Dr. Hensley’s lecture was a fascinating addition to our growing understanding of the presence of the past, as it brought up the relevant and ever-increasing modern issue of climate change and environmental decay, and matched it with two-hundred-year-old literature. That pairing initially seemed to be a little bit of a reach to me, but the lecture quickly proved how unfounded that concern really was. As we near the apparent end of this industrial-focused period, it really does make a lot of sense to go back and look at the beginning of it. And, as Dr. Hensley suggested, where better to look for the common views and social or cultural environment surrounding the literal environment than in the literature of the time? Dr. Hensley’s lecture on his work reminded the audience, including myself, that literature is never written in a vacuum, and is formed within the context of contemporary issues. Continue reading “From Transition, To Action, To End”