The Ecocriticism Reader is the first collection of its kind, an anthology of classic and cutting-edge writings in the rapidly emerging field of literary ecology. Exploring the relationship between literature and the physical environment, literary ecology is the study of the ways that writing - from novels and folktales to U.S. government reports and corporate advertisements - both reflects and influences our interactions with the natural world. The Ecocriticism Reader is an introduction to the field as well as a source book. It defines ecological literary discourse, sketches its development over the past quarter-century, provides generally appealing and lucidly written examples of the range of ecological approaches to literature, and offers direction for further study through lists of recommended readings, relevant periodicals, and professional organizations.