Come Venture into Steinbeck Country

  A program that takes you out of the classroom and into the rugged and beautiful Big Sur coastal rainforest

Summer 2015

Cohort Courses:  English 1B & Environmental Studies 1

(8 Units Honors Option)

About Monterey County John Steinbeck wrote:

It seems to be one of those pregnant places from which come wonders . . . I was born to it and my  father was. Our bodies came from this soil—our bones came . . . from the limestone of our own  mountains and our blood is distilled from the juices of this earth. I tell you that my country—a  hundred miles long and about fifty wide—is unique in the world.

The wonders of this landscape—from the yellow hills of Salinas to the roiling tide pools of Pacific Grove to the ancient rainforests of Big Sur—are more than just a backdrop for the social dramas of Steinbeck’s early fiction.  The natural history of Steinbeck’s country is inextricable from its human history.  Steinbeck’s profound sense of place calls out to us to experience his works where they came into being.

This course pairing is inspired not only by Steinbeck’s regional fiction, but also by his deep interest in natural science.  Equally inspiring is the work of Steinbeck’s best friend and collaborator, Ed Ricketts, whose book Between the Pacific Tides (1939) radically altered the scientific approach to classification of his time by using a holistic approach to intertidal habitats.  Steinbeck and Ricketts—a fiction writer and a scientist—might seem at first glance an unlikely pair, but they shared many philosophical ideas and a passion for understanding life.  Thus, their friendship and collaboration in a dynamic landscape provide the main impetus for this program.  Science and literature unite as we explore—philosophically and actually—the wonders of Steinbeck country.

In addition to meetings & the learning objectives of the courses, students will be hiking, exploring different ecosystems & ecological consequences to our actions, collaborating on projects, and camping in community.  Nature is our classroom! We will visit Malibu, the Center for Regenerative Studies at Cal Poly, the Hollywood Farmers Market, then venture to the Coastal Redwood Forest, Big Sur, Cannery Row, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Jeffers’ Tor House, and many other points of natural and literary interest along the way.

This cohort is offered only in Summer 2015 Second Session.

Enroll in ENG 1B #50658 (Krista Walter) and ENVS 1 #50692 (Erika Catanese)

Camping trip dates: 7/9-7/15

This program includes campus meetings, local fieldtrips, and a mandatory weeklong camping excursion to the central coast of California, including Big Sur.  Students who enroll in this cohort must be eligible for both courses and may not take other classes during second session.  Honors credit is available to students enrolled in the PCC Honors Program.  A fee of $200 is required and due the first day of class to cover the costs of the trip, which include transportation, admission fees, campgrounds, and food.  Space is limited.

For more information:

Professor Krista Walter  kristawalter@hotmail.com or Professor Erika Cataneseelcatanese@pasadena.edu