Class: MW 4:30-6
Spring 2001; section 1; CRN 21022 C114
Renny Christopher
Office: L 195N; 667-3294; rchristo@athena.csustan.edu
Prerequisite: Completion of lower-division area General Education C-2 requirements and upper-division standing.
Texts:
Luis Rodriguez, Always Running 1994
Louis Owens, Dark River 2000
Octavia Butler, Kindred, Beacon Press (1979)
Sigrid Nunez, A Feather on the Breath of God, HarperCollins
(1995)
Brent Staples, Parallel Time (1994)
Ana Castillo, So Far from God (1993)
Andrew Pham, Catfish and Mandala (1999)
Carolyn Chute, Snowman (1999)
Maria Mazziotti Gillan, Identity Lessons (1999)
NOTE: All texts are available on reserve at the library.
The voice
of passion is better than the voice of reason.
The passionless cannot change
history.
--Czeslaw Milosz
Description: This course focuses on the diversity of American literature in fiction, autobiography, and poetry of the twentieth century. The writers come from distinct ethnic groups, social classes, genders, sexual orientations, immigrant statuses, time periods, political beliefs, and writing styles. Some of the questions we'll raise in relation to these texts will include, but not be limited to: What are the effects of racism, classism, homophobia and sexism on these writers and the works they produce? How do racism, classism, homophobia and sexism condition the interactions of readers with texts which come from different social positionings than their own? What pressures does it put on a writer to be taken as "representative" of a group? What cultural traditions exist in the U.S. outside of the "mainstream"? What effect does discrimination in publishing have on these texts, and on minority literatures as a whole?
Quotes to ponder: "To enter the novel is to cross a threshold into another cultural realm and to submit to being something other than the privileged center of the text. Such has always been the experience for minority or marginalized readers in America reading the texts assigned in school or published in New York, but it is very likely a new experience for members of the dominant Euramerican culture."
Louis Owens, Mixedblood Messages
"Literature is politicalÖ.American literature is male. To read the canon of what is currently considered classic American literture is perforce to identify as male." Judith Fetterly, "On the Politics of Literature"
Requirements: two essays, one midterm, one final exam. For each of the essays, assignments sheets including suggested topics will be given out. Students may write an optional third essay to improve their grade; it will substitute for an earlier essay of lesser quality. (Essays 1 and 2 are not optional and must be completed). All requirements must be met. All due dates are listed in the syllabus.
Grading:
2 essays: 40%
Midterm & Final 40%
Class participation 20%
Note: The deadline to request the CR/NC grading option is March 13. Please do not ask for the CR/NC option after this date.
The following list of assignments is subject to change with notice. Note: have read the entire book by Monday of the week it's assigned.
Week 1
W 2/14 Course introduction: procedures, diversity,
etc.; begin reading Butler
Week 2
M 2/19 Butler
W 2/21 Butler; begin reading Staples
Week 3
M 2/26 Butler/Staples
W 2/28 Staples
Week 4
M 3/5 Staples
W 3/7 selections from Identity Lessons; begin
reading Chute
Week 5 ESSAY 1 DUE Wed.
M 3/12 Chute
W 3/14 Chute
Week 6
M 3/19 selections from Identity Lessons
W 3/21 continue poetry; begin reading Owens
Week 7
M 3/26 Owens
W 3/28 Owens
Week 8
M 4/2 selections from Identity Lessons
W 4/4 MIDTERM; begin reading Castillo
Week 9 ESSAY 2 DUE Wed.
M4/9 Castillo
W 4/11 Castillo
4/16-4/20 SPRING BREAK
Week 10
M 4/23 Rodriguez
W 4/25 Rodriguez
Week 12
M 4/30 Selections from Identity Lessons
W 5/2 continue poetry; begin Nunez
Week 13 OPTIONAL ESSAY 3 DUE Mon
M 5/7 Nunez; begin reading Pham
W 5/9 Nunez/Pham
Week 14
M 5/14 Pham
W 5/16 Pham; selections from Identity Lessons
Week 15
M 5/21 final words
Final exam: tba