ENGL 440 / 559: Whale-Worlds
M/W 11:30 – 1:20, MEB 102
Prof. Jesse Oak Taylor, jot8@uw.edu
Office Hours M/W 1:30 – 2:30, PDL A-408 & by appointment
Overview
This course will explore key themes and questions in the environmental humanities by way of the world-building practices of whales and the human world-making projects into which they have been (often forcibly and violently) incorporated. In so doing, we will think about how the interpretive practices of the huminites can be opened to the Earth system, while recognizing that many of the features long understood to define the human, including communication, culture, and history appear in the lifeworlds of our fellow Earthlings. In the process, the course will provide a chance to think about how the methods of literary and cultural analysis can be extended beyond the human, while also exploring the unique affordances of literature in thinking about and experiencing more-than-human worlds.
Please note: Whale-Worlds is a combined undergraduate capstone and graduate seminar. While that distinction will matter little in class discussions, some expectations and assignments will differ depending on whether you are registered for the course under the 440 or 559 number. For example, “supplemental” readings are recommended for 440 and required for 559. Thus, as you read through the syllabus and course requirements, please take note of which assignments apply to the course number under which you are enrolled.
Readings
The works listed below should be purchased in hard copy. They have been ordered to the UW bookstore, and should also be available via other venues. While I prefer that you have the editions listed here, if you already own a different edition of Moby-Dick, you are welcome to use it (provided that it isn’t abridged). Supplemental readings will be posted on the Canvas site.
Rebecca Giggs, Fathoms: The World in the Whale Simon & Schuster, 2020. ISBN 9781982120702
Herman Melville, Moby-Dick. Oxford, 2022. ISBN: 9780198853695.
Linda Hogan, The People of the Whale. W. W. Norton, 2008. ISBN: 9780393335347.
Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals. AK, 2020. ISBN:
9781849353977
Recommended books: We’ll be reading substantial enough portions of these that it might be more pleasant to have your own copy. Plus, you may find that you want to read more!
Richard J. King, Ahab’s Rolling Sea: A Natural History of Moby-Dick. Chicago, 2019.
Bathsheba Demuth, Floating Coast: An Environmental History of the Bering Strait. Norton, 2019.
Jamie L. Jones, Rendered Obsolete: Energy Culture and the Afterlife of US Whaling. UNC, 2023.
Robert Macfarlane, Is a River Alive? Norton, 2025.
Grade Breakdown
440:
In-Class Participation: 20%
“There She Blows” (Whale Sightings): 15%
Moby-Dick Essay: 20%
Final Project Proposal: 10%
Final Project: 30%
Final Presentation: 5%
559:
In-Class Participation: 20%
Hypothesis Annotations: 15%
Supplemental Reading Summaries: 15%
Final Project Proposal: 10%
Final Project: 35%
Final Presentation: 5%
Assignments
Please note: the assignment structure varies slightly depending on whether you are enrolled in 440 or 559. More details for all assignments will be posted on Canvas.
Participation: A seminar is a collaborative enterprise. This is especially true in a blended class like this one. Please come to class prepared not merely to pose and answer questions from me, but to engage in frank, thoughtful, and respectful conversations with your fellow students. You will need to speak up in class, join group activities, share writing, and engage in generous peer review with your classmates. You will also need to listen to others and not dominate the discussion. I am committed to fostering a classroom environment in which any idea or perspective can be discussed, and in which all participants are respected. To that end, we will adhere to the English Department’s statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (posted below). If you feel excluded or marginalized by class discussions, please come talk with me about it.
Nothing generates discussion better than questions. If you are confused by something in the reading, aren’t sure what a word means (or who a theorist is), please ask. This is doubly important given the range of materials we will be discussing, some of which engage with scientific concepts, Indigenous knowledge traditions, and materials from a range of disciplines. I guarantee you that no one in the room (me included) fully understands all of these readings. We will rely on one another for guidance. To that end, a final stipulation: no name dropping. If you want to bring up a critic, theorist, or work of literature that isn’t on the syllabus please be prepared to explain it, such that the idea is available to the whole group.
“There She Blows” / Whale Sightings (440): Whales are everywhere. You will see whales and/or other tie-ins with this course all over the place during the term. Snap a photo / screenshot of any “whale sightings” and write a mini-essay (around 250-350 words) describing its relevance to course discussions and/or materials, and post to the Canvas site as part of a discussion thread. You need to do at least 3 during the quarter, but are welcome to do more for extra credit if you’d like. Students in 559 are also welcome to do this assignment for extra credit.
Reading Moby-Dick Essay (440): Moby-Dick is a huge, sprawling novel that can be very hard to get your mind around. For this assignment, you’ll write a shortish essay (around 1,000-1,500 words) in which you argue that a particular chapter is the key to the entire book. This is also an activity that we will be doing in class, and you are of course free to think about arguments made during that activity in writing your essay. You should *also* use this as an occasion to think back on your time in the English major, and think about how the kinds of questions asked in different courses might push you toward picking one chapter vs another. It’s an occasion to think about the kind of reader that you have become during your time in college.
Hypothesis Annotations (559): Supplemental readings will be posted on the Course canvas site and linked to the Hypothesis annotation tool. Because these readings are required only for students in 559, the Hypothesis discussion thread will be an important venue for discussing and/or illuminating the readings. Thus, students will be expected to make at least 3 annotations per class session when supplemental readings are assigned, distributing them throughout the readings. Additional annotations are welcome, and substantial additional engagement beyond the minimum will receive extra credit. Please also remember to *read* the annotations prior to class. Students in 440 are also welcome to make Hypothesis annotations for extra credit.
Supplemental Reading Summary/ Review (559): Twice during the term, students in 559 will work in pairs to write short (500+/- words per chapter) summaries of the supplemental reading, to be posted as a discussion thread on the Canvas site. These should highlight key points or passages from the reading, and/or situate it in relation to the primary text and course themes. The tone ought to be that of an academic book review.
Final Project: The term will culminate in a final research project of your own design. While the scope differs for 440 vs 559 (8-10 pages for 440, 14-17 for 559), all projects will involve substantive analysis or interpretation, placing a primary text or artifact in conversation with the supplemental readings, coupled with additional independent research. All students will submit a project proposal in advance, and give a short in-class presentation during the final week of the term. While the guidelines are predicated on the idea of an academic essay, I also welcome research projects in alternative formats and media (podcasts, digital archives, etc.), including creative projects like games, songs, sculptures or paintings, in dialogue with course materials. All creative projects *must* be accompanied by a methodology essay that explains the research and thought process behind the work.
Due Dates and Extensions
Most written work (except in-class writing) will be submitted on Canvas. If your final project takes a form that is difficult to upload, you can always submit photos or video documenting it – and, as with everything, you can come talk to me if you have challenges. For graded essays, I will always grant extensions requested at least the day in advance. You do not need to give a reason. However, when you request an extension, please propose a new due date. I will hold you to the deadline you propose, deducting points if you miss it. Thus, make sure you think about the amount of time you actually need and plan accordingly. Please note: I will not give credit for Canvas responses or Hypothesis annotations submitted after the week for which they were assigned unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Academic Integrity
When quoting, paraphrasing, or referring to another writer’s words or ideas (including any you might find on the Internet), you must cite the source properly using MLA citation guidelines, which I will explain before the first essay assignment is due. Don’t hesitate to ask me if you have questions about proper attribution. I will hand over any plagiarized work to the Dean’s Committee on Academic Conduct, and plagiarism may result in a failing grade on the assignment or the course. For further information on what constitutes plagiarism, see http://depts.washington.edu/grading/issue1/honesty.htm#misconduct.
AI Addendum: Literary interpretation and cultural criticism are inherently subjective endeavors. It depends on the relationship between reader and artifact. Thus, I expect you to do your own writing in this course. I will admit that I am skeptical about AI, especially in terms of its use in writing and education, in part for reasons that are articulated here (https://medium.com/bits-and-behavior/more-than-calculators-why-large-language-models-threaten-public-education-480dd5300939). The work of the humanities relies on forming your own judgements and interpretations and crafting your own sentences, no matter how painful the process. If you offload it onto the computer, there is no point in doing it. That includes the difficult work of writing: it’s hard because it’s hard. And yet finding the words and organizing your thoughts is the work. Thus, I trust that you will not use Chat GPT or other AI tools in research, writing, or producing other work for this class. I will read your work and respond to it myself, not using these tools in grading your work, and thus I expect the same consideration in return. If you have questions about this policy, or an idea for a research project that engages AI directly in some fashion (it is being used to analyze whale songs and identify marine mammals, for example), please come talk to me about it. I am open to the prospect of projects that use AI in generative ways as long as that use is both disclosed and theorized – that is, you need to tell me not only how you used AI but also reflect on what you learned in the process.
Computers & Electronics
Reading on paper is different. You will need to have the primary texts in hard copy. That being said, tablets, e-readers, and laptops will be permitted in class, provided they are used only to consult course readings and that you do not have unrelated windows open at the same time. Cellphones are not permitted in class. This policy is based on my experience of a meaningful difference between these devices. If you are on your phone, it gives the impression that you are not paying attention. If you have multiple windows open on your computer, it becomes a distraction to others. If your device becomes a distraction either to yourself or others (including me), you will lose participation credit for that day. If it becomes a recurrent issue, I will ask that you put it away and bring all readings to class on paper. If this policy creates a hardship for you, please come talk to me.
Disability Accommodations
I want this class to be inclusive for everyone. If you have a disability or any other issue that needs to be accommodated, please ask. The UW Office of Disability Resources (https://depts.washington.edu/uwdrs/) offers a number of services for students, and I will be happy to work with them. If you have a DRS accommodation, please let me know at the beginning of the term. In addition, there are circumstances arise that press upon your ability to participate in the course, please tell me.
Religious Accommodations
Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form.
Departmental Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The UW English Department aims to help students become more incisive thinkers, effective communicators, and imaginative writers by acknowledging that language and its use are powerful and hold the potential to empower individuals and communities; to provide the means to engage in meaningful conversation and collaboration across differences and with those with whom we disagree; and to offer methods for exploring, understanding, problem solving, and responding to the many pressing collective issues we face in our world--skills that align with and support the University of Washington’s mission to educate “a diverse student body to become responsible global citizens and future leaders through a challenging learning environment informed by cutting-edge scholarship.”
As a department, we begin with the conviction that language and texts play crucial roles in the constitution of cultures and communities, past, present, and future. Our disciplinary commitments to the study of language, literature, and culture require of us a willingness to engage openly and critically with questions of power and difference. As such, in our teaching, service, and scholarship we frequently initiate and encourage conversations about topics such as race, immigration, gender, sexuality, class, indigeneity, and colonialisms. These topics are fundamental to the inquiry we pursue. We are proud of this fact, and we are committed to creating an environment in which our faculty and students can do so confidently and securely, knowing that they have the backing of the department.
Towards that aim, we value the inherent dignity and uniqueness of individuals and communities. We acknowledge that our university is located on the shared lands and waters of the Coast Salish peoples. We aspire to be a place where human rights are respected and where any of us can seek support. This includes people of all ethnicities, faiths, gender identities, national and indigenous origins, political views, and citizenship status; nontheists; LGBQTIA+; those with disabilities; veterans; and anyone who has been targeted, abused, or disenfranchised.
Schedule
The reading load for this course is substantial. All readings should be completed before the class for which they are assigned. Readings listed first for each session are required for all students, while those marked “supplemental” are required for students in 559 and recommended for students enrolled in 440. However, 440 students *will* need to complete at least some of the supplemental reading and draw upon it in your final projects.
Please also note that we will have several visitors to class, two of whom (Stephanie LeMenager and Robert Macfarlane) will also be delivering major public lectures. You are strongly encouraged to attend those lectures and/or other events linked with their visits.
Week 1: M. 3.30: “What Sperm Whales Can Tell Us About Humanity” (short video – watch in class); “Southern Resident Killer Whale Research” (short video – watch in class); “Sperm Whale Giving Birth” (short video – watch in class); Kamilah Aisha Moon, “Notes on a Mass Stranding” Sally Bliumis-Dun, “Echolocation”;
- 4.1: Giggs, Fathoms, Prologue - Ch. 2, pp. 2-92.
Supplemental: Gruber, “I’m a Marine Biologist: This is How I Talk to Whales” (NYTimes); Rendell, “Are We Really About to Talk to Whales?” (The Conversation). (No Hypothesis assignment for these.)
Week 2: M. 4.6: Giggs, Fathoms Ch. 4-5, 7-8, Epilogue, pp. 116-182, 213-283
Supplemental: Mercado, from Why Whales Sing, Prologue - Ch. 1, pp. vii-26 & Ch. 9 – Epilogue, pp. 212-268.
- 4.8: Melville, Moby-Dick “Extracts”- Ch. 9 (“The Sermon”), pp. 1-65; “The Book of Jonah”
Supplemental: Peters, from Marvellous Clouds, “Chapter 2: “Of Cetaceans and Ships,” pp. 53-114
Week 3: M. 4.13: Melville, Moby-Dick; Ch. 10 – 35, pp. 65 – 161.
Supplemental: King, from Ahab’s Rolling Sea, “Introduction” - Ch. 1. pp. 1 – 24.
- 4.15: Melville, Moby-Dick; Ch. 36 – 57, pp. 161 – 264.
Supplemental: King, From Ahab’s Rolling Sea, Ch. 3 - 4, pp. 33 - 71.
Class Meets in Special Collections – Allen Library South
Week 4: M. 4.20: Melville, Moby-Dick; Ch. 58 – 90, pp. 264 – 375.
Supplemental: King, from Ahab’s Rolling Sea, Ch. 5-6, pp. 72-97.
- Melville, Moby-Dick; Ch. 91 – 106, pp. 376 – 430.
Supplemental: King, from Ahab’s Rolling Sea, Ch. 22, pp. 247-266; Barnard, “The Cod and the Whale”
Week 5: M. 4.27: Melville, Moby-Dick; FINISH, pp. 430-522.
Supplemental: King, from Ahab’s Rolling Sea, Ch. 31, pp. 336-360.
*T. 4.28: Stephanie LeMenager Katz Lecture (6:30, Kane Hall)*
- 4.29: Melville, Moby-Dick (I know we’re done, but bring it to class!); Jones, from Rendered Obsolete Introduction & Ch. 1, pp. 1-58.
Supplemental: LeMenager, from Living Oil, “Prologue” – Introduction, pp. 1-20; Dagget, from The Birth of Energy, “Introduction” pp. 1-14.
*Stephanie LeMenager visiting Class*
Week 6: M. 5.4: Demuth, Floating Coast; “Prologue” Ch. 1 - 2, and Ch. 9 – “Epilogue”, pp. 1 – 70, 255-318.
- 5.6: Hogan, People of the Whale, Part 1, pp. 9-108.
Supplemental: Coté, from Spirits of Our Whaling Ancestors, Introduction – Ch. 1, pp. 3-41
Week. 7: M. 5.11: Hogan, People of the Whale, Part 2. pp. 111-239.
Supplemental: Reid, from The Sea is My Country; “Introduction” pp. 1-18.
- 5.13: Hogan, People of the Whale, Part 3, pp. 243-288.
Supplemental: Reid, from The Sea is My Country, “Conclusion,” pp. 271-281.
Week 8: M. 5.18: Gumbs, Undrowned, Ch. 1-10 pp. 1-100
Supplemental: Mapes, “Hostile Waters: Orcas in Peril” & “How Tahlequa and Her Dead Calf Tell the Story of Climate Change” Seattle Times (No Hypothesis assignment.)
*Nik Damato Visiting Class*
- 5.20: Gumbs, Undrowned, Ch. 11-20, pp. 101-174.
Supplemental: Craig Santos-Perez, “Love Song for Oceania” (short film); Craig Santos-Perez “Echolocation” (No Hypothesis assignments.)
Week 9: M. 5.25: Memorial Day NO CLASS
- 5.27: Macfarlane, from Is a River Alive? “Prologue” & “Introduction,” pp. 3-32, Ch. 1, pp. 39-105.
Supplemental: White, from The Organic Machine, “Introduction” – Ch. 1, pp. ix – 29; Mapes, “Elwha: Roaring Back to Life” (Seattle Times) (No Hypothesis assignments.)
*Robert Macfarlane in Class*
Macfarlane Lecture @ Town Hall Seattle (6:30 PM)
Week 10: M. 6.1: Presentations
- 6.2: Presentations