Jan 25th: What is Literature and Why is it Important? |
Introductions and review of syllabus and course requirements.
What is literature? Why is it important? How is it useful to you?
Read & discuss in class: Carol Oates, Joyce. “Three Girls.”
In-class writing exercise and follow-up discussion. Sign up for creative project presentation dates.
|
Feb 1st: “Home” |
Reading Due:
Maginnes, Al. “Terminal Street ” (handout)
Group / Class Discussions / In-class writing
Weekly Response #1 Assigned: Compare Chitra Baneerjee Divakaruni's “Clothes” (214) with May-Lee Chai's “Saving Sourdi ” (110) and, in a minimum of two pages and in essay form, discuss how Nea and Sumita each deal with her process of immigration into the United States. See online instructions for further instructions and questions that will help guide you through this assignment. |
Feb 8th: Shifting Borders & Changing Identities |
Reading Due:
Chai, May-Lee. “Saving Sourdi” (110) / handout for those with ed. 6 (about Cambodia)
Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee. “Clothes” (214) / handout for ed. 6 / (about India) Smith, Patricia. “What It's Like To Be a Black Girl (for Those of You Who Aren't)” (655) / (582) for ed. 6
Assignments Due: Weekly Response #1
Paper #1 First Draft Assigned: Choose any two readings under the “Border Crossings” section and then choose one of the following issues/themes to write a comparison/contrast paper of your two selected readings. |
February 15th: Intersections & Crossroads |
Reading Due:
Walker, Alice. “Roselily” (207) / handout for ed. 6
Levins Morales, Aurora. “Child of the Americas” (785) / handout for ed. 6
Mora, Pat. “Legal Alien” (in “A Thematic Case Study: Border Crossings” insert under Identity and Borders) / handout for ed. 6 / About Mexico
Assignments Due: First draft of Paper #1 with a paragraph at the end that outlines your strategy for the continuation of your paper. Due in class for drafting workshop. NOTE: 3 points, or the equivalent of a half a letter grade, will be taken off of your final paper grade if you do not turn in at least three pages of a draft at the beginning of class! BRING 2 COPIES OF YOUR DRAFT!! (One for me and one for draft workshop). NO EXCEPTIONS!!
Weekly Response #2 Assigned: In no less than two pages, take any main character within the readings for next week and describe, in a journal entry, how you might represent this character within your medium, given your understanding of the character through the text. See online instructions for further instructions and questions that will help guide you through this assignment. |
Feb 22nd: Breaking Through Boundaries |
Reading Due:
Faulkner, William. “Barn Burning” (400) / (373) for ed. 6
Leguizamo, John. “Mambo Mouth” (1517) / (1451) from ed. 6
Lynch, Thomas. “Liberty” (in “A Thematic Case Study: Border Crossings” insert under Identity and Borders) / (605) from ed. 6
Assignments Due: Response #2 |
March 1st: Love and its Complications |
Reading Due:
Weldon, Fay. “IND AFF, or “Out of Love in Sarajevo” (167) / (148) for ed. 6 Maginnes, Al. “What Goes Unsaid” Melic Review XIII, Spring, 2004.
Assignments Due: PAPER #1 (5-6 pages).
Weekly Response #3 Assigned: Begin tracing the images of vision and blindness throughout the play, “Oedipus the King,” and discuss, in essay form, and in no less than two pages, how these images begin to illuminate and/or reflect the overall theme. See online instructions to help guide you through this assignment. |
March 8th: Love's Tragedies |
Reading Due:
Introductory material on Sophocles and Greek drama (1042-1048) / (969 – 975) for ed. 6 Sophocles. “Oedipus the King” (1048 – 1072: up to where Oedipus and Jocasta enter the palace) / (975 – 999): up to where Oedipus and Jocasta enter the palace) for ed. 6
Assignments Due: Response #3
Creative Project Proposal Assigned: (For those presenting between April 5th – April 19th) Type up no less than ½ page describing what you plan to do for your creative project: what text you plan to use, how you plan to approach your creative project, and any other pertinent details. DUE MARCH 15th! Visit the Creative Project Gallery of past student work to help give you some ideas. Ideas for your major. |
March 15th: Love's Tragedies cont. |
Reading Due:
Some Thoughts about Tragedy (Both Literary and Mundane) Sophocles. “Oedipus the King” (1072 – 1091) / (999 – 1017) in ed. 6
Assignments Due: Creative Project Proposals: (for those presenting between April 5th – April 19th )
Paper #2 First Draft Assigned: Responding to any one of the questions I have provided for "IND AFF or Out of Love in Sarajevo" by Fay Weldon, write a critical response essay. |
March 22nd: |
SPRING BREAK!! |
March 29th: Power Struggles |
Reading Due:
Ibsen, Henrik. “A Doll House” (1205) / (1130) for ed. 6
Brooks, Gwendolyn. “We Real Cool” (636) / (563) for ed. 6
Creative Project Proposal Assigned: (For those presenting between April 26th – May10th) Type up no less than ½ page describing what you plan to do for your creative project: what text you plan to use, how you plan to approach your creative project, and any other pertinent details. DUE APRIL 5th!
|
April 5th: Conflicts |
Reading Due:
Winterson, Jeanette. “A Green Square” from The World and Other Places (handout) Kincaid, Jamaica. “Girl” (517) / (440) for ed. 6
Assignments Due: First draft of Paper #2 with a paragraph at the end that outlines your strategy for the continuation of your paper. Due at the beginning of class. NOTE: 3 points, or the equivalent of a half a letter grade, will be taken off of your final paper grade if you do not turn in at least three pages of a draft at the beginning of class! BRING 1 COPY OF YOUR DRAFT FOR DRAFT WORKSHOP!! NO EXCEPTIONS!!
Creative Project Proposals Due: (for those presenting between April 26th – May 10th)
Creative Project Presentations: Leticia, Joe, and Raheem |
April 12th: Battles |
Reading Due:
Jarman, Mark. “Ground Swell” (658) / handout for ed. 6
Sandburg, Carl. “Buttons” (693) / (621) for ed. 6
Stevens, Jim. “Schizophrenia” (677) / (603) for ed. 6
Weekly Response #4 Assigned: Take two of the readings from this week's reading and, in essay form, and in no less than two pages, compare and contrast some of the “battles” being fought. See handout for further instructions and questions that will help guide you through this assignment. DUE IN TWO WEEKS (APRIL 26th).
Creative Project Presentations: Tempie, Kristin, Dale |
April 19th: Taboos, Secrets, and Revelations |
Reading Due:
Adams, Timothy Dow. "Telling stories in Dorothy Allison's Two or Three Things I Know For Sure," The Southern Literary Journal, Spring 2004 v36 i2 p82 (18) / handout.
In-class class readings of selections from Bastard out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison, followed by film viewing of matching selections from Bastard out of Carolina / class discussion on translation of story from literature to film.
Assignments Due: FINAL PAPER #2 (5-6 pages)
2 page assignment given on differences and similarities between film scenes shown in class and readings read in class - due next week.
Creative Project Presentations: Tiffiany, Jeff, Robert |
April 26th: Guest Author - Dorothy Allison |
Assignments Due:
-
2 page response on differences and similarities between novel & film scenes of Bastard out of Carolina (read & shown in last week's class).
-
Response #4
Weekly Response #5 Assigned: Write a three page typed journal response about Dorothy Allison's visit, focusing on ANY part of it that most captured your attention. In your response, discuss what you found most interesting about her reading, her visit, and/or the discussion that ensued and WHY. This will be worth the equivalent of one weekly assignment. Due next week.
Creative Project Presentations: Christopher, Sara, Desiree |
May 3rd: Dangerous Liaisons |
Reading Due:
Boyle, T. Coraghessan. “Carnal Knowledge” (42) / (252) for ed. 6
Song, Cathy. “The White Porch” (661) / (585) for ed. 6
Assignment Due: Weekly Response #5
Extra Credit Opportunity: TBA.
Creative Project Presentation: Ben, Matthew, Takuya, Myndi |
May 10th: Summary of Semester |
Summary of Semester
Creative Project Presentations: Kyle, Ely, Rhonda, Vitaliy |
