Reading Outside (Actually, Inside a Greenhouse)

Date: October 5th 2015

Our second “Reading Outside” performance took place in the greenhouses attached to the Bovey building on campus. During this reading-out-loud event, we covered topics of the usefulness and uselessness of nature and art.

We started by reading an article titled Useless Creatures by Richard Conniff, an opinion writer and published author. He professed the idea that wildlife should not have its valued measured by its usefulness to humans, but marvelled for its beautiful uselessness.

We also read an excerpt from Mishkos Kenomagwen: The Teachings of Grass, a narration about the struggles of making the relationship between Sweetgrass and basket makers’ harvesting known to the science world. This in contrast to the article emphasized the usefulness of the grass. But more importantly, it stressed how the relationship between humans and our environment can actually help it flourish.

Even though we were not technically outside, being surrounded by a vast variety of plants and the sound of trickling water made us feel close to nature any how.