Into the ecoregion : Robert Sullivan’s The meadowlands and the nature/culture divide : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Creative Writing at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 30th August 2026
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2024
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Massey University
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This thesis interrogates the role of nature/culture dualism in ecological and environmental creative nonfiction through a critical analysis of Robert Sullivan’s The Meadowlands: Wilderness Adventures on the Edge of New York City and a creative component titled The Knitted Sheep. Both the critical and creative sections take the view that the concept of nature/culture dualism in creative nonfiction must first be problematized through a locally scaled, ecoregional lens to truly comprehend ecological and environmental issues at a global scale. Through my reading of The Meadowlands in the critical portion of this thesis, I explore how Sullivan’s attention to the overlap between the natural and the human cultural aspects of the Meadowlands problematises the commonly accepted nature/culture dualism inherent in the natural world and how this problematization aids new ways of understanding the nature/culture relationships in our urban environments. I examine the problematization of nature/culture dualism in The Meadowlands through a dispute brought about by the work of two critical theorists: Timothy Morton’s Ecology Without Nature: Rethinking Environmental Aesthetics and Christien L. Marran’s Ecology Without Culture: Aesthetics for a Toxic World. Morton argues that extant Romantic ideas of nature must be abolished in favour of ecocriticism that embraces cultural forms of ecology. Marran counters Morton’s view, calling instead for more binding, trophic forms of ecocriticism that favour aesthetic perspectives of the human and the more-than-human world. I argue that by problematising the nature/culture dualism found at the urban fringe, rather than leaning too heavily on either cultural or nature tropes, ecological and environmental creative nonfiction can open new, imaginative spaces for understanding the nature/culture relationships in our urban environments. In the creative portion of my thesis, The Knitted Sheep probes the broader question of nature/culture relationships in ecological and environmental creative nonfiction by exploring my personal story of learning to make my clothes over the past twelve years. The Knitted Sheep is specifically focused on the moral and environmental concerns surrounding the use of wool and cotton. I problematize the concept of nature/culture dualism and local/global perspectives surrounding these contentious materials by focusing on my experiences with crafting in local settings while maintaining a critical perspective on the textile and fashion industries in a more generalized and global sense.
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Embargoed until 30th August 2026