"There is no Armenia," the writer William Saroyan declared in 1935, "There is only the earth." In this fast-paced course, we'll examine the literature of a diverse people who, in the eyes of Saroyan, seemingly belonged everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

From the 16th century to the present day, this course examines the rise of Armenian literature around the world. We'll journey from the Ottoman to the Safavid Empire, Turkey to France, America to the Middle East — asking in what ways Armenians responded to their own worlds and circumstances, including genocide at the dawn of the 20th century, through art. Students will analyze a diverse array of novels, memoirs, poetry, and plays by important Armenian authors in translation (including Zabel Essayan, Shahan Shahnur, Yeghishe Charents, and Shushan Avagyan).

By the end of the course, students will leave with a strong grasp of the historical development of the Armenian literature from a global perspective; an understanding of how to place 'national' and 'world' literature into dialogue; and the ability to construct nuanced arguments about trauma, exile, cosmopolitanism, nationalism, and difference in literature.

Course Requirements:

Grading will be based on class participation, a midterm, a class debate, and a final course paper.

Intended Audience:

Undergraduate students interested in the Near East, international studies, comparative literature, and World literature. No prior knowledge of Armenian or Armenians is necessary.

Class Format:

Two 90 minute meetings weekly