The Muskogee Manifesto: climate collapse, creative writing, colonialism

Mimi Thebo

doi:10.62959/WIP-09-2023-07

The Muskogee Manifesto: climate collapse, creative writing, colonialism

Mimi Thebo

Department of English

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

Abstract

I was driving with my mother’s ashes to Shreveport, Louisiana, when I saw a sign for Muskogee, Oklahoma. I decided to stop near there for a sandwich.

On that short drive, several ideas arose, interleaved and referential. Immediately, they felt both significant and difficult to explain. My experience of that drive led me to a deeper understanding of colonialism, climate collapse and what may be useful in contemporary storytelling. This essay uses experiential techniques from my practice in fiction to share these insights.

I relate observation of the landscape, agriculture, country music, giant soft drinks and memory to concepts of history, heritage, climate collapse, ecocide, and the way cultural icons play out in our sense of identity. All inform the always-lurking concern: How can we write hopeful narratives on our dying planet?

Original language	English
Article number	7
Pages (from-to)	82-100
Journal	Writing in Practice
Volume	9
Issue number	November 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.62959/WIP-09-2023-07
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2023

Research Groups and Themes

Climate Crisis
Brigstow Institute

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10.62959/WIP-09-2023-07Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

https://www.nawe.co.uk/DB/wip-editions/articles/07.-the-muskogee-manifesto-climate-collapse-creative-writing-colonialism.htmlLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

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SfCJ: The Climate Crisis: What Best Hope To Tell Now?
Thebo, M. (Co-Principal Investigator), Pancost, R. D. (Co-Principal Investigator), Nadin, J. (Co-Investigator), Pettigrew, R. G. (Co-Investigator), Caldecott, E. (Co-Investigator) & Geen, E. C. (Administrator)
22/02/22 → 26/07/22
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "The Muskogee Manifesto: climate collapse, creative writing, colonialism",

abstract = "I was driving with my mother{\textquoteright}s ashes to Shreveport, Louisiana, when I saw a sign for Muskogee, Oklahoma. I decided to stop near there for a sandwich. On that short drive, several ideas arose, interleaved and referential. Immediately, they felt both significant and difficult to explain. My experience of that drive led me to a deeper understanding of colonialism, climate collapse and what may be useful in contemporary storytelling. This essay uses experiential techniques from my practice in fiction to share these insights. I relate observation of the landscape, agriculture, country music, giant soft drinks and memory to concepts of history, heritage, climate collapse, ecocide, and the way cultural icons play out in our sense of identity. All inform the always-lurking concern: How can we write hopeful narratives on our dying planet?",

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N2 - I was driving with my mother’s ashes to Shreveport, Louisiana, when I saw a sign for Muskogee, Oklahoma. I decided to stop near there for a sandwich. On that short drive, several ideas arose, interleaved and referential. Immediately, they felt both significant and difficult to explain. My experience of that drive led me to a deeper understanding of colonialism, climate collapse and what may be useful in contemporary storytelling. This essay uses experiential techniques from my practice in fiction to share these insights. I relate observation of the landscape, agriculture, country music, giant soft drinks and memory to concepts of history, heritage, climate collapse, ecocide, and the way cultural icons play out in our sense of identity. All inform the always-lurking concern: How can we write hopeful narratives on our dying planet?

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The Muskogee Manifesto: climate collapse, creative writing, colonialism

Abstract

Research Groups and Themes

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Projects

SfCJ: The Climate Crisis: What Best Hope To Tell Now?

Cite this