Nature is a powerful force in our lives, sometimes as inspiration, sometimes as a means of human connection, and sometimes as an adversary to be resisted and overcome. In this course we will read aloud stories about human encounters with Nature, both good and bad, studying along the way the literary technique each author employs to draw attention to these elemental confrontations. Readings will include Herman Melville’s “The Lightning-Rod Man,” John Galsworthy’s “The Japanese Quince,” Jack London’s “The Law of Life,” Doris Lessing’s “A Mild Attack of Locusts,” Lydia Davis’s “The Center of the Story,” and Jennifer Egan’s “Black Box.”