Instructor: Claire McLane
Wed | 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
The desert holds many different meanings both as a place and a symbol. It can be a place of magic and wonder, brutality and death, spiritual and biological transformation, and adaptation. It is a place that can illuminate the delicate, the resilient, the abundant, and the extraordinary amidst stark scarcity. We will explore the multi-faceted meanings the desert can represent through written and visual storytelling. Together we will consider the myth and folklore, mystery, psychology, and mysticism of deserts in general, but with a special eye on our own Sonoran Desert region. We will engage with and explore how writing, film, music, visual arts, ecology, and more intersect to create narratives and meanings about the desert as a powerful and transformational place. The class will utilize various campus and Tucson community resources and guest speakers. The class is discussion-based and will offer generative and creative opportunities to explore writing and art-making.