Students generally encounter literary texts in the sanitized
contexts of student editions. However, the initial versions of,
and historical context for, these texts lie in rich and messy
original documents housed in libraries' and museums' archives:
the autograph manuscript(s) of an author's poems; the serial
publication of a novel later issued as a single volume; the
letters he or she exchanged with others; the notebooks,
scrapbooks, jottings, and drafts that make up literary
composition. This course will give student skills for dealing
with these original documents and practice applying those skills
to literary analysis. Students will also apply those skills in
the service of the libraries and/or museums' curation and
outreach projects.

1. Students will be able to analyze documentary materials and
literary works within the framework of archival research
2. Students will develop their abilities to think critically,
argue persuasively, and write incisively about literary and
documentary artifacts
3. Students will develop fundamental archival research skills,
including mastering the appropriate terminology and learning the
proper handling of original materials
4. Students will assist librarians, archivists, and/or curators
in developing research tools, curating archival material, and/or
extending the library or museum's community outreach services
5. Students will reflect critically on the value of service
learning and the importance of archival research and curation to
literary study

This course will focus on reading literature within the context
of archival study, introducing students to methods of archival
research and the kinds of literary interpretations enabled by
working with original documents. The choice and sequence of
topics will vary by instructor, semester, the library or museum's
needs, and archival materials' availability. A course focused on
the literary papers of a specific author or authors may begin
with an introduction to the author(s) and their historical
period, then proceed to reading the author(s) original letters
and notebooks, culminating in literary analysis of those authors'
works informed by archival research. In cases where the literary
archive may be scattershot or incomplete, as in the manuscript
holdings of many women writers and writers of color, a class may
study communities of writers and readers in original periodicals,
pamphlets, and other printed and rare materials beyond the bound
book. A bibliographic approach to the course might focus on the
materiality of books and written ephemera. It may introduce
students to historical forms of book production (handwritten
manuscripts, early printing practices, technological and
marketing changes) so that students can analyze the intersection
of literature's material forms and textual dissemination. An
editorial approach may teach students theories and pragmatic
skills of editing in order to produce new editions and/or
critique existing ones. In every class, however, students and
professors will work closely with librarians and/or museum
curators to develop concrete outputs that will benefit the
library's mission, and students will reflect critically on their
service engagements.

Students in this course are expected to be familiar with and
adhere to the University of Georgia policy on academic honesty,
according to which all violations of academic honesty will be
handled. Students may participate in graded group projects at the
instructor's discretion.