Course Description
A research seminar in which students should produce a potentially publishable paper upon some topic relating to the American South, the American Civil War, or Reconstruction.
Athena Title
SEM US 19TH CENT
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will acquire a broad knowledge of the historiography of key topics in Southern history and improve their skills in both critical reading and writing. This is a promising avenue for historical research and writing, as is quite evident in our own department. A number of former graduate students in our program have conceived and produced successful dissertations, theses, and books as community studies, as have several faculty members, some of which we will read. One of the goals of the course will be to help students consider a community study approach to the topic.
Topical Outline
Introduction ***Intellectual autobiography Discussion: Gerda Lerner, “Why History Matters;” John Clive, “The Use of the Past;” Keith Jenkins, “Why bother with the past? Engaging with some issues raised by the possible ‘end of history as we have known it;’” “Robert A. Rosenstone, “Experiments in Writing the Past—is anybody interested?” (All in Bel-Jean packet) Writing workshop: individual meetings on topics Discussion: Barbara Tuchman, “The Historian as Artist;” David Samuels, “The Call of Stories;” Kalle Philainen, “Narrative Objectivity Versus Fiction;” Bryant Simon, “Narrating a Southern Tragedy: Historical facts and historical fictions;” (all in packet); John Demos, Unredeemed Captive excerpt (handout). Writing workshop: individual meetings on topics Discussion: Sean Wilentz and Paul Johnson, The Kingdom of Mathias; H-net review and discussion. Writing workshop: on topics and ideas (James Stewart, Follow the Story ch. 1-2) War stories Discussion: James McPherson, Drawn with the Sword, ch. 1-7, 15 Writing Workshop: Proposals (Stewart, ch. 3) Discussion: McPherson, ch. 8-14 Writing workshop: Proposal exchange Discussion: Catherine Clinton, Fanny Kemble’s Civil Wars; Kim Edwards, “Icebergs, Glaciers, and Arctic Dreams” and Robin Hemley, “Sympathy for the Devil” in Creating Fiction. Writing workshop: Research (Stewart, ch. 4) Discussion: Laura Edwards, Gendered Strife and Confusion; Richard Russo, “Location, Location, Location: Depicting Character Through Place;” John Barth, “Incremental Perturbation;” Lans Samantha Chang, “Time and Order” (articles all in Creating Fiction.) Writing Workshop: Beginning to write (Stewart, ch. 5; handouts from Bird by Bird and On Writing Well) Writing workshop: On Structure; discussion of leads (Stewart, ch.6-7) Writing workshop: On Style (Stewart, ch. 8-11; Jane Smiley, “What Stories Teach their Writers” and Alberto Rios, “Eleven Style Considerations” in Creating Fiction. Writing workshop: Revision and Conclusions (Stewart, ch. 12-13)