Fall 2004

E 314V • African American Literature and Culture

Course Description

COURSE CANCELLED

This course will survey the importance of place and community in African American literature from the Harlem Renaissance to the present. We will consider how the community in which characters live or move—from neighborhood to island—influences their conceptions of race, gender, and identity. As this is a writing-intensive course, we will pay particular attention to the style as well as the content of our readings. Discussion will also play an integral role in the course.

Grading Policy

Three short papers (4-5 pages each) 45%
Final critical essay (5-7 pages) 25%
Oral report 15%
Reading responses and class participation 15%

Attendance is mandatory. More than three unexcused absences will result in a significant reduction of your grade.

Texts

(subject to change)
Nella Larsen, Quicksand
Paule Marshall, Brown Girl, Brownstones
Toni Morrison, Sula
Gloria Naylor, Mama Day
Dorothy West, The Wedding

Course packet will include readings by James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, June Jordan, and others.

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