Growth

Abstract

The author’s collection of creative nonfiction combines her love of writing and biology. She writes “I decided to attempt this idea that had been just an idea for a very long time. I called what I was going to write ‘a collection of creative nonfiction pieces about nature.’ For a while, this was my only plan. The topic of nature was so broad that I was not sure how to start. And I was fixed on not letting my project turn into more of a memoir than just a retelling of fun nature facts with a bit of climate change sprinkled in. I did lots of things related to nature over the summer: I hiked with my grandma in Utah, I helped with some field research on a thistle plant on the northern shore of Lake Michigan, I traveled to the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland on study abroad, and I helped lead our college’s outdoor pre-orientation program. There were so many new experiences with nature, and so many old childhood memories as well. What did I even want to write about? My aunt gave me the idea to write about different plants. She knows I love to point out plants I know and talk about fun plant facts, and this focusing of the grand topic of nature into the smaller, more manageable topic of plants helped me get started. I used much of what I had learned in my Plant Biology class, and while writing this collection I have really enjoyed doing more research into the plants I chose to write on. Although I could have chosen arguably more interesting plants, I was realizing how much this collection had turned into a memoir, and how certain plants have influenced my life in one way or another.” The final collection includes six sections: “Milkweed,” “Dandelions,” “Motherwort,” “Garlic Mustard,” “Sassafras,” and “Clover.”