Courses

“Poetry makes nothing happen.” So wrote W. H. Auden, encapsulating one of the most powerful concepts in literature for the last 100+ years: literature is not meant to do anything in the world, it is not directly interventionist; it is meant to stand the test of time but not to intervene in the politics of the moment or change the views of readers. This is the orthodoxy of modernism and its entrenched legacies. In this course, we will explore an alternate model of literary self-assessment: the desire to effect real changes in one’s society. “Books that Change the World” is offered as a thought exercise, a new way to conceptualize literary self-understanding and value. We will read works mostly from the 20th century, with several forays into the 19th and 21st, wondering how, if at all, these might aim to stimulate new ways of reading, thinking, responding, and indeed writing, in an activist spirit.

The course is organized thematically and chronologically, with works from the U.S., England, Canada, India, and elsewhere. Each week we will read a novel (some novels are spread across two weeks), and these will often be paired with other materials, such as visual works, other literary materials, theoretical readings, etc. Themes to which these activist works are geared include: slavery and abolition; working conditions; gender and patriarchy; war and revolution; race and racism; and environmental crisis. This is a discussion seminar, and each student is expected to participate in every class meeting.

The primary written work for the course is a final paper on a book of your choosing; the question will be, what work would you add to our syllabus, and why? The paper is an explanation/defense of your selection, with critical reading of the text itself along with appropriate context, and it is due at the end of the semester. Students concerned about work management can meet with me to come up with a different time-table. Weekly reading responses, posted to the Canvas page, are also required. In addition, after the first two weeks, we will begin each class with a short student presentation on the material (an outline is also required, to be shared with the group). Your grade for the course will be determined as follows: final paper (30%); presentation and outline (20%); class participation and reading responses (50%). Please note the heavy weight toward classroom participation and reading responses. If participating in class is not comfortable for you, please see me early on and we can work out some alternatives. The goal for our classroom is to be inclusive and to stimulate a positive, active learning environment for all.