University of St. Thomas

4 Credit Hours

Stephen Henderson, speaking from the context of the Black Arts Movement of the late 1960's, addressed the question, "What makes a Black text Black?" by positing a theory of "saturation." That is, "Black" texts were suffused ("saturated") with two critically indigenous elements: the ethos of Black music and of Black oral practice, from storytelling to street talk. In this course, we will concentrate on one of these elements--Black music, specifically blues and its close relative jazz--and consider what it contributes to the "aesthetic," broadly understood, of African-American literary production. We will focus on a number of literary texts that in different ways reflect a "blues-oriented" way of construing and processing experience both personal and historical; and we will examine a broad range of critical readings which attempt to articulate and assess the workings of a "blues aesthetic" in American and African-American life. Students will write a series of short essays, keep a Blackboard journal, and complete a major paper project of 10-15 pages on one of the works studied in the course. This course fulfills both the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum and the Diversity distribution requirement for English majors. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 and/or ENGL 201, 202, 203, or 204.

4 Credit Hours

Stephen Henderson, speaking from the context of the Black Arts Movement of the late 1960's, addressed the question, "What makes a Black text Black?" by positing a theory of "saturation." That is, "Black" texts were suffused ("saturated") with two critically indigenous elements: the ethos of Black music and of Black oral practice, from storytelling to street talk. In this course, we will concentrate on one of these elements--Black music, specifically blues and its close relative jazz--and consider what it contributes to the "aesthetic," broadly understood, of African-American literary production. We will focus on a number of literary texts that in different ways reflect a "blues-oriented" way of construing and processing experience both personal and historical; and we will examine a broad range of critical readings which attempt to articulate and assess the workings of a "blues aesthetic" in American and African-American life. Students will write a series of short essays, keep a Blackboard journal, and complete a major paper project of 10-15 pages on one of the works studied in the course. This course fulfills both the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum and the Diversity distribution requirement for English majors. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 and/or ENGL 201, 202, 203, or 204.

4 Credit Hours

This course will focus on extensive reading of a broad selection of authors drawn from the literature of one of the following: (a) American communities of color; (b) postcolonial peoples; (c) diasporic peoples. Students will engage in close analysis of literary texts from at least one such literary tradition, with some attention to historical and cultural contexts. This course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement in the core curriculum. Prerequisites: ENGL 201, 202, 203, or 204

4 Credit Hours

This course will focus on extensive reading of a broad selection of authors drawn from the literature of one of the following: (a) American communities of color; (b) postcolonial peoples; (c) diasporic peoples. Students will engage in close analysis of literary texts from at least one such literary tradition, with some attention to historical and cultural contexts. This course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement in the core curriculum. Prerequisites: ENGL 201, 202, 203, or 204

4 Credit Hours

This course offers an intensive focus on selected aspects of American literature from the early Romantic movement (approximately 1820) to the turn of the twentieth century. Attention will be given to the diverse literary, cultural, and historical contexts that inform the literature being studied, as well as to relevant critical approaches and issues. Possible authors studied include Emerson, Fuller, Douglass, Clemens, Dickinson. Prerequisites: ENGL 201, 202, 203, or 204

4 Credit Hours

This course offers an intensive focus on selected aspects of American literature from the early Romantic movement (approximately 1820) to the turn of the twentieth century. Attention will be given to the diverse literary, cultural, and historical contexts that inform the literature being studied, as well as to relevant critical approaches and issues. Possible authors studied include Emerson, Fuller, Douglass, Clemens, Dickinson. Prerequisites: ENGL 201, 202, 203, or 204