Kevin Powers The Yellow Birds. George Saunders Tenth of December. Course
Description: This class will trace some of the primary trends in contemporary ...
Contemporary American Fiction Fall 2013 Professor Tina Hall Office: Root 307 x4462 Office Hours: 10:00-12:00 Monday/Wednesday and by appointment Email:
[email protected] Required Materials: Raymond Carver What We Talk About When We Talk About Love Thomas Pynchon The Crying of Lot 49 Louise Erdrich Love Medicine Gretchen Henderson Galerie de Difformité Jesmyn Ward Salvage the Bones Don DeLillo Falling Man Larissa Lai Salt Fish Girl Kevin Powers The Yellow Birds George Saunders Tenth of December Course Description: This class will trace some of the primary trends in contemporary literature including postmodernism, neo-realism, minimalism, absurdism, science fiction, and identity fictions. The readings span the last 30 years and include short stories and novels. Our in-class and written discussions will attempt to create and challenge definitions of “American” and “fiction” while taking into account historical context and pressures. Many of the readings interrogate topics such as race, class, sexuality, war and technology through graphic descriptions of sex and violence. You should look at the reading list carefully before committing to this class. Course Requirements:
Question for Group Discussion (10%) Two Short Response Papers (30%) Report on Literary Magazine (15%) Midterm (20%) Final (20%) Response to a Local Reading (5%)
Regular Attendance and Participation: Because much of the work we do in English 375 revolves around group discussion, attendance and participation are mandatory. Upon your 4th absence, your final grade will be lowered one letter. Upon your 6th absence you will be dropped from the course. Minimal participation will affect your final grade. Late Work: Assignments that are turned in late (after the class period in which it is due) are docked one full letter grade for each day they are late. Absence does not excuse lateness. If you must be absent, you need to make alternate arrangements in advance. Question for Group Discussion (10%): You will sign up to bring a question along with several of your classmates for the book of your choice. The question should be designed to generate discussion and build upon the other readings and discussions in the class up to that point. You should coordinate with your group to be sure that your questions don’t overlap too much. You may do outside research when composing your question as long as you acknowledge your sources. Along with presenting your
question to the class, you will give me a copy with a one paragraph explanation of what makes it an interesting/valuable line of inquiry (defend your question!) Two Short Response Papers (30%): Over the course of the semester, you will write two short (7501000 word) response papers, each worth 15% of your final grade. Each of these will be in response to a question raised by your classmates. You may respond to your own question. The response should address the question via an argument supported by close analysis. You may do outside research if you wish as long as you acknowledge your sources. These are very short essays so you will need to be quite focused and specific to create a compelling argument in such a small space. Your response is due one week after the question is presented to the class. You may answer any of the questions you like, but you need to have turned in at least one of the responses by Wednesday, October 23rd and the second responses by Wednesday, December 11th. Report on a Literary Magazine (15%): You will choose a current literary magazine to present to the class. You need to show us the magazine (either via the magazine’s website or via a print copy you bring to class to share), provide a 250-word description of the magazine’s aesthetic, and recommend a story from the magazine for us to read. I have posted a list of magazines with online content on Blackboard under “Web Links.” Midterm (20%) and Final (20%): Your midterm and final will both consist of short identifications. These will ask you to identify a passage by giving the title of the book, the author. You will also need to situate the passage within the context of the book (why it is important in the novel or story) and within the context of the course as a whole (using the critical concepts we’ve been discussing). Response to a Local Reading (5%): We are fortunate to have an extremely rich intellectual life at Hamilton and a wide array of opportunities to see writers at work. You will go to at least one such event over the semester and write a short (250 word) response/reaction to it. These will be due by Monday, December 9th. Special Accommodations: Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations should speak with me during the first two weeks of class. All discussions will remain confidential. Students with disabilities should also contact Allen Harrison in the Dean of Students Office (KJ 104; ext. 4021) who coordinates services for students with disabilities.. Plagiarism: As in all classes, students are expected to adhere to Hamilton’s Honor Code. Students who submit plagiarized work will be reported to the Dean. If you submit a collaborative work, please credit the other participants.
Detailed Syllabus English 375 Fall 2013 Week One: 9/2 9/4 Week Two: 9/9
9/11
Week Three: 9/16 9/18
Week Four: 9/23
9/25 Week Five: 9/30
10/2 Week Six: 10/7 10/9
Overview and introductions The Crying of Lot 49 Chapters 1-3, through page 63 John Barth “The Literature of Replenishment” (Blackboard under “Documents”) The Crying of Lot 49 to end Jennifer Pashley story (Blackboard under “Documents”) Reading by Jennifer Pashley, Tuesday 9/10, 8PM What We Talk About When We Talk About Love through “Sacks,” through page 45 Carver group brings questions What We Talk About When We Talk About Love to end “MFA vs. NYC” (Blackboard under “Documents”) Love Medicine through “The Beads,” through page 101 Erdrich group brings questions Klinkenborg “The Decline and Fall of the English Major” (Blackboard under “Documents”) Verlyn Klinkenborg Reading Thursday 9/19 8 PM Love Medicine through “Love Medicine,” through page 254 Castillo “Native American Literature and the Real” (Blackboard under “Documents”) Love Medicine to end Falling Man through chapter 8, through page 153 Shamsie “The Storytellers of Empire” (Blackboard under “Documents”) Delillo group brings questions Falling Man to end Salvage the Bones through page 152 Ward group brings questions Salvage the Bones to end
Week Seven: 10/14
Midterm Bruce Smith Reading Tuesday, October 15th 8PM
10/16
Open office hours
Week Eight: 10/21
Literary Magazine Presentations
10/23
Week Nine: 10/28 10/30 Week Ten: 11/4
Galerie de Difformité Henderson group brings questions One short response paper due by this date Galerie de Difformité Henderson visits class Gretchen Henderson Reading Wednesday 10/30 8 PM Salt Fish Girl through page 168 Lai group brings questions
11/6
Salt Fish Girl to end
Week Eleven: 11/11
Literary Magazine Presentations
11/13
The Yellow Birds through page 127 Powers group brings questions
Week Twelve: 11/18
The Yellow Birds to end
11/20
Literary Magazine Presentations
Week Thirteen: Thanksgiving Break Week Fourteen: 12/2 12/4
Tenth of December through “The Semplica Girl Diaries,” through page 167 Saunders group brings questions Tenth of December to end Lois Leveen excerpt (Blackboard under “Documents”) Lois Leveen Reading Thursday, December 5th 8 PM
Week Fifteen: 12/9 12/11
Literary Magazine Presentations Response to Reading Due Review for Final Second Response Paper due by this date
Final exam: Thursday, December 9th 2-5 PM
Instructions for Henderson Group Discussion English 375 As a group, decide on an alternate Table of Contents for Galerie de Difformite. a. Look at Henderson’s instructions on page 21. She suggests you might think of this as a map. Consider, as a group, what other forms you might inhabit/incorporate as well—for instance, (false) QR codes, labyrinths, fractals, menus, bookmarks, calendars, star charts, portraits, etc. Be creative and adventuresome! Think outside the box/book! b. Also consider the concept of “Contents” for the book. What should be included? What about Henderson’s collection of online artifacts and deformations? http://difformite.wordpress.com/ What about other things that seem appropriate here? What about quotes or selections from other readings we have done this semester? Other items from popular culture? c. Once you have decided on a plan for your Table of Contents, you may: i. Have each member of the group make a copy of the whole Table of Contents (so you all have quasi-identical products) or ii. Have each member of the group construct one portion of the Table of Contents (so that they make a whole if fitted together) d. Individually, perform one deformation on your Table of Contents e. Fit your deformed Table of Contents into Galerie de Difformite.
