Songs from the Field
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Graduation Year
2026
Writing Track
Creative Nonfiction
Degree
Master of Fine Arts
Program
Creative Writing
Program Director
Judy Halebsky, PhD
First Reader
Judy Halebsky, PhD
Second Reader
Joan Baranow, PhD
Description
Songs from the Field draws on experiences as an ecologist to explore the human relationship to place, and therein nature, oneself, and others. Through widening scales of space and time, the work explores the entwinement of climate, landscapes, and relationships in defining ourselves and human experience. How does earth science lead one to the threshold of mystery? How do our human lives engage with broader worlds, from the microscopic activity of soils, to life-giving earth processes, to the immensity of deep time? What can we learn about ourselves and discover in others in connection with place? This work seeks to explore such questions, noticing nuance and beauty in both the facts and mysteries of Earth.