The Ecology of Me - David B Zandvliet

The Ecology of Me is a narrative project focusing on my notion of 'aesthetic functioning' as it relates to identity, culture and environmental issues and the possible intersection of these factors.  Its structure takes the form of an autobiographical narrative closely linked to ecological identity and its development in educators over time.  Using personal examples from my own life, I critically examine a number of poems or narrative texts written over the span of my educational development and ensuing academic career.  Centered on these texts, I also adopt critical literary analytical techniques to describe the context and backdrop for each of these forms of writing.  The volume consists of a series of poems coupled with photographic compositions and related narrative texts that further describe the cultural and political context for each work as well as my personal circumstances during the time of writing. Together, these form a working 'environmental autobiography' of sorts while also modeling the process of developing and maintaining one's own 'aesthetic functioning' in an increasing complex and technological world.