2019-2020 University Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 University Catalog archived

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ENGL 295 - Spring-Term Seminar in Literary Studies


FDR: HL
Credits: 3-4


Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. Students in this course study a group of works related by theme, by culture, by topic, by genre, or by the critical approach taken to the texts. Involves field trips, film screenings, service learning, and/or other special projects, as appropriate, in addition to 8-10 hours per week of class meetings. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

Spring 2020, ENGL 295-01: Spring Term Seminar in Literary Studies: Transforming Literature: Fan Fiction, Literary Mashups and Other Canon Fodder (3). This course considers ways that people take works of literature, classic or otherwise, and transform them into something new. We read literary works ranging from “The Yellow Wallpaper” to “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” to Sherlock Holmes stories, as well as cartoons, poems, videos and text conversations that remake, remix and transform those literary works. We think about what makes something literature, what makes something fan fiction, and what fan fiction can show us about classic works of literature. We also create our own literary transformations, analyze the role of the internet in fan culture, and experiment with transformative technologies. (HL) Bufkin.

Spring 2020, ENGL 295-02: Spring Term Seminar in Literary Studies: Postcolonial and Decolonial Poetry (3). A study of postcolonial and decolonial themes and concerns, including decolonization, indigeneity, protest and resistance, identity and migration, through poetic form. Students develop an understanding of how postcolonial poets have adapted existing poetic forms or created new ones to reflect the struggle for land, nationhood, individual human rights, and independence in the latter half of the 20th century to the present day. (HL) Kharputly.

Spring 2020, ENGL 295-03: Spring Term Seminar in Literary Studies: Funny Women (3). Is comedy gendered? How does what makes us laugh, and how we make others laugh, position us in the world? What does the intersection of comedy and performance have to show us about identity formation in relation to race, class, and gender? How have women, in particular, mobilized comedy to disrupt, to refuse, or to otherwise affect structures of power? In seeking answers to these questions and more, this seminar examines a history of funny women and the many cultural expectations that surround them. For instance, we consider other meanings of “funny”—as oddity or curiosity—to explore the many cultural associations that both police women’s behavior and provide foundations for imagining resistance. Possible authors/genres include Fran Ross, Alison Bechdel, Tina Fey, Toni Cade Bambara, stand-up comedy, drama, memoir, graphic novel/comic strips. In addition to more traditional styles of writing (formal analysis, argument-driven essays), students have an opportunity to generate their own comedic/creative projects. (HL) Millan.

Spring 2020, ENGL 295-04: Adolescence in the African-American Novel (3). Adolescence names a complicated moment in human development. Considering this complexity, it is not surprising that writers use this theme to convey the knotty realities that attend black self-definition. Focusing on the post-Harlem Renaissance era, we examine novels about adolescence. We identify sexuality as a key theme in these works. By term’s end, students should emerge with a mature understanding of how adolescent sexuality symbolizes black participation in American democracy. (HL) Hill.




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