Course Description
Exploration of recent attempts to characterize and document a wide variety of African American experiences. Consideration of accounts for the integral role they play in what we know of black life in the United States and also in the diaspora. Close attention will be paid to the qualities of "voice" (form, genre, and address) contemporary black writers create as part of their exploration of experience.
Athena Title
21st Century Black Writers
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 every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course will push all students to reflect upon the rich complexity and importance of African American experience and culture to life in the United States. It will emphasize the endless variousness among and between generational, regional, historical, and personal points of view in ways that leave the "same old" go beyond (while addressing) the stereotypes. Because the course uses multiple genres (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essay, photographs), another objective is to build techniques of reading and thinking that match these different approaches.
Topical Outline
Sample syllabus: Required books: Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts, Harlem is Nowhere Dinaw Metgensu, All Our Names Kiese Laymon, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America Chimamanda Adichie, Americanah Claudia Rankine, Citizen Jen Marlowe and Martina Davis-Correia (with Troy Anthony Davis), I Am Troy Davis Teju Cole Every Day is for the Thief Hilton Als, White Girls Course grades will be comprised of four equally weighted parts: Attendance/participation Submission 1 Submission 2 Final portfolio Details in class. Course schedule Week 1: (January 5-7-9): course introductions Week 2: (January 12-14-16): Harlem is Nowhere Week 3: (January *-21-**-23): Harlem is Nowhere (Lordi Handout) *no class / King Day **extra meeting: Thursday, January 22nd (Details TBA) Week 4: (January 26-28-30): All Our Names Week 5: (February 2-4-6): All Our Names Week 6: (February 9-11-13): How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America *no class meeting: Friday, February 13 Week 7: (February 16-18-20): Americanah *submission 1 due Week 8: (February 23-25-27): Americanah Week 9: (March 2-4-6): Americanah Week 10: (March 9 - 13): [spring break] Week 11: (March 16. 18, 20): Citizen Week 12: (March 23-25-27): I Am Troy Davis Week 13: (March 30, April 1-3): I Am Troy Davis *submission 2 due Week 14: (April 6-8-10): Every Day is for the Thief Week 15: (April 13-15-17): White Girls Week 16: (April 20-22-24): White Girls *Final portfolios due: Monday, May 4 (by 3 pm: 111 Park Hall) *Note: The actual course will doubtless depart from this schedule. Students will be responsible for keeping track of changes as they’re announced in class.