Roughing Lit: Lessons in Survival with Janice Dahl

Through stories of physical endurance, psychological resilience, and emotional survival, students explore how people respond when circumstances become difficult and what those experiences can teach us about ourselves.

The Literature of Survival course taught by Janice Dahl looks beyond survival as a matter of toughness, focusing instead on preparation, adaptability, perspective, and the small decisions that help us keep moving forward.

Can you tell us how your Literature of Survival class came to be?

I was counting ballots for Holderness, pre-COVID, in a local election, and struck up a conversation with another volunteer who had been an English teacher in California. He told me about a survival literature course he’d taught, and it stuck with me. I remember thinking, this could be good. The timing felt right—students had just lived through a global disruption. We started the course the year after COVID, and it’s grown from there.

Tell us about the books you chose and why.

We begin with “The Revenant” by Michael Punke, based on the true story of Hugh Glass, a fur trapper in the 1820s who survives a brutal grizzly bear attack and is left for dead by his companions. It’s an intense survival story, but what makes it compelling isn’t just revenge—it’s the small, practical decisions that keep him alive.

Setting manageable goals. Using knowledge. Staying focused. Those are habits students can transfer directly into their own lives.

We pair that with excerpts from “Deep Survival,” which explores the brain science and social science behind why some people survive, and others don’t. It gives students a framework for understanding the psychology of resilience.

In the spring, we read “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls. Her story shifts the focus from physical survival to emotional resilience. She grew up in a deeply unstable and neglectful home, yet goes on to build a successful life as an author. It broadens the definition of survival to include social systems, identity, and perseverance. We also listen to the podcast “Real Survival Stories,” which exposes students to a wide range of scenarios and voices.

Together, the texts explore survival in multiple forms—physical endurance, psychological resilience, and emotional strength.

What do you hope students take away?

I hope they learn what strategies work best for them. Over the duration of the course, we look at many coping strategies and mindsets. They won’t need all of them—but if they can identify a few that resonate, they’ll be better equipped for life’s harder moments.

One theme we return to is taking things one step at a time. In “The Revenant,” it’s not grand gestures that save the main character—it’s incremental progress. When students feel overwhelmed—by exams, athletics, relationships—breaking challenges into manageable pieces helps.

How does this class support the stretch teachers and coaches ask of students?

It invites them to confront difficulty rather than avoid it. We talk openly about challenging situations. That reflection helps them begin forming a kind of “toolkit”: ideas, strategies, and examples drawn from stories and discussion that they can apply to themselves.

It also stretches them in everyday ways—speaking publicly, sharing perspectives, preparing thoughtfully, and keeping up with expectations.

What feels most transferable beyond the class?

Confidence and preparation. Students learn that when you choose adventure, you’re choosing challenge. The goal isn’t to eliminate hardship—it’s to meet it intentionally. If they leave thinking more clearly about how they prepare, adapt, and stay grounded, that self-awareness will serve them long after the class ends.

Originally published in the Spring 2026 issue of Basecamp. Read the article on Issuu below.