downstream: reimagining water

by Dorothy Christian (Editor), Rita Wong (Editor)

Winner of the Alanna Bondar Memorial Book Prize 2018 reimagining water brings together artists, writers, scientists, scholars, environmentalists, and activists who understand that our shared human need for clean water is crucial to building peace and good relationships with one another and the planet. This book explores the key roles that culture, arts, and the humanities play in supporting healthy water-based ecology and provides local, global, and Indigenous perspectives on water that help to guide our societies in a time of global warming. The contributions range from practical to visionary, and each of the four sections closes with a poem to encourage personal freedom along with collective care. This book contributes to the formation of an intergenerational, culturally inclusive, participatory water ethic. Such an ethic arises from intellectual courage, spiritual responsibilities, practical knowledge, and deep appreciation for human dependence on water for a meaningful quality of life. downstream illuminates how water teaches us interdependence with other humans and living creatures, both near and far.

Genres: Poetry

300 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 2017

Reviews

[Greg Bem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a challenging anthology. Rooted in Canadian viewpoints across many different backgrounds, this anthology invites conversation through different poetics and aesthetics and experiences from a variety of authors. As a result, it is messy, often feeling completely spread out in its many visions; however, it is connected and invited to be explored because it is challenging, and I found it, as a toolkit and an intellectual challenge, to be exactly what I needed to push myself further into water ecology studies. Anyone interested in the relationship between water and humanity should read this.

[Amanda (Smitten For Fiction) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned A LOT reading Downstream: Reimagining Water. I graduated from University almost thirteen years ago with a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Sociology/Social Cultural Anthropology. I used to devour as much information as I could about history, people, cultures, environment, and had a keen interest in Indigenous people, particularly Canadian Native people. I myself am part Mi'qmaw, and love learning more about our history, traditions, and our part in saving the environment - including water. So when I was sent an advanced reader copy by Wilfrid Laurier University Press to read this new book, I felt a full-circle kind of moment - right place, right time. Know what I mean?
Full review on my blog https://amandadroverhartwick.wordpres...