ENGL A170: Contemporary Literature
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Curriculum Committee Approval Date | 12/02/2020 |
| Top Code | 150300 - Comparative Literature |
| Units | 3 Total Units |
| Hours | 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54) |
| Total Outside of Class Hours | 0 |
| Course Credit Status | Credit: Degree Applicable (D) |
| Material Fee | No |
| Basic Skills | Not Basic Skills (N) |
| Repeatable | No |
| Grading Policy | Standard Letter (S),
|
| Associate Arts Local General Education (GE) |
|
| Associate Science Local General Education (GE) |
|
| California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) |
|
| Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) |
|
| California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth) |
|
Course Description
Read, analyze, and write on important contemporary literature. Explore the historical, cultural, philosophical, and aesthetic implications of representative works. Formulate and produce written analyses of assigned works. Enrollment Limitation: ENGL A170H; students who complete ENGL A170 may not enroll in or receive credit for ENGL A170H. ADVISORY: ENGL C1000. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.
Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)
- Write analytical arguments about contemporary literature and its influences.
Course Objectives
- 1. Demonstrate familiarity with important authors, works, genres, and themes for contemporary literature
- 2. Analyze and interpret thematic issues found in the literature and intellectual movements of the time period.
- 3. Relate contemporary literary works to their historical, philosophical, social, political, religious, regional, and/or aesthetic contexts.
- 4. Examine the influence of different gender, economic, cultural, racial, and/or ethnic groups on contemporary literature
- 5. Appreciate how a work of contemporary literature can address, expand, and argue political and social issues.
- 6. Recognize and compare common thematic issues present in contemporary literature between different literary genres and texts.
- 7. Demonstrate an understanding of the above through appropriate academic discourse and conventions of literary analysis.
- 8. Demonstrate comprehension of the above through class discussion, written exams, and essays usingappropriate citation form
Lecture Content
The Roots of Contemporary Writing Literary Movements of the late 20th/21st Century i. Late Modernism (Samuel Beckett, Toni Morrison) ii. Surrealism (Yuri Herreras Signs Preceding the End of the World, George Saunderss Tenth of December story collection) iii. Auto-fiction/Confessionalism (Joan Didions Year of Magical Thinking, Maggie Nelsons The Argonauts) iv. Counter-culture (Paul Beattys The Sellout, Roberto Bolaño) v. Post-modernism (Percival Everett, Thomas Pynchon, Don DiLillo) vi. Experimental (Anne Carson Autobiography of Red, Eimear McBride) vii. Trans-realism (Margaret Atwood, Colson Whitehead) viii. New weird (China Miéville, Jeff Vandermeer) ix. Genre-fiction as literary fiction (N.K. Jamisins The Fifth Season, Kazuo Ishiguros Never Let Me Go, Gillian Flynns Gone Girl) x. New Historical Fiction (Hilary Mantel, Edward P. Jones, Elena Ferrantes Neapolitan quartet) ; xi. Poem-essays (Anne Carson, Claudia Rankine) Recognizing Differences in Voices Canonical/Non-canonical Racialized Gendered/Non gendered – Binary/Non-binary LGBTQIA Regional/Global Translated Voices Class Disenfranchised voices Elements of Contemporary Writing Formal Characteristics i. Fractured Narrative (Don DeLillos Underworld; Marlon Jamess A Brief History of Seven Killings) ii. Metanarrative (David Foster Wallaces "Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way") iii. Multi-voiced narrative (Margaret Atwoods Blind Assassin) iv. Non-linear/Multi-linear (Ted Chiangs “Story of Your Life”) v. Genre-bending (Katherine Dunns Geek Love; Claudia Rankines Citizen: An American Lyric) vi. Anti-hero (Teju Coles Open City, Irvine Welshs Trainspotting) vii. Digital literature (Michael Joyces afternoon, a story, Jennifer Egans “Black Box”) viii. Graphic Novel (Alison Bechdels Fun Home, Ta-Nehisi Coatess Black Panther series) Responses to present-day issues concerning a particular society/group/nation/the world i. Contemporary political, economic, gender/sexuality, racial narratives ii. Articulating relationships to the past/nostalgia (post- colonial, etc.) Critical Approaches to Contemporary Literature Critical Reading strategies nb i. Close reading of both written and visual texts ii. Observation versus inference iii. Application of theory iv. Evaluation of representations contemporary literature within historical contexts v. Comparison and contrast of representations of thematic elements of contemporary literature vi. Inter-textual references and putting texts in dialogue Writing Strategies demonstrated through take home essays, response papers, in-class exams, group projects i. Analytical interpretation ii. Argumentation iii. Summary and description iv. Evaluation and Application v. Thesis development vi. Research skills and MLA citation
Method(s) of Instruction
- Lecture (02)
- DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
Instructional Techniques
Lecture and application of ideas, discussion, instructor feedback on written papers and discussion, exams, peer feedback.
Reading Assignments
Students will spend a minimum of 4-6 hours, per week outside of class researching writers and secondary sources, reading literary works--including but not limited to poems, plays, and prose--and critical analyses relevant to the period.
Writing Assignments
Students will average about 2 hours per week writing--a minimum of 3000 words (15 pages, 12 pt.double spaced typed) about world literature through the Renaissance: (a) a minimum of 2000 words(10 pages) of the writing must be in the form of analytical essays, (b) the other writings may be in the form of tests requiring primarily short and/or long essay responses, journal writings, creative modeling of the literature, written notes outlining oral presentations, written scripts for film/video presentations, or other types of writings that demonstrate an understanding of the literature.
Out-of-class Assignments
Students will spend a minimum of between 4-6 hours each week or writing assignments--including(but not limited to) essays, summaries, reading responses, research essays using secondary sources and take-home exams.
Demonstration of Critical Thinking
Scheduled written examinations, including a midterm and final exam; short written discussions of the works and ideas related to them, weekly quizzes.
Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration
Write a minimum of 3000 words (15 pages, 12 pt. double.spaced typed) about contemporary literature: (a) a minimum of 2000 words (10 pages) of the writing must be in the form of analytical essays, (b) the other writings may be in the form of tests requiring primarily short and/or long essay responses, journal writings, creative modeling of the literature, written notes outlining oral presentations, written scripts for film/video presentations, or other types of writings that demonstrate an understanding of the literature.
Eligible Disciplines
English: Masters degree in English, literature, comparative literature, or composition OR bachelors degree in any of the above AND masters degree in linguistics, TESL, speech, education with a specialization in reading, creative writing, or journalism OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.
Textbooks Resources
1. Required Smith, Tracy K.. American Journal: Fifty Poems for Our Time, ed. Graywolf Press, 2018 2. Required Hensher, Philip. The Penguin Book of the Contemporary British Short Story, ed. Penguin, 2019 3. Required Ferrante, Elena. My Brilliant Friend, ed. Europa Editions, 2012 Rationale: The novel is current and has not gone into a second printing, nor does it require updates. 4. Required Yuri Herrera. Signs Preceding the End of the World, ed. And Other Stories, 2015 5. Required Beatty, Paul. The SellOut, ed. Picador, 2016