Syllabus
American Literature: Civil War to the Present

Syllabus Sections

Publish Date

01/14/2020 19:31:41

American Literature: Civil War to the Present

ENGL-2328

Credit Spring 2020
01/21/2020 - 05/17/2020

Course Information

Section 017
Lecture
TTh 15:00 - 16:20
RRC1 1218.00
Colin Shanafelt

Office Hours

  • T Th
    2:00pm - 3:00pm
    RRC 1205
    Office: RRC 1205 (TTh 2:30pm - 3:00pm) 512-223-0094

Course Subjects

Course Description
English 2328, American Literature: Civil War to the Present, is a survey of American literature from the Civil War period to the present.
 
Course Objectives
  • To provide a working knowledge of the characteristics of various literary genres.
  • To develop analytical skills and critical thinking through reading, discussion, and written assignments.
  • To broaden a student’s intercultural reading experience.
  • To deepen a student’s awareness of the universal human concerns that are the basis for literary works.
  • To stimulate a greater appreciation of language as an artistic medium and of the aesthetic principles that shape literary works.
  • To understand literature as an expression of human values within an historical and social context.
 
Materials Required 
  • The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 9th edition. Volumes C, D, E.
ISBN: 978-0393264555  (Required)
  • Novella & Novel - Selected by popular vote on Blackboard (Tuesday, January 28, 2020). See choices below.
 
Instructional Methodology
Course material will be delivered via in-class lectures, assigned reading, small group activities, use of electronic media, writing assignments, and in-class writing workshops.

Course Requirements

Reading
Reading assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day they are assigned. Scrutinize the reading list carefully. Longer reading assignments take many days to complete, even if they are covered a single day of class. Students are subject to random in-class pop quizzes covering the reading due that day.
 
Quizzes
Quizzes over reading assignments constitute 17% of your final grade. Quizzes are accomplished online through Blackboard and are taken on the day of class before class begins. Each quiz covers the literature listed on the course calendar for that day of class. The deadline to take each quiz is ten minutes before the beginning of class. Quizzes will be available before noon of each class day. There is no way to make up a missed quiz. The quizzes are designed subvert the use of Cliff's Notes, Spark Notes, Google, eNotes, etc. Students are also subject to "pop-quizzes" over the reading assigned for that day. Midterm Exam
Students will take one major in-class exam which constitutes 17% the overall course grade. The exam will cover all of the material covered during approximately the first third of the course. The test will be timed and will incorporate the following types of questions: multiple choice, true/false, matching, and quote identification. The most important thing students can do to succeed in this class is read, study, and understand the required literary selections. 
 
Writing Assignments
Two major writing assignments constitute 66% of the overall course grade:
1. Literary Analysis Essay – 33%
2. Final Exam (written, take-home) – 33%
 
Literary Analysis Essay (33%)
Students will write one 1500-word literary analysis essay in response to their choice of several prompts. Students may write on an original topic if they desire, but the topic must be approved by Professor Shanafelt well in advance of the paper's due date. This essay requires extensive research and must demonstrate mastery of MLA 8th edition style for documentation. All source material must be properly cited with in-text citations and the "Works Cited" page must document of the primary source(s) and several other peer-reviewed journal and highly credible source. To receive full credit, all source material must be cited in the body of the essay with in-text citations and listed on a properly formatted "Works Cited" page.
 
Final Exam (33%)
The course will culminate with a comprehensive, written (take-home) final exam in which students will respond to several prompts in essay format. The exam will cover the entire scope of the course and all material included during the semester. The final exam will not require research or outside sources, but if any source material other than the primary texts is used, then MLA 2016 to documentation is required.
 
Essay Details
All papers must be turned in (uploaded) to the Blackboard assignment page in PDF format.
All papers must be typed and properly formatted using MLA document formatting. 
* See guidelines below.
Irrespective of the reason, any paper turned in after the official deadline will be counted late.
No papers will be accepted via email.
 
Grading System
Students’ mastery of course content will be assessed with daily pop quizzes, a major in-class exam, a 1500-word Literary Analysis Essay, and a take-home final exam in essay format. Due dates, participation, and other minor assignments may be recorded as quiz grades.
 
Assignment Weights
Quizzes - 17%
Literary Analysis Essay - 33%
Major Exam - 17%
Final Exam - 33%
 
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. Professor Shanafelt does check attendance. Students can miss four classes without penalty. Upon a student's fifth absence, Professor Shanafelt will withdraw him/her from the course or assign an F as his/her final grade. From attending a concert to attending a funeral, all absences are valid. Please do not bring a doctor’s note or try to explain an absence. Every absence counts. In order to be marked present, students must arrive reasonably on time and stay until the end of the class. For example, if a student comes to class and then leaves before class is dismissed, that absence counts as one of the four allowed. Students may wish tell Professor Shanafelt of an absence beforehand, but all absences always count.
Grading Details
Students will take one objective major exam, write one major paper, and a write one take-home Final Exam.
Professor Shanafelt will assign a letter grade to the Literary Analysis Essay and provide comments. 
Students will not receive comments on your Final Exam, only a letter grade. 
Guidelines for preparing and turning in writing assignments are provided in this syllabus. Essay formatting affects the score a paper receives. Follow formatting guidelines carefully.
Extra Credit: Students have the opportunity to receive three additional (extra credit) quiz grades of 100. See page 9 of this syllabus for full details.
Grading Scale: A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F = Below 60
Grading Key: (A+ = 98, A = 95, A- = 92, 90 = 90, etc.)
 
Paper Format Requirements
Students are required to format their essays in accordance with the guidelines set out in the MLA Handbook 8th edition (2016). These guidelines can be found at the following link:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/24/
 
Late Work
In some cases, late essays may be accepted. Note the following policies regarding late assignments:
Essays - There will be a letter grade deduction for every calendar day an essay is late. If a student is absent on the day an essay is due, he/she still needs to upload the essay to Blackboard. If an essay is uploaded before the due date and time, there is no penalty. Otherwise, the essay is late. 
Assignments - Students who are absent on the day of a quiz or in-class activity will receive a zero for that quiz or activity. There is no way to make up missed quizzes. Students who are late to class and miss the quiz will receive a zero for that quiz; there is no way to make it up. Students to do not take a Blackboard quiz before the due date and time receive a zero for that quiz. No late quizzes will be accepted.
 
Use of ACC Email
All college e-mail communication to students will be sent solely to the student’s ACCmail account, with the expectation that such communications will be read in a timely fashion. ACC will send important information and will notify you of any college related emergencies using this account. Students should only expect to receive email communication from Professor Shanafelt using this account. Likewise, students should use their ACCmail account when communicating with instructors and staff. Instructions for activating an ACCmail account can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/accmail/index.php.
 
Awarding "Incomplete" as a Final Grade

Professor Shanafelt may award a grade of "I" (Incomplete) if a student is unable to complete all of the objectives for the passing grade in a course. An incomplete grade cannot be carried beyond the established date in the following semester. Professor Shanafelt’s established completion date is the final deadline for withdrawal in the subsequent semester (i.e. "census date"). Professor Shanafelt almost never assigns incomplete ("I") grades.
 
Student Freedom of Expression
Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class. In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints. These differences enhance the learning experience and create an atmosphere where students and instructors alike will be encouraged to think and learn. On sensitive and volatile topics, students may sometimes disagree not only with each other but also with the instructor. It is expected that faculty and students will respect the views of others both when expressed in classroom discussions or class-related writing.
 
Lack of Progress
Each of the conditions below constitutes lack of progress in the course and may cause students to be dropped from the course or receive an F:
  1. A grade of zero on four or more quizzes
  2. Failure to take the Major Exam on the assigned day
  3. Failure to turn in the Literary Analysis Essay
  4. Failure to submit the Literary Analysis Essay within five days of its due date
  5. Failure to submit the Final Exam before the official end of the class.
 
Students with Disabilities
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to register with OSD three weeks before the start of the semester.
 
Withdrawal Policy
It is the student’s responsibility to track his/her own progress and drop or withdraw from this course as appropriate. In rare cases, however, Professor Shanafelt may drop or withdraw students from the course based upon the "Lack of Progress" guidelines above. It is important to know that The Texas State Legislature has passed a bill stating that students who first enroll in public colleges and universities beginning in Fall 2007 and thereafter may not withdraw from more than six classes during their undergraduate college career. See ACC Student Handbook for further information.
 
If students do not meet the "Lack of Progress" guidelines listed above, they may be subject to WITHDRAWAL from the course. It is the student’s responsibility to know a professor’s withdrawal policies. 
  • Census Date: The last day to drop or withdraw without a grade or "W": Jan. 22 (Wed.) 
  • Withdrawal Date: The last day to withdraw from the Spring 2020 semester:  Apr. 27 (Mon.)
Student and Instructional Services
ACC strives to provide exemplary support to its students and offers a broad variety of opportunities and services. Information on these services and support systems is available at: http://www.austincc.edu/s4/
Links to many student services and other information can be found at: http://www.austincc.edu/current/
ACC Learning Labs provide free tutoring services to all ACC students currently enrolled in the course to be tutored. The tutor schedule for each Learning Lab may be found at: http://www.austincc.edu/tutor/students/tutoring.php
 
For help setting up ACCeID, ACC Gmail, or ACC Blackboard, see a Learning Lab Technician at any ACC Learning Lab. 
 
Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism
Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty (e.g., cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work). Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as (but not limited to) tests and quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations; and homework.
 
Plagiarism can be defined as using the words and ideas of another writer without acknowledging the debt. Plagiarism takes many forms, including the omission of parenthetical citations, the failure to place quotation marks around direct or modified content taken from another source, and another person writing the essay for the student. It is of utmost importance for students to understand that in academic and professional life, plagiarism of any kind is absolutely unacceptable. Therefore, acts of plagiarism, major or minor, may have serious repercussions, which could include a failing grade, expulsion from the class, and/or disciplinary action on the part of the College. Specific policies can be found in individual faculty syllabi; College policies can be found in the ACC Student Handbook.
 
Student Rights and Responsibilities
Students at the college have the rights accorded by the U.S. Constitution to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, petition, and association. These rights carry with them the responsibility to accord the same rights to others in the college community and not to interfere with or disrupt the educational process. Opportunity for students to examine and question pertinent data and assumptions of a given discipline, guided by the evidence of scholarly research, is appropriate in a learning environment. This concept is accompanied by an equally demanding concept of responsibility on the part of the student. As willing partners in learning, students must comply with college rules and procedures.
 
Enrollment in the college indicates acceptance of the rules set forth in this policy, which is administered through the office of the campus dean of student services. Due process, through an investigation and appeal process, is assured to any student involved in disciplinary action.
 
General Provisions: The purpose of this policy is to identify the rights and responsibilities of ACC students, to specify acts prohibited and standards of conduct required, and to set a range of appropriate penalties when rules are violated.
Due Process: College disciplinary procedures respect the due process rights of students.
Emergency Action: Provisions are included to protect the college and members of the college community in emergencies and other instances requiring immediate action. Even in such instances, the college will take reasonable steps to provide for due process.
Administration of Discipline: The campus dean of student services or the appropriate facility administrator shall have primary responsibility for the administration of student discipline. The campus dean of student services works cooperatively with faculty members in the disposition of scholastic violations.
 
Concealed Handgun Policy
The Austin Community College District concealed handgun policy ensures compliance with Section 411.2031 of the Texas Government Code (also known as the Campus Carry Law), while maintaining ACC’s commitment to provide a safe environment for its students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
 
Beginning August 1, 2017, individuals who are licensed to carry (LTC) may do so on campus premises except in locations and at activities prohibited by state or federal law, or the college’s concealed handgun policy.  It is the responsibility of license holders to conceal their handguns at all times. Persons who see a handgun on campus are asked to contact the ACC Police Department by dialing 222 from a campus phone or 512-223-7999. Refer to the concealed handgun policy online at austincc.edu/campuscarry.
Testing Center Policy
Under certain circumstances, a professor may have students take an examination in a Testing Center. Students using the Academic Testing Center must govern themselves according to the Student Guide. Students must abide by rules governing use of ACC Testing Centers and should read the Guide before going to take the exam. 
To request an exam, one must have:
  • ACC Photo ID
  • Course Abbreviation (e.g., ENGL)
  • Course Number (e.g.,1301)
  • Course Synonym (e.g., 10123)
  • Course Section (e.g., 005)
  • Professor's Name
Do NOT bring cell phones to the Testing Center. Possession of a cell phone in the testing room, whether it is on or off, will revoke the student’s testing privileges for the remainder of the semester. ACC Testing Center policies can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/testctr/.
 
Safety Statement 
Austin Community College is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for study and work. You are expected to learn and comply with ACC environmental, health and safety procedures and agree to follow ACC safety policies. Additional information on these can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/ehs. 
 
Because some health and safety circumstances are beyond our control, students should become familiar with the Emergency Procedures poster and Campus Safety Plan map in each classroom. Additional information about emergency procedures and how to sign up for ACC Emergency Alerts to be notified in the event of a serious emergency can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/emergency/.
 
Please note that students are expected to conduct themselves professionally with respect and courtesy to all. Anyone who thoughtlessly or intentionally jeopardizes the health or safety of another individual will be immediately dismissed from the day’s activity, may be withdrawn from the class, and/or barred from attending future activities
 
Novel Selections (Popular Vote)
Students will read one novella and one full-length novel. Research each of the titles below. Select the works you would most like to study as a part of this class. Final selections will be determined by popular student vote on Blackboard. Students my vote anytime before January 28, 2020 at 3:00 pm (before class). However, students who miss the deadline forfeit their right to vote.
 
Novella Choices
 
  1. Old Man and The Sea - Ernest Hemingway
  2. House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros 
  3. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
  4. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
  5. Grief Is The Thing With Feathers - Max Porter
  6. The Pearl - John Steinbeck
  7. A Call of the Wild - Jack London
  8. Seize the Day - Saul Bellow
  9. Maggie, a Girl of the Streets - Stephen Crane
 
Novel Choices
 
  1. The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner
  2. The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
  3. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
  4. Cannery Row - John Steinbeck
  5. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
  6. On the Road - Jack Kerouac
  7. Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut
  8. A Confederacy of Dunces - John K. Toole
  9. Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
  10. No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy
 
Extra Credit
Each of the following assignments is worth one quiz grade. Successful completion of the assignment will earn you a 100 in the grade book. Numbers 2 and 3 below can be completed in the city of your choice. You may complete all or none of the assignments as you please, but all extra credit must be completed before May 7, 2020.
 
  1. Visit the museum of your choice. I suggest that you visit the Harry Ransom Center (HRC) on UT campus. The HRC is one of the world’s premier research libraries in the area of liberal arts with extensive collections in rare books, manuscripts, photography, film, art, and the performing arts. Take pictures of yourself there and provide a brochure as proof.
  2. Attend the dramatic production of your choice. The play you attend should be of literary merit (i.e. something that might be studied in college). Please no high school productions, college or professional productions only. Operas are okay. Take pictures of yourself there and provide ticket stubs as proof.
  3. Attend a poetry slam. Poetry slams are usually held in bars and coffee shops on weeknights. Use Google or the newspaper/Chronicle to locate a poetry slam in your area. Take pictures of yourself there and provide any other documentation you can gather as proof.
 
Wild Card: You my substitute the following assignment for one of the above. However, no student may receive credit for more than three extra credit assignments.
 
Attend a literary event in Austin, Texas, with one or more of your classmates. All events must be pre-approved by Professor Shanafelt. Find events in the Austin Chronicle, Accent, online, etc. The event must be literary in nature. Some examples include the following: book signing, writer’s conference, author reading, comic-con, or a 2nd poetry slam.

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of sophomore literature, students should be able to
  • Identify key ideas, representative authors and works, significant historical or cultural events, and characteristic perspectives or attitudes expressed in the literature of different periods or regions.
  • Analyze literary works as expressions of individual or communal values within the social, political, cultural, or religious contexts of different literary periods.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the development of characteristic forms or styles of expression during different historical periods or in different regions.
  • Articulate the aesthetic principles that guide the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities.
  • Write research based critical papers about the assigned readings in clear and grammatically correct prose, using various critical approaches to literature.

 
English Department Student Learning Outcomes
The following outcomes are developed in all sophomore literature students regardless of student age or course location:
  • Write clearly, coherently and effectively about various genres in literature
  • In discussions and writing, address the culture and context of the work of literature
  • Write about and discuss elements of literary texts and relate these to the work as a whole.
 
Core Curriculum Learning Outcomes
  • Content – Uses compelling and relevant content to illustrate mastery of the subject.
  • Organization – Presents information in a unified and coherent manner with thesis clearly stated and supported.
  • Sources and Evidence – Effectively utilizes a wide variety of relevant and credible materials with citations (when required).
  • Writing Conventions (grammar/spelling/usage/punctuation/formatting) – Uses language that communicates meaning to readers with clarity and fluency. 
 
General Education Learning Outcomes
  • Civil and Cultural Awareness – Analyzing and critiquing competing perspectives in a democratic society; comparing, contrasting, and interpreting differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices.
  • Critical Thinking – Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying information.
  • Personal Responsibility – Identifying and applying ethical principles and practices; demonstrating effective learning, creative thinking, and personal responsibility.
  • Written, Oral and Visual Communication – Communicating effectively, adapting to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.

Readings

Mth

Date

Day

Assignments & Topics

Jan

21

T

1. Introductions
2. Syllabus & Class Information
3. "Shanafelt Research & Writing Guide" (handout; research & writing review)

4. Literary Analysis Instruction: "The Groundhog" by Richard Eberhart (handout) 

Jan

23

Th

1. Literary Analysis Essay (assigned)

2. Early American Literary Periods (lecture)

3. EMILY DICKINSON (vol C, 88)

     "Much Madness is divinest Sense"

     "I felt a Funeral, in my Brain" 

     "After great pain, a formal feeling comes"

     "I'm Nobody! Who are you?"

     "'Hope' is the thing with feathers"

     "It was not Death, for I stood up"

     "My Life has stood—a Loaded Gun"

     "Faith" is a fine invention" 

     "I taste a liquor never brewed—" 

     "Some keep the Sabbath going to Church—" 

     "There’s a certain Slant of light" 

     "I died for Beauty—but was scarce" 

     "I heard a Fly buzz—when I died—" 

     "Tell all the Truth but tell it slant—"

Jan

28

T

1. Novel Selections (by popular vote) 

**Vote on Blackboard anytime before class today (3:00pm).**

2. WALT WHITMAN (vol C, 19)

     "Song of Myself" (Sections: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 15, 21, 22, 24, 30, 51, 52) 

    "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking"

Jan

30

Th

1. VOICES FROM NATIVE AMERICA (vol C, 660)

     "The Ghost Dance and the Wounded Knee Massacre"

- [Flat Pipe is telling me]

- [Feather, have pity on me]

- [The Crow Woman]

2. NICHOLAS BLACK ELK & JOHN G. NEIHARDT

     from Black Elk Speaks

3. CHARLES ALEXANDER EASTMAN

     from From the Deep Woods to Civilization

Feb

4

T

1. Realism (lecture)
2. MARK TWAIN (vol C, 111)

     "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"     

     "The War Prayer"

Feb

6

Th

1. Naturalism (lecture)

2. STEPHEN CRANE (vol C, 1002)

     from The Black Riders

     from War Is Kind

3. JACK LONDON (vol C, 1107)

     "The Law of Life"

     "What Life Means to Me"  (971)

4. Midterm Exam Review (handout)

Feb

11

T

ROBERT FROST (vol D, 218)

     "Mowing"

     "Design"

     "Mending Wall"

     "Directive"

     "Neither Out Far nor In Deep"

     "Desert Places"

     "The Road Not Taken"

     "Birches"

     "Out, Out—"

     "Fire and Ice"

     "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"

Feb

13

Th

** Midterm Exam (in-class) **

(Bring a bluebook, a #2 pencil, and a 100-question Scantron form.)

Feb

18

T

1. Modernism (lecture)

2. E. E. CUMMINGS (vol D, 607)

     "i carry your heart with me" (Blackboard)

      "all nearness pauses, while a star can grow" (Blackboard)

     "l(a" (Blackboard)

     "in Just-"

     "anyone lived in a pretty how town"

     "O sweet spontaneous" 

     "next to of course god america i"

     "somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond"

     "pity this busy monster,manunkind"

Feb

20

Th

1. T.S. ELLIOT (vol D, 352)

     "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" 

2. WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS (vol D, 281)

      "Spring and All"
      "This Is Just to Say"
      "To Elsie"
     "The Red Wheelbarrow"

3. EZRA POUND (vol D, 293)
      "Villanelle: The Psychological Hour"
      "A Pact"

      "In a Station of the Metro"

4. HART CRANE (vol D, 783) 

     "At Melville’s Tomb" 

     "Voyages" (Blackboard)

Feb

25

T

1. F. SCOTT FITZGERALD (vol D, 629)

     "Winter Dreams”

Feb

27

Th

1. ERNEST HEMINGWAY (vol D, 795)

     The Sun Also Rises
      - "Chapter III [It was a Warm Spring Night]”.

2. WALLACE STEVENS (vol D, 269)

     "Disillusionment at Ten O’Clock"

     "Of Modern Poetry"

Mar

3

T

1. The Harlem Renaissance (lecture)
2. LANGSTON HUGHES (vol D, 833) 

     "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"

     "Mother to Son"

     "I, Too"

     "The Weary Blues"

3. ZORA NEALE HURSTON (vol D,  515)

     "The Eatonville Anthology"

4. CLAUDE MCKAY (vol D,  467)

     "The Harlem Dancer"

     "Africa"

     "America"

5. COUNTEE CULLEN (vol D,  853)

     "Yet Do I Marvel"

     "From the Dark Tower"

Mar

5

Th

Novella - Student Choice - Day 1

     (To be determined by student vote at beginning of semester.)

Mar

10

T

Novella - Student Choice - Day 2

     (To be determined by student vote at beginning of semester.)

Mar

12

Th

ARTHUR MILLER (vol E, 218) 

     Death of a Salesman

** Watch the 1985 television adaptation (Dustin Hoffman & John Malkovich) **

*** Available on YouTube and numerous streaming sites. ****

Mar

17

T

OFF - Spring Break (No Class!!)

Mar

19

Th

OFF - Spring Break (No Class!!)

Mar

24

T

1. The Beat Generation (lecture)

2. ALLEN GINSBERG (vol E, 485)

   "Howl" - Part I

3. JACK KEROUAC (vol E, 331)

   from On the Road

       - Part One, Chapter 1

       - Part Five

Mar

26

Th

1. Postmodernism (lecture)

2. DONALD BARTHELME (vol E, 601)

     "The Balloon"

3. RICHARD WILBUR (vol E, 327) 

     "The Death of a Toad" 

     "A World without Objects Is a Sensible Emptiness" 

4. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN (director)

     Memento (2001) (Film for discussion) 

Mar

31

T

1. ** LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY DUE **

Submit PDF document to the Blackboard assignment page before class (3:00 pm).

2. PRE-CODE AMERICAN COMICS (lecture)

   - Selected American pre-code comics from EC, Harvey, AMC, Aragon, and Star.

   - Dr. Fredric Wertham (SOTI) & the Comics Code Authority (CCA) 

April

2

Th

1. URSULA K. LE GUIN (vol E, 587)

     "Schrödinger’s Cat"

2. BILLY COLLINS (vol E, 822)
      "Forgetfulness"
      "The Night House"
3. FRANK O’HARA (vol E,  499)
      "Why I Am Not a Painter”

April

7

T

1. RAYMOND CARVER (vol E,  742)

     "Cathedral"

2. THEODORE ROETHKE (vol E,  30) 

     "Elegy for Jane"

     "My Papa’s Waltz"

     "Dolor"

April

9

Th

1. THOMAS PYNCHON (vol E, 730)

     "Entropy"

2. ADRIENNE RICH (vol E, 569)

     "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning"

     "Storm Warnings" (Blackboard)

3. MARY SWENSON

     "The Centaur" (Blackboard) 

April

14

T

Novel - Student Choice - Day 1

     (To be determined by student vote at beginning of semester.)

April

16

Th

Novel - Student Choice - Day 2

     (To be determined by student vote at beginning of semester.)

April

21

T

1. KURT VONNEGUT (vol E, 342)

     Slaughterhouse-Five

        - Chapter 1

2. MARY OLIVER (vol E, 687)

     "Hummingbird Pauses at the Trumpet Vine"

     "Alligator Poem"

     "Crossing the Swamp" (Blackboard)

April

23

Th

1. CORMAC MCCARTHY (lecture & selected readings)

     Blood Meridian

     The Crossing

     All the Pretty Horses
** No reading due. Lecture & selected in-class reading **

2. EHTAN AND JOEL COEN (directors)

     No Country for Old Men (film for discussion)

April

28

T

1. Final Exam Assigned (take-home, written)

     - Exam assignment documents available on Blackboard. 

2. FLANNERY O’CONNOR (vol E, 426)
    "Good Country People"

3. EDWARD FIELD

     "Icarus" (Blackboard)

4. ROBERT PACK

     "An Echo Sonnet" (Blackboard)

April

30

Th

1. EUDORA WELTY (vol E, 43)
       "Good Country People"

2. SYLVIA PLATH (vol E, 620) 

     "Daddy"
     "Morning Song"
     "Lady Lazarus"

3. ANNE SEXTON (vol E, 549)
     "The Starry Night"
     "Sylvia’s Death" 

May

5

T

1. Creative Non-Fiction (vol E, 1129) 

2. BARRY LOPEZ (vol E, 1135)
    "The Raven"

3. HUNTER S. THOMPSON (vol E, 1139)
     from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

4.  William Butler Yeats
     “The Second Coming" (Blackboard) 

5.  JOAN DIDION (vol E, 1141)
     from Slouching towards Bethlehem

*** Extra Credit Due ***

May

7

Th

Workday (Final Exam)

May

12

T

Workday (Final Exam)

May

14

Th

Final Exam Due

     - Submit Final Exam in PDF format to the Blackboard assignment page.

     - Deadline: 11:55 pm, May 14th.

Last Day of Class!!!