English 285.401: Topics in Contemporary American Literature

Frontier, Borderland, Nation: Reimagining American Space

Fall 1996
MWF 2-2:50 pm
Bennett Hall 226

Kathryn Conrad
kconrad@ dept.english.upenn.edu

Office: Bennett Hall 202
Office phone: 898-6365
Office hours: MW 3-4

Description:

Texts:

• Gloria Anzaldúa, Borderlands/La Frontera
  
• Joy Harjo, The Woman Who Fell from the Sky
• Jack Kerouac, On the Road
  
• Maxine Hong Kingston, The Woman Warrior
  
• Audre Lorde, Zami
  
• Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
  
• Américo Paredes, With His Pistol in His Hand
  
• John Edgar Wideman, Brothers and Keepers
• Terry Tempest Williams, Refuge
  

Films:

• Independence Day
  
• Lone Star
  
• Dead Man
  
• George Washington Gomez
  
• Black Is, Black Ain't
  

Bulkpack:

The bulkpack will contain articles on issues we will discuss in the course, such as nationalism and immigration, and will also include essays and short literary selections from Cherrie Moraga, Dorothy Allison, Judy Baca, Achy Obejas, Paula Gunn Allen and others.

You are encouraged to suggest short (i.e., not book-length) readings for the course. You may e-mail suggestions to me now, but you will also be given an opportunity to suggest texts throughout the course.

Supplemental resources:

• Native American resources.
• CLNet research page--Chicana/o and Latina/o research links.
• UNC Latino/a Literature and Literature of the Americas page--University of Northern Colorado's helpful resource page.

Requirements:

• Papers:

  You will be required to write two short (1-2 pp.) argumentative response papers on any two texts. You may choose the texts on which you write. The only limitations:
  
  • you must turn in the response paper on the first day we discuss the text on which you are writing, and
  • both papers must be turned in by Monday, November 25.

  You will also be required to write one longer (8-10 pp.) paper, due on the last day of class. You will have your choice of texts and topics, though I do encourage you to run your paper ideas by me.

  Writing help:

  I also strongly encourage you to make use of the

  Class participation:

  Your participation grade will be divided into three parts:
  • class and listserver participation,
  • attendance, and
  • an in-class presentation.
  Since this is a seminar, the course will be discussion-based. You will be expected to participate in class and listserver discussion. You may also be asked to bring in discussion questions.

  Attendance is required and counts toward the participation grade. If you are unable to attend class because of illness or emergency, please contact me (by phone, note or e-mail), or send a message via one of your classmates. Please tell me if you will be missing class to observe religious holidays. Hangovers, sniffles, chem midterms, away games, etc. do not constitute excusable absences.

  You will be required to make a ten-minute presentation to the class on one of the texts or topics we're discussing; the presentation will serve as a starting point for that day's discussion. A sign-up sheet will be available the first full week of class.

• Final exam:

  On the last day of class, I will hand out take-home exam questions. The final exam will be due one week from the last day of classes.

Texts and dates subject to change.

W September 4: Introduction
F 6: The Nation, the Frontier. Readings: Renan, from "What is a nation?" (handout); Turner's Frontier Thesis.

M 9: Westward Ho! Kerouac, On the Road. Bulkpack: Campbell, "Myth and Dream" and "The Hero and the God."
W 11: Kerouac cont.
F 13: Kerouac cont.

M 16: Kerouac cont. Check out Howl, by Allen Ginsberg. Also Amiri Baraka poems (handout Friday, 9/13).
W 18: Bulkpack: Obejas, "Above All, a Family Man."
F 20: Bulkpack: Allison, "A Question of Class."

M 23: North/South. Morrison, Song of Solomon.
W 25: Morrison cont.
F 27: Morrison cont.

M 30: Morrison cont.
W October 2: Inside/Outside. Bulkpack: Foucault, "Panopticism" and "Complete and Austere Institutions."
F 4: Wideman, Brothers and Keepers.

M 7: Wideman cont.
W 9: Wideman cont.
F 11: (Fall Break)

M 14: Fall Break
W 16: The National Body: Gender and Frontier. Terry Tempest Williams, Refuge.
F 18: Williams cont.

M 21: Williams cont.
W 23: Bulkpack: Robinson, "Hearing Silence: Western Myth Reconsidered,." Roush, Rawlins.
F 25: Ecofeminism, the West, etc.

M 28: Joy Harjo, The Woman Who Fell from the Sky.
W 30: Harjo cont.
F November 1: Harjo cont.

M 4: Borderlands. Americo Paredes, With His Pistol in His Hand. Bulkpack: Proposition 187 summary.
W 6: Paredes cont.
F 8: Paredes cont.

M 11: Gloria Anzaldua, Borderlands/La Frontera. Bulkpack: Allen, "Some Like Indians Endure"; Baca, "Our People Are Internal Exiles."
W 13: Anzaldua cont.
F 15: Anzaldua cont.

M 18: National Allegiances. Maxine Hong Kingston, Woman Warrior.
W 20: Kingston cont.
F 22: Kingston cont.

M 25: Audre Lorde, Zami: A New Spelling of My Name. Both response papers must be turned in by this date.
W 27: (Thanksgiving)
F 29: Thanksgiving

M December 2: Lorde cont.; Bulkpack: Lorde, "Grenada"; Moraga, "Queer Aztlan."
W 4: Bulkpack: Berlant, "Queer Nationalism."
F 6: Bulkpack articles & Lorde cont.

M 9: Last Day. Papers due; final exam questions available.

F 13: Final exams due no later than 3 pm.

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