Solastalgia

An Anthology of Emotion in a Disappearing World

Paul Bogard

• Publisher: University of Virginia Press
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN: 9780813948843
• eBook ISBN: 9780813948850
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Literary Essays
• Index: Biological Sciences

"One of the penalties of an ecological education," wrote Aldo Leopold, "is that one lives alone in a world of wounds." As climate change and other environmental degradations become more evident, experts predict that an increasing number of people will suffer emotional and psychological distress as a result. Many are feeling these effects already. In the pages of Solastalgia, they will find a source of companionship, inspiration, and advice.

The concept of solastalgia comes from the Australian philosopher Glenn Albrecht, who describes it as "the homesickness we feel while still at home." It's the pain and longing we feel as we realize the world immediately around us is changing, with our love for that world serving as a catalyst for action on its behalf.

This powerful anthology brings together thirty-four writers—educators, journalists, poets, and scientists—to share their emotions in the face of environmental crisis. They share their solastalgia, their beloved places, their vulnerability, their stories, their vision of what we can create.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword by Glenn Albrecht
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Part I. Grieve and Give Thanks
• Part II. Remember and Imagine 
• Part III. Love, Get Angry, and Love Some More
• Part IV. Bring New Life into a Disappearing World
• Part V. Take Action and Take Care 
• Notes on Contributors