Category Archives: Extra Credit

5 Questions for Steve Mentz

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  1. “Deterritorializing” is reminiscent of the more common (and more land-oriented) word “deconstructing,” which is often used in the humanities. Why is it important now more than ever to unlearn what we have learned?
  2. What is your favorite fact you have learned while researching water/the ocean?
  3. Do you think experiencing nature first hand (like being able to see an ice landscape in person) is an important aspect of the blue humanities?
  4. Do you think younger people (school aged children) can benefit from exposure to the blue humanities, or is it a current more suited to the environment of academia and higher education?
  5. When you were younger, what did you want to grow up to be?

Steve Mentz Session Extra Credit Opportunity

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Attending this event was very insitful to hear more about Steve Mentz and what he believes about blue humanities and why he studies and teaches it! I thought it was lovely to hear everyones questions about the subject! I thought the question towards the end of the session about the wind turbines and the deep ocean was an interesting one as it would affect the sea life in that area and the fact they couldn’t build it that far down. All of the ocean animals which would be affected by something like that could be detrimental. I can hope anyone can see or hear that and learn that it might not be the best. I enjoyed hearing what he also had to say about coming up with more ideas as he is ocean swimming and how the roughness or calmness of the waves can determine how he thinks. I believe what he was saying about using different terms to shift our thinking with blue humanities can really be to our benefit in this class as we dive into this book and learn more about the ocean and all of the nature within it.

Questions for Steve Mentz

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  • Is there a piece of work you think harms the name of blue humanities?
  • Can lakes and rivers also be of importance such as the sea is? Do you think they evoke different feelings and questions? 
  • What inspired you to pursue the path of blue humanities?
  • You mention the importance of blue humanities in our lives, but could the same be said about other biomes, such as the desert?
  • As time goes on, do you think blue humanities will get more recognition or become less prominent in our society? 

Questions for Steve Mentz

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  • In Deterritorializing Preface, you question if scape, as in Seascape, is problematic because our language is too focused on the visual. In contrast, you state, “underwater creatures seldom rely very much on sight.” Have you considered any words or phrases that might better capture this concept?
  • How might deterritorializing our language help us study and understand the blue humanities and the anthropocene?
  • You speak about having a deep connection to the North Atlantic coast. Has your experience shifted or deepened by visiting different bodies of water? 
  • Can you share how reading/writing about the ocean (or bodies of water) within the contexts of blue humanities expands and deepens your connection with water and life?
  • Which of your books was your favorite to write, and why?

EC: 5 Questions for Steve Mentz

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  • How do you think social media influences the idea our culture holds of water?
  • What differences and similarities do you see on views of the water across countries?
  • Where is your favorite place you’ve swum?
  • If you had to choose one place to live, anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
  • What is something you wish everyone knew about the ocean?

Extra Credit – Steve Mentz Questions

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  1. What first drew you to the ocean as a central focus, and how did that interest evolve into what is now the “blue humanities”?
  2. How do you think studying the ocean through literature can help us think differently about challenges such as climate change today?
  3. Are there any particular books or authors that you think students should read if they want to get a better sense of how literature connects to the ocean?
  4. What advice would you give to students who want to bring environmental or ocean-focused perspectives into their own writing?
  5. When you first started writing about the blue humanities, did you expect it to grow into the field it is now?

Extra Credit:Steve Mentz Questions

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1.) What importance does Blue Humanities hold for you? How would you say this topic works along existing fields of marine science?
2.) Despite a primary focus on the ocean, are there any other bodies of water that you think humans can explore just as in depth?
3.) Why does poetry offer such a lens into planetary waters in comparison to essays or other academic leaning books?
4.) Are there any other notable authors you look towards when speaking about or studying Blue Humanities besides Melville or Gillis?
5.) If you could chose one word to describe human relationship with the ocean, what would you pick and why?

Questions for Steve Mentz

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  1. Do you believe that technology in modern days plays a huge role in helping humanity connect to the ocean a bit more visually?
  2. Do you think poetry could change a person’s perspective about the ocean? Even if they think about it negatively?
  3. What is the one poem you would like to recommend to students if they want to learn more about the vast ocean?
  4. What are your thoughts about the deep sea and the mysteriousness that lies beneath it?
  5. What would be the one advice you would give to students as they start to read Moby Dick for the next couple of weeks?

Steve Mentz Questions

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  1. The fifth word listed in the “Preface to Ocean” reading calls for a change to our language, as you ponder if “our language [is] too visual.” What other linguistic alternatives are you thinking would align with the communication of underwater creatures?
  2. One of the first things that I noted in my reading of “Preface to Ocean” was your use of “moving and moved” to describe the waters surrounding us. What do those past and present tenses touch on with your ongoing studies of deterritorialization and “the blue humanities?”
  3. You’ve mentioned the effect that the eco-crisis and climate emergency have on your field of study. How might the growing concern on this topic influence the future of “the blue humanities,” and how might we, as students and advocates of the oceans, better help?
  4. Visibility and perspective seem to be huge points of interest in the process of destabilizing and adjusting our “old terrestrial language.” What role does visibility play in the advocacy for the oceans and surrounding waters? In other words, do you find that those in more direct proximity to the ocean and waters have a greater interest in “the blue humanities?”
  5. In what ways has your interest in poetry influenced your outlook on your field of study? We often discuss fluidity in our literary discussion and analysis of poetry, which makes the subject of water/oceans and poetry seem like complimentary partners.

Questions For Steve Mentz (Extra Credit)

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  1. You talk about climate change and rising sea levels, how can blue humanities help us think different about our current ecological challenges?
  2. What drew you to study blue humanities?
  3. Which other works do you think captures the poetics of water?
  4. How do you balance the reality of water, like rising sea levels and pollution, with the symbolic meaning of water? Does material reality and symbolism overlap?
  5. What connections are there between blue humanities and environmental justice?