In Sarah Orne Jewett’s 1886 short story “A White Heron”, young protagonist Sylvia is approached by an itinerant hunter and asked to expose the location of the white heron’s nest. The threat to health, growth, and integrity here is complex, both for Sylvia and the heron, as well as the hunter. The central concept of the nest, as a space simultaneously protected and vulnerable, mundane and coveted, nourishing and abused, is an influential object and space in the narrative. The hunter’s proposed corruption of the nest speaks to a well-known and well-researched pattern in American literature of conquering and exploitation, but there remains more to be discussed about the regenerative power the nest holds and the narrative momentum this gives to Sylvia’s choice, especially when contrasted with the hunter’s threat of exhaustion and depletion.

This roundtable seeks speakers interested in examining the space and actions associated with nests and nesting in American Literature. The nest may be real or symbolic, non-human or human, from any period in American Literature. Characters may rely on the nest for healing and growth, or they may find themselves ‘regenerated’ and ready to fledge. Applicants are encouraged to consider the implication of the nest-space alongside established patterns and traditional ‘values’ in American Literature, especially in the sense of how the nest might generate new patterns or values.

This roundtable will discuss the space and object of the 'nest' in American Literature, ranging from a space for regeneration and growth to a jumping off point for new stories.