Monoculture by Sue Goyette

In Monoculture, Sue Goyette imagines that Nova Scotia’s last surviving stand of intact forest has been preserved for the enjoyment of the public—a premise that seems more like an inevitability than a speculation. Framing the text as visitors’ comments posted on the forest’s official website, Goyette speaks through a chorus of voices to explore the long consumptive, anthropocentric attitude that permeates our relationship with the natural world—from destructive harvesting practices to our expectations about outdoor recreation and leisure. This unique work takes its cue both from the incessant chatter of social media and from the long slog of a map-less hike, showing how a little scrap of wilderness can still unsettle and disorient us, humble and astonish us, and open its truths to us.