Course Description
Introduction to archival research in research libraries and its application to literary study. Depending on the instructor, the course may concentrate on the original production and circulation of literature, the letters and papers of specific writers, the historical contexts of a literary period, and/or editorial practices.
Athena Title
Literature in the Library
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in ENGL 3892S
Prerequisite
ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102E or ENGL 1102S or ENGL 1050H or ENGL 1060H
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
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 the literary composition. This course will give students skills for dealing with these original documents and practice applying those skills to literary analysis. 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 understand the collecting practices of historical and/or contemporary libraries, archives, and museums, including the way these collecting practices impact contemporary literary study.
Topical Outline
This course will focus on reading literature within the context of the 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 and semester. 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 read 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.