nature, the natural, and ecology.

Possible Topics:

Environmental Aesthetics
The relation of the sublime to nature and aesthetics
The importance of the visual for ecology/ecological critique
Anthrocentrism and Aesthetics or Aesthetics of the Inhuman
Aesthetics and the natural/artificial relation
Sentience and Aesthetics/Cognitive models and Aesthetics of Nature
Non-Visible Nature and Aesthetics

We are asking for completed manuscripts (in rough draft form or better) of 5,000 – 8,000 words with Chicago style references (footnotes and not endnotes).

We are also interested in art pieces, either single pieces or a small collection, either written, visual, or other.

The Deadline for submissions is January 31st 2012

Please email submissions to woodardbenjamin@gmail.com or timothymorton303@gmail.com

The first volume of Thinking Nature is now available – just follow the link above.

There is no editorial introduction as introductions tend to be skipped over anyways. I will make a brief statement here. I’d like to thank all the contributors for submitting great pieces as well as Timothy Morton for his editorial and critical help. I hope that readers will find that the essays address the larger problem of trying to think nature in philosophical and ecological means and display the need for further inquiry into the conceptual monstrousness of nature.

This is the new site for Thinking Nature. Tim Morton and myself are going through the submissions for the first issue and are going to be seeking a few more. If you are interested please email me at woodardbenjamin@gmail.com

We are especially interested in any shorter texts such as reviews or manifesto like texts.