Spring 2006

E 314V • Arab American Literature & Culture

Course Description

Computer-assisted.

The events of September 11, 2001, and the war in Iraq have brought new attention to the Arab American community. Surveying one hundred years of Arab American literature, this course will approach formulations of the diverse and historically dynamic Arab American identities as they have been reflected in poetry, novels, short stories and autobiographies from the early twentieth century to the present.

We will also consider the themes of diaspora and assimilation in this body of literature as it relates to formative historical events: the First and Second World Wars, the 1967 and 1973 Middle East wars, the oil embargoes of the 1970s, the Gulf War, the Middle East peace process, September 11 and the current war in Iraq.

No knowledge of Arabic will be required for this course.

Grading Policy

On-line discussion forum 5%
Reading quizzes, participation, attendance, etc. 10%
Oral presentation 10%
Community research project 10%
Three critical response papers (1-2 pages each) 15%
Midterm critical analysis essay (5 pages) 20%
Final comparative analysis essay (8 pages) 30%

Texts

Selections of poetry from Khalil Gibran, Mikhail Naimy, and Elia Abu Madi
Amin al-Rihani, The Book of Khalid (1911)
Salom Rizk, Syrian Yankee (1943)
Grape Leaves: A Century of Arab American Poetry (1988)
Post-Gibran: Anthology of New Arab American Writing
Dinarzad's Children: An Anthology of Contemporary Arab American Fiction (2004)
All primary and supplementary readings available in a two-volume course packet at Jenn's Copies

back