Human expressiveness is not limited to the communication of speech. Words are not the only way of speaking. Join Zahra Tootonsab to hear how research-creation, or creation-as-research, allows us to pay close attention to nature’s subjectivity—the agency that the trees, the four-legged animals, the birds, the ﬁsh, the insects, and our waterways have. She will discuss how research-creation, specifically the use of “found poetry,” can open up the possibility to consider how our natural world discloses itself to human understanding in modes other than the “material” (how to produce new objects). Research-creation can generate multiple perspectives and ways to engage with the already active forms of world-building and healing that exist in nature and Indigenous knowledges.

Zahra Tootonsab graduated with a BSc degree in Life Sciences at the University of Toronto (2019) and double-majored in English and Biology. In March 2019, Zahra published her debut poetry collection, titled The Aftertaste. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in the English and Film Studies program at the University of Alberta. In April 2020, she was awarded a scholarship by The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) to complete her thesis project. Her academic interests are ecopoetry, ecocriticism, Canadian Literature, Indigenous Studies, and Black Studies

On the Edge: Emerging Scholars is a speaker series featuring cutting edge research presented by emerging scholars and researchers from Edmonton's academic community. Presented in partnership with the University of Alberta's Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.

On the Edge: Emerging Scholars - Creation-as-Research: Poetry and Environmental Activism