UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — From March 20-23, Penn State Sustainability (SustainPSU), is hosting eco-poet and author Heather Swan to explore the importance of insects and the work of those trying to protect them, as well as how these efforts can model more productive narratives about our global future.
“We are delighted to have Heather Swan serve as one of our Showcase Speakers this semester," said Grant Rowe, sustainability programming coordinator for Penn State Sustainability. "Her stories of the human-insect-planet interconnection are crucial not only because they help inspire meaningful conversation and understanding on issues surrounding the environment, but also because they play into a broader conversation of mindfulness and value that is at the forefront of Penn State Sustainability’s future planning."
An accomplished poet and author, Swan teaches writing and environmental literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her first book from Penn State University Press, "Where Honeybees Thrive: Stories from the Field," won the Sigurd Olson Prize for Nature Writing in 2017. Her latest work, "Where the Grass Still Sings: Stories of Insects and Interconnection" is forthcoming from Penn State University Press in May.
The conversation with Swan begins online at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, as part of a conversation and film screening on “Creating Constructive Climate Action,” alongside panelists Mark Ortiz, assistant professor of geography and founder of Penn State’s Global Youth Storytelling and Research Lab, and Shannon Cruz, assistant professor of communication arts and sciences. The discussion aims to explore how to redirect climate anxiety away from destructive behaviors and instead channel them into positive, community-centered narratives and action.
In addition to visits with Penn State classes, the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm, and other local community groups, Swan will be holding three principal public events that are free and open to all:
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Keynote Talk: noon-1:30 p.m. on Friday, March 22 in Foster Auditorium. What can efforts to save declining insect populations worldwide teach us about how to avoid apocalyptic narratives of the future? Copies of Swan’s books will be available for signing. (Streaming is available for those interested in attending from non-UP campuses — register here.)
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Nature Writing Workshop: 4-6 p.m. on Friday, March 22 in the Patterson Building. Join Swan and the Penn State Arboretum for this workshop on how to write creatively and with joy about the natural world around us and our relationship to it. Space limited — register here.
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Book Reading: 4-5:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 23 at Webster’s Bookstore Café, 133 E. Beaver Ave., State College. Hear Swan read from her poetry and her latest creative nonfiction at this free event. Copies of Swan’s books will be available for signing. (Streaming is available for those interested in attending from non-UP campuses — register here.)
Swan’s poetry has appeared in journals such as Poet Lore, Phoebe, Cold Mountain, The Raleigh Review, Basalt, About Place, Midwestern Gothic, and The Hopper, and anthologies such as "Healing the Divide, New Poetry from the Midwest" and The Rewilding Anthology. Her chapbook, "The Edge of Damage," was published by Parallel Press and won the Wisconsin Writers Chapbook Award, and her full collection, "A Kinship with Ash," was published by Terrapin Books. Her nonfiction has appeared in journals such as Aeon, Catapult, The Learned Pig, Minding Nature, Edge Effects, Belt Magazine and Resilience Journal.
Swan’s visit is part of SustainPSU’s Sustainability Showcase initiative, a student-founded series that has brought hundreds of experts to Penn State since 2017 to showcase innovative ideas around sustainability. The film screening is part of SustainPSU’s ongoing Intersections Film Program, which has welcomed more than 6,000 attendees and 100 expert guests to over 45 screenings of sustainability-themed films since 2019. All programming is offered free and open to all.
SustainPSU is programming and championing several events for Penn State’s celebration of Earth Month (March 23-April 22). Upcoming events of note include:
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Earth Hour: 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23 on Old Main Lawn, hosted by the Penn State EcoReps
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Student Sustainability Summit: 3-8 p.m. on Monday, April 1 at the HUB-Robeson Center, hosted by the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA)
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Ending Fast Fashion with Miss Pennsylvania Miranda Moore: all day on Wednesday, April 17 at the HUB-Robeson Center and 3 Dots Downtown, co-hosted by the Penn State EcoReps and Student Fashion Club
Visit SustainPSU’s event webpage to stay up to date on times, locations, and further details regarding events. For more information, please reach out to Grant Rowe, SustainPSU’s programming coordinator, at ger5277@psu.edu.