Writing Wild: A Unique Form of Expression - Kell-y Turnball

Abstract

The following is an in-depth analysis of the `Wild Writing' concept put forth in previous discussions by Dylan Fischer and Bill Ransom. This paper is organized with a sense of parody towards technical papers. For the sake of humor, it (somewhat) follows the ESA format for article submissions.

The analysis put forth in this piece is a subjective interpretation of the above term, `Wild Writing,' and should in no way be taken as
significant in terms of research or general scientific knowledge. It is intended for entertainment purposes only. 

Keywords
Funny essay, college scandal, wild writing. 

Introduction

`Wild Writing' is a term used by faculty members and students alike on the Evergreen State College campus to refer both to the sense of a natural emphasis in creative non-fiction and poetry and to the significant play of the environment in current Northwestern literary culture. In this paper I discuss my personal interpretation of what the phrase itself implies to me and its connotations regarding my recent work on the Evergreen campus.

The Methods section will be short and to the point, given that there was little physical research involved in this interpretative analysis. The Results section will include a listing of the significant points that I have determined to be major sources of inspiration for my analysis. Finally, in Discussion, I will bring all my data together and interpret the term and its significance to me as a human being, as a student, and in this environment.

Methods

To examine what I have about Wild Writing, I sat alone for a time on damp grass in the sunlight on campus and deeply pondered the fundamental nature of primal existence and the effect the environment has on intelligent existence, i.e. human consciousness. I used my prescribed psychotropic medication to calm and control myself for this stage of analysis (but I would not recommend attempting to recreate my results through similar techniques).  I also played music matched to the mood I perceived on a digital player during the session.  

Results

I discovered that the dampness of grass and the warmth of the sunlight tended to create a somewhat euphoric and dichotomous sensation of the variability of the natural world, causing my thoughts to turn outward towards the expression of emotion and the communication of various animals, including humans and their domestic companions.

The medication employed for test stabilization caused a more introverted sense of the `self' as it conforms to and alters its environment in both minute and wide-ranging ways, applying both to the inner identity of an individual and to the effects that individual has on interpersonal relationships.

Lastly, I noticed that the music was soothing and brought me to a state of contemplation regarding artistic endeavors and the social consequences implicit in artistic communication, along with a bridge of thought towards the implications of scientific communication to the general public.  

Discussion

The natural world seems to have tendencies towards variability, and this appears to be reflected in communication between both individuals of a species and between species themselves. Through the contemplation of nature's constant evolution, its constant quest to perfect and elevate forms of life, I found that it may be said that species-specific adaptations apply readily to forms of communication. Human modes of writing – writing being one primary method of our species' communication – seem to adapt and change along with the natural environment, either reflective of it or in some other way connected to it.

Individually, our experiences seem to be stored to memory through the means of the five senses, whether mechanically assisted or not, and through our mental filtering and analysis. This unconscious analysis may be affected by past experiences and previous memories, and therefore it is possible that learning is an ongoing, ever-changing process for every individual. In pondering the effect of the environment on a being's sense of self and on society, I came to the rough conclusion that the filtered bias with which we perceive nature has a major impact on how our writing is presented and therefore how it is received.             

Through contemplation of different forms of communication (including scientific essays and the other ends of the spectrum, poetry), it occurred to me that everything imparted by one individual or group of individuals to another is subject to personal bias on both ends and also to rebuttal. Given this, the nature of writing and other forms of communication is in no way discrete in its employ, but rather is an ongoing spectrum of this-versus-that. Consequences of artistic license and scientific research all come together in the format in which they're shared with the world. Thus, the concept of writing and therefore of `Wild Writing' is one of a continued discussion regarding a general topic that affects every individual – the natural world.           

So, to put it all together: `Wild Writing' is, to me, an essence of communication that touches upon both the formulaic human interpretation of language and literary convention and the primal urge to dissect, analyze, and, most importantly, share (communicate) our observations of the natural world. Whether for practicality's sake (as in a medical article about a fungus that assists cancer patients) or for artistic expression (like a poetic rendering of that mushroom's appearance or its effect on the psilocybin-addled mind), humans appear to require, and to crave, communication. We seem to be, to some extent, an adaptive species that embraces new knowledge as a stepping-stone to our advancement, whether individually or as a group. `Wild Writing' is, to me, a vibrant and unique way of sharing our individual and cultural views with each other as they pertain to the natural world that we all live in and are all affected by.            

In conclusion, `Wild Writing' isn't just a term coined for an Evergreen program – it's an aspect of literature that combines forms to create something unique and special that will hopefully open new avenues for communication about the wilds of our world.