Course Description
Selected topics in African American literature, such as African American autobiography, Harlem Renaissance, Gwendolyn Brooks and Richard Wright, and Black American literature and aesthetics.
Athena Title
Topics in African American Lit
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in ENGL 4880, AFAM 4880
Non-Traditional Format
This course will be taught 95% or more online.
Prerequisite
Two 2000-level ENGL courses or (one 2000-level ENGL course and one 3000-level ENGL course) or (one 2000-level ENGL course and one 2000-level CMLT course)
Semester Course Offered
Offered summer semester every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will explore selected topics in African American literature with special attention paid to historical and cultural contexts. Sample topics include the Harlem Renaissance, African American Poetry, African American Novel, and the Civil Rights Movement and African American Literature. Specific course topics and objectives will vary widely each time this course is taught, but in general students can expect to become thoroughly familiar with a focused body of literature and its contexts. Students will become skilled at raising and discussing (in both written and oral forms) critical questions prompted by this literature. A combination of short and long writing assignments will be assigned, including journal entries, in- class writing, analytical essays, and/or essay exams totaling 20-25 pages. Criteria for grading include analytical content, grammar, style, and (if applicable) quality and breadth of critical and theoretical sources.
Topical Outline
This course is taught by instructors with a wide variety of specialties within the field of African American literature, thus texts and topics will vary from semester to semester. Sample topics include the Harlem Renaissance, African American Poetry, African American Novel, and the Civil Rights Movement and African American Literature. Check English Department course listings at www.english.uga.edu each term for specific descriptions, reading lists, and syllabi.