Going Away to Think: Engagement, Retreat, and Ecocritical Responsibility

by Scott Slovic

Scott Slovic has spent his life as a teacher, writer, environmental activist, and leader in the field of ecocritical literary studies. In Going Away to Think , he reflects on the twin motivations of his life—the commitment to do some good in the world and the impulse to enjoy life and participate fully in its most intense moments—and he examines the tension created by his efforts to balance these two poles of his responsibility. These essays reveal the complex inner life of one of this generation’s most important environmental critics and literary activists. They range from profound discussions of the role and responsibilities of scholarship to deeply personal ruminations on the impact of family crises and the influence of his wide-ranging travels.

264 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2008

Reviews

[Mat · Rating 5 out of 5]

All literary academics, in fact all academics big and small, should read this book. This is how academics should write and talk - like you are sitting down at the table talking to someone over coffee or a meal. Intelligent, measured prose written for the layperson.

Slovic offers the reader, of this very enjoyable book, a healthy combination of scholarship, advocacy on very important issues that affect our world and the environment today, but also he does it with modesty and a healthy measure of ambivalence on certain topics. He never comes across as the didactive authoritarian. I imagine that he must be one pretty great teacher.

Going Away to Think is a book about obtaining a constructive and sane balance between life at the workplace (the office) and life at home or off in the woods or mountains. Both are important and can be, as Slovic shows, mutually complementary, especially if you are working in this field of environmental writing and ecocriticism

I look forward to reading more of his books on ecocriticism in future.

[Cara St.Hilaire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott Slovic finds a perfect balance between scholarship and action in this engaging, personal, and heartfelt essay. He uses many examples to prove that language and communication are the backbone of creating positive environmental change. At the same time, he discusses the inner conflict of wanting to truly enjoy life and all its experiences while making the world a better place at the same time.

Throughout the essay, the author takes us along on his many travels where he "goes away to think." He takes us to Oregon, Mexico, to a gated community in Nevada, and more--and weaves together a mixture of personal narrative, factual information, and an ecocritical analysis of other writers.

This book is not only a necessary read for ecocritics, but also unlike most scholarly books labeled under the umbrella of "ecocriticism," it is completely accessible to even the general environmentalist. Slovic's writing style and narrative make this book completely inspirational and captivating.

[Mason Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really the first book of ecocriticism I've read, or at least first book by an ecocritic. I appreciated the variety of the essays, in that they were diverse in nature and subject, but I felt they still fit together well.