Research

My academic background is in literature and biology. Currently, my research and writing focus on city-based nature writing and the evolving notion of “urban wilderness”; sustainability pedagogy and the discourse of environmental justice; and the environmental and literary history of the Chicago region.

The Wisconsin River, near Aldo Leopold's shack north of Baraboo WI (M. Bryson)
The Wisconsin River, near Aldo Leopold’s shack north of Baraboo WI (M. Bryson)

More generally, my interests include the sustainability of cities and suburbs; urban ecology and environmental writing; and the study of literature’s relationship to science and nature. My published research takes the form of monographs, scholarly articles and book chapters, academic essays, and book reviews.