The Poetics of Dunes

Authors

  • Joana Gaspar de Freitas University of Lisbon

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5282/rcc-springs-8461

Abstract

In this short essay, the author talks about her experience as a historian of coastal sand dunes. Dunes are unruly environments, researching and writing about them is challenging, and one might even question the relevance of such work. Dunes occupy a special place. To describe them, poetry can be more effective than prose. They possess a charm that has the power to unsettle. This personal essay describes how dunes have made the author think about history. Dunes have pushed the author beyond her professional and personal limits just to tell their stories.

Author Biography

  • Joana Gaspar de Freitas, University of Lisbon

    Joana Gaspar de Freitas is the Principal Investigator of the ERC-funded project DUNES. Sea, Sand and People (2018–2024) and co-editor of the journal Coastal Studies and Society. Her teaching and research interests lie in the environmental history of coastal zones, with a focus on risks and vulnerability, extreme events, climate change adaptation, coastal management, and the ocean’s cultural heritage. Joana has been a fellow at the Linda Hall Library and was a Carson Fellow in 2015.

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Published

13-06-2024

Issue

No. 5 (2024)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Joana Gaspar de Freitas

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.