Ander’s suggestion: triangulate.
The Biosphere is a geodesic dome. So the idea will be to use the form of the Biosphere to inform the form of my lyric essay. The dome is made of triangles. So I’ll employ triplets or triptychs and interloch these triangles. The number of triangles needed to form a dome could determine how many triplet sections I create.
The triplets will be made of three threads. I haven’t chosen the three yet, but I’ve narrowed it down: 1) my own experience, thinking, perception; 2) scientific concepts and bio/eco/geo/chemical processes (Gaia, group selection, soil respiration); 3) Biosphere history and structure; 4) questions; 5) research happening now; 6) found texts–things others have said about the Biosphere.
Ander also suggested some lyric essays to read that might further inspire my process or influence the formal pressure I bring to bear on the material: “The Pain Scale” by Eula Biss, and “The Answer That Increasingly Appeals” by Robin Black.
I’ve got my index cards of many colors. I’ve got my articles and books. I still don’t know where I’m going, but I know how to proceed.
