Writing the Anthropocene

As we face intersecting global changes and challenges—artificial intelligence, climate change, digital waste, labor precarity, and educational inequity—this year’s theme invites us to explore sustainability in all its forms. We accept a broad definition of sustainability, loosely connected to the UN Sustainability Goals, which mention climate change and clean water, but also gender equity, peace, strong institutions, and quality education.

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How can writing, rhetoric, and digital technologies contribute to more just, enduring, and regenerative futures? As compositionists, we are uniquely positioned to interrogate and reimagine the stories we tell, the technologies we use, and the systems we sustain. Nonetheless, we work within institutions in constant change that can fall into cycles of ‘reactivism’ instead of sustainable practices. How do we continue to sustain interest and meaning in our work in times of crisis? Finally, as technology use changes, we welcome conversations on the sustainability of fields like computers and writing and digital rhetorics. 

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We welcome proposals that engage with sustainability not only in environmental terms, but also in relation to labor, pedagogy, technology, and community. Let us consider how writing and rhetoric can help us imagine—and enact—more livable futures.

 

Questions, Themes, Issues

We invite proposals that explore the theme of Writing the Anthropocene through questions such as:

• How can digital rhetorics address climate change, environmental justice, and ecological grief?

• What does sustainable pedagogy look like in writing classrooms shaped by burnout, precarity, and digital fatigue?

• How do we design writing technologies and assignments that are mindful of energy use, data ethics, and digital waste?

• In what ways can writing programs and institutions support sustainable labor practices for faculty, staff, and students?

• How do we sustain community partnerships and activist work through digital platforms and public writing?

• What role does storytelling play in shaping sustainable futures? How can we teach narrative as a tool for ecological and social change?

• How do we balance innovation with maintenance, and novelty with care, in our digital practices?

• How do multilingual and translingual approaches contribute to sustainable and inclusive writing ecologies?

• What does it mean to write ethically in the age of AI, automation, and algorithmic influence?

Proposals will be reviewed by a diverse team of peer reviewers from the Computers and Writing community, with attention to inclusivity, innovation, and alignment with the conference theme.

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