When we think about agriculture, we often consider the foods that we eat and the farmers who cultivate them, but before plants emerge through the soil, there’s already a world of collaboration taking place. Artist, writer, plant enthusiast, and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University, Keitlyn Alcántara explores these unseen worlds and distills her knowledge so that we can grow alongside the plants.
Keitlyn’s love of nature and attention to detail fueled an early passion for creative writing, one that was later diminished by the hypercriticism of academic writing. In her new book, An Archaeology of Milpa Cultures: Maize and Ecological Worldbuilding in Central Mexico, Keitlyn brings these two forms together, combining rigorous research with personal stories, playful asides, and her own hand-drawn illustrations.
Today on Honing In, we talk about Milpa Cultures, an agricultural practice that has fostered collaboration and coevolution between humans and plants for thousands of years. Keitlyn explains how the biodiversity of the Milpa allows it to adapt to changing conditions, and what it can teach us about interdependence, resilience, and creating alternative worlds.
If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to take research beyond the confines of academic standards, you’ll be delighted by Keitlyn’s work.
Together, we hone in on:
How deadlines, expectations, and responsibility can change our relationship with creative projects
How the hypercriticism of graduate school can diminish creativity in writing
Keitlyn’s choice not to give her “whole self” to academia
Reclaiming creativity through writing, art projects, and illustrating her own book
What Milpa cultures can teach us about connection, collaboration, and adaptability
Expanding our understanding of knowledge beyond traditional academic structures
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