English: American Literature II

Selected texts from end of Civil War to the present. Explores periodization, genre, key terms and concepts through close reading and critical analysis. Fulfills major requirements; open to non-majors.

Open to Degree and PACE students

This course traces the development and themes of American literary culture from 1865 to the present. The selections for this course reflect an attempt to balance the canonical influence of major figures with the work of authors who have come to more prominent critical attention thanks to the expansion of the canon that has resulted from the critical debates and scholarship of the last three decades. Our readings are divided into three units: The Late or Long 19th century, Modernism, and Late-Modernism & Postmodernism. In the first unit, we will focus on the 19th century and trace the development of an American Literary culture and particularly its refinement and promulgation of the genres of fiction known as realism and naturalism. We will also give particular attention to the various strategies for mapping and depicting American voices in the period between the Civil War and the coming of industrial modernity. The second unit focuses on modern poetry and fiction, with special attention to trans-Atlantic modernist poetry and prose and the Harlem renaissance. Our work will place particular emphasis on the problem of historical and situational apperception in a moment of dizzying cultural and technological transformation and will also explore the evolution of modernist cultural movements at home and abroad. The third unit is the most divergent since it encompasses the waning years of high modernism, the height of postmodern experimentation, millennial moment, and the turbulence of the 21st century media sphere.

The Work 1. We will read a broad selection of American writing, including short fiction, poetry, essays, and novels. 2. You will take short on-line reading quizzes. 3. You will write create response projects (essays, podcasts, or video essays) capturing your reaction to the material. 4. We will build an essay-based take-home exam together. 5. We will discuss, and debate the key ideas, stylistic developments, influences, and historical contexts. 6. We will work collaboratively, in class and online, to create and sustain a community of inquiry that will challenge and teach all of us (including your professor).

-Reading Quizzes -Essay-based and multiple choice exams -Response projects (essay, podcast, or video essay) -Participation