Aaron Sachs: Writing Environmental Histories
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Abstract
Join Aarons Sachs, an environmental historian from the History Department at Cornell, who has written groundbreaking books that often have a spatial twist. Sachs's work is highly relevant for architects interested in a renewed understanding of environmental questions beyond mere technological fixes. During this event, he will address the craft of writing: What does it mean to write about the environment today? What are some ways to approach the question? How have others worked in the past? Can humor be another venue of exploration for environmentalists who, for too long, have used a dramatic, if not tragic, tone?
If you are interested in honing your writing skills or, more broadly, learning about contemporary environmental history, you're invited to attend. Light refreshments will be served. This event is organized by the History of Architecture and Urban Development program's doctoral group HAUS.
Biography
Aaron Sachs is a professor of history and American studies at Cornell University and an award-winning environmental journalist. He primarily studies American environmental and cultural history. His first book, The Humboldt Current (2007), received a Frederick Jackson Turner Award honorable mention, and he was, in 2023, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. His latest book, Stay Cool (2023), argues in a highly original way how gallows humor can bolster us in confronting global warming.
