The Backyard Bird Chronicles

How does Tan approach both the dark and light sides of nature? How does this connect to how other nature writers connect to these dualities? For example, how might Tan’s work relate to Annie Dillard’s writing on via positiva and via negativa in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek?

How does Tan’s writing fit into the tradition of nature writing and nature journaling? In what ways does it diverge from this tradition?

How does developing artistic literacy contribute to growth in other forms of literacy? How does birding and drawing make Tan a better writer?

In what ways does birding cause Tan to reflect on herself? How does developing her ecological self impact the way she sees herself in other contexts?

How does Tan’s work fit within a larger literary movement toward scientific memoir and popular science? What might this literary shift say about current culture and society?

What role does inquiry play in Tan’s practice? What specific understandings does it guide her toward? How might inquiry be incorporated into other learning processes?

What is the value of utilizing “pencil miles”? How does emphasizing process over product contribute to an artist’s or writer’s growth?

How does The Backyard Bird Chronicles depict the act of observing birds as both a literal and metaphorical practice? What do the birds represent in the context of personal or societal transformation?