Walking

To walk may be an act of survival. Or it may be a pilgrimage, a saunter, a stroll. Or merely the cheapest and most available way to get from here to there. It may be forced or chosen, an act of protest or unity. One step at a time, we will explore the literature of walking (poems, stories, songs, essays, journals), write our own walking narratives and songlines, and take weekly excursions afoot. We will also examine the motion of walking, and how the cadence and rhythm of walking shape what we see, how we think, and the pace at which we experience the world around (and underneath) us. There are historic walks and marches to consider, sometimes for freedom or peace, sometimes at gunpoint, and sometimes as a means to exploration, discovery, and cross-cultural encounters. We will spread out and explore many diverse perspectives on walking, historical and contemporary, using the class as a place to come together, to share our discoveries, and to see what other paths are out there. Our walking excursions will take us through alleys, forest paths, city streets, streams, and along beaches. We will also make walking art and take a 3-day walk, learning by experience what it means to walk for a long time. There will be weekly writings and creative responses, a fair amount of reading, and lots of discussion and walking.