Although the particular topic will change from term to term, the course will, in general, be a survey which introduces students to a broad range of texts, in English, written in or about the Americas. The survey may be limited to U.S. texts, or it may include texts (in translation) that cross current national borders but represent a comparable aesthetic, conceptual, or social response to a shared experience or moment in history. Courses may address, for example, the literature of American independence movements (representing the U.S., Haiti, and Latin America), various regional U.S. literatures in the 19th and 20th centuries, or children's literature throughout U.S. history,

SAMPLE TOPIC: This course will take a comparative approach to the study of multi-ethnic American cultures. As we trace African American, Asian American, Jewish, and Latino/a literature from the 1920s through the present day, we will discuss the stylistics and politics of multilingual American literatures. While the canon of U.S. literature has grown considerably more multicultural in recent years, it has not grown noticeably multilingual. We'll discuss the resistance to non-English and non-"standard" English cultures in the U.S. as well as the rich legacy of vernacular narratives that have argued for a more inclusive conceptualization of American languages and identity. Readings will include novels by Zora Neale Hurston, Carlos Bulosan, Henry Roth, Americo Paredes, John Okada, Gloria Anzaldua, and Jessica Hagedorn, as well as films by Ang Lee and John Sayles.

Intended audience: Sophomore-Senior

Course Requirements: Six reading response papers (roughly one page in length), two short essays (2-3p.), one final essay (10-12p.), and one inclass exam. Informed participation and occasional quizzes. Film screenings will be scheduled outside of class time. Readings will consist of 9 books plus additional readings available in a coursepack.

Class Format: 3 hpw lecture format.