Saline: On Walking Through

Author

Kitty A. GallowayFollow

Year of Award

2020

Document Type

Thesis - Campus Access Only

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Environmental Studies

Other Degree Name/Area of Focus

Environmental Writing

Department or School/College

Environmental Studies Program

Committee Chair

Phil Condon

Commitee Members

Dan Spencer, Nadia White

Keywords

thru-hiking, walking, pilgrimage, ecofeminism, human ecology, memoir

Publisher

University of Montana

Subject Categories

Arts and Humanities | Creative Writing | Nonfiction | Poetry

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Galloway, Kaitlin (Kitty), M.S., Spring 2020 Environmental Studies

Saline: On Walking Through

Chairperson: Phil Condon

Saline: On Walking Through, is a story happening in motion. It is a creative nonfiction memoir, following the author as she explores movement across landscape, primarily walking, as a form of healing. Set in the context of a journey that sprawls across a decade, this story weaves in and out of long distance thru-hikes, farming, train travel, van travel, questions of pace and questions of spirituality, all the while questioning culture and the process of coming to terms with assault. Woven through it all is a deep rooted and persistent draw to the more than human world. In thirteen stories split between walking and interlude, we accompany the author through dense forests, up steep mountains, across windy ridgelines, over desert plateaus and along roadsides. Carried across almost 5,000 miles of walking, we accompany her too as she navigates a complicated relationship between mother and daughter, and returns often to the question of what it means to be a woman in this world. This story is about pace, and what can come of slowing down. It’s a story about coming of age, forgiveness and finding a sense of home.

Recommended Citation

Galloway, Kitty A., "Saline: On Walking Through" (2020). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11623.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11623