Join us for an informal talk and discussion with Zak Breckenridge, exploring the life, work, and enduring influence of Rachel Carson.
Drawing on his research at Yale University’s Beinecke Library, home to the world’s largest collection of Rachel Carson archival materials, Zak will share new insights into Carson as a writer, scientist, and philosopher. The presentation will reflect on his recent discoveries and current thinking while remaining accessible to anyone interested in literature, environmental thought, or Carson’s legacy. No advance reading is required.
The talk will be followed by audience discussion.
About the Speaker
Zak Breckenridge grew up in Essex and is now a teacher, scholar, and writer based in Long Beach, California. He is a doctoral candidate in English at the University of Southern California, where he researches the intertwined histories of ecological science, literary experimentation, and environmental consciousness.
During the 2024–25 academic year, he was a Research Fellow at Yale University’s Beinecke Library, which holds the largest collection of archival materials related to Rachel Carson’s life and work.
His writing has appeared in Western American Literature, Public Books, and Edge Effects. He is also the host and producer of the podcast Erratics, which examines the future of higher education through conversations about the recently shuttered Bard College at Simon’s Rock.