(This course fulfills GE “Diversity and Common Ground” requirements)

“Who is the Tolstoy of the Zulus? The Proust of the Papuans? I’d be glad to read him.” That smug query issued by American novelist Saul Bellow some fifteen years ago sums up the myopia of many Western literati towards work by former subjects of the British and/or American Empires. If they acknowledge African (or Indian, or Caribbean, or Pacific) writing at all, they often do so dubiously: with condescension, misapprehension, or know-nothing arrogance. Though Bellow and his literary forebears have written about colonized peoples for several centuries, the success of their efforts has depended largely on those peoples’ silence in the face of repeated slurs and misrepresentations. But for quite some time now the Empire has been writing back, with eloquence, sophistication, and vitality, to correct Western distortions, to reclaim suppressed traditions, to build new national cultures, and to give an accounting of postcolonial realities—and not least of all, to test (and break) the limits of English-language literature. Through a critical examination of paired Anglo-American and “Third World” literary texts, this course will give us an opportunity to overhear portions of that animated dialogue, and to develop an understanding of some of its stakes, particularly those having to do with the politics of literature and language, the role of culture in resisting domination, and the relation of Western consumers to “Third World” cultural production.

Work: There’ll be times when I’ll need to lecture at you or do a little show-and-tell. But for the most part, I’m assuming that you’re enthusiastic learners who are willing to explore new territory both independently and coöperatively. Here’s one way how: on eight occasions of your choice (out of twelve opportunities), you’ll post your riff on the week’s assigned reading to one of a series of discussion boards that I’ll open up via our class web page. I realize that technological unfamiliarity, along with general fear and loathing, can sometimes conspire to rob such electronic tools of their full potential for knowledge-pooling and community-building. Still, this is one of the best ways I know for you to gather your thoughts about a text and begin articulating them—so give it the old college try. So, um…what exactly do I mean by a “riff” on the week’s readings? Look for a separate, long-winded handout. For now, let me stick to logistics:

Riffs on a given week’s text(s) must be posted to the discussion board no later than 7:00 p.m. on Mondays, so that people have a fighting chance to digest them (or at least to taste them) before Tuesday’s class. (Unless there’s been a documented problem with your Internet provider or your computer lab, late posts will count against you. Failure to post eight responses over the course of the semester may result in a failing grade.) Each of these should be the equivalent of at least two handwritten pages—roughly 400-500 words. But since this requirement is aimed first and foremost at getting you to discipline yourself, without undue pressure or judgment, into thinking out loud about dense and sometimes provocative texts, I will normally merely count words unless you specifically ask me (by e-mail) to respond to you personally. The minimum is good for a C+; 600-750 words will earn a B; 800-1000 words an A. I’ll bump you up 1/3 of a grade if you contribute a follow-up post of at least 100 words (preferably—at least partially—in response to someone else’s post) later in the week.

Collectively, these responses—which, though informal, should still be thoughtful, not slapdash—will constitute a free-standing conversation, especially if enough people build the momentum to carry it through the week. Obviously, taking the trouble to work amorphous or gut responses into ideas on screen should also give you ready-made material (work-in-progress, anyway) to refer to in class. Sometimes, we may even bring what takes place on-line into the classroom, as well, and your written responses may become starting points for in-class discussion; to that end, everyone should try to at least glance at other folks’ posts before class. Beyond that, you should always feel free to take part in these online forums at any time, even if you’re not doing so for formal credit: the boards remain open during the 165 hours of the week when our class doesn’t meet, for gripes, questions, objections or clarifications; remarks on something that someone did or didn’t say in class; afterthoughts or second thoughts about the texts; etc.. Lively debate, even strong language, is always welcome. Just don’t get personal, and do try to keep a civil tongue.

So, to enumerate your basic responsibilities (and how they count towards your final grade) more particularly:

1. Regular attendance. To help make a good class—and to get anything out of one—you’ve got to be here. If you’re gone excessively (everybody gets four disappearances, no questions asked), we’ll miss you, there’s no telling what you’ll miss, and your grade will inevitably suffer. If you’re gone more than six times—that’s 20% of the course—I’ll probably pull you aside and talk to you about dropping.

2. Careful and on-time reading of assigned texts, eight (8) informal written responses to those texts (as outlined above), and critical engagement in the collective talk that ensues. You need to do your small part in starting up discussions and keeping them going—i.e., show some degree of intelligence, inquisitiveness and enthusiasm, both in responding to one another and the materials on the table, and in helping control the direction and flow of the conversation. In a class of twenty-some people, you can get away with being relatively quiet and shy, but you can’t be absolutely anonymous. (1 and 2 combined: about 50%.)

3. Development of one of your “riffed” responses into a formal essay. At some point in the semester, point me to one of your posts that you think contains at least the germ of an idea with the potential to grow into something bigger. In light of feedback from me (and perhaps from others in the class), further discussion on the work(s) in question, and your own work and thought on other assigned texts, you’ll revise and expand this post into something more structured and substantial—an essay of around 7 to 10 pages. Details to follow later in the semester. (About 25%.)

4. Class “takeovers.” Groups of four or five of you will be responsible for “taking over” a class in the final weeks of the course. (I’ll serve as consultant.) I’d rather not think of these as “presentations,” as we all know how stale and deadly those can be. It’ll be your job to figure out how to help us learn something about—and otherwise engage us in—a text or topic related to the concerns of our class, one of your devising or one picked from suggestions I provide. We’ll steal part or all of two classes in late March and early April for planning, and talk more about all these requirements as the semester progresses. (About 25%.)

Required texts: There are eight books you need to pick up at the HSU Bookstore or anywhere else you can find them. Any edition’s acceptable, especially if money is an issue, but I’ve indicated which was ordered for our class. Shakespeare, Defoe, Conrad, and Cooper are also available in full-text and/or e-book versions on the Web; ask me for URLs if this interests you.

• William Shakespeare, The Tempest (Bedford)
• Aimé Césaire, A Tempest (Theater Communications Group)
• Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, 2d ed. (Norton)
• J. M. Coetzee, Foe (Penguin)
• Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness, 3d ed. (Norton)
• Tayeb Salih, Season of Migration to the North (Heinemann)
• James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans (Penguin)
• Gerald Vizenor, Bearheart: The Heirship Chronicles (Minnesota)

I understand that there’s a limit to what even English majors can realistically be expected to read. Just the same, a course like this demands a fairly hefty theoretical apparatus, so I’ve made a collection of required “reserve reading” available via the class web page—not Blackboard or ONCORES. Since much of the material is copyrighted, and since most publishers have lately adopted an uncharitable position towards the principle of “fair use” for educational purposes, you’ll sometimes be asked to enter a username and a password (e-mail me if you've mislaid them) to gain access to it. These readings reflect my conviction that it’s important to put imaginative writing into dialogue with other kinds of writing—critical, theoretical, expository—in whose light the “primary” texts will make a different kind of sense. To that same end, I’ve also compiled links to general reference sources and sites related to particular authors we’re studying. And I’d be happy to give you ideas for still further reading if you wish.

Miscellany: I may occasionally use send official communiqués (reading or study questions, schedule changes, afterthoughts or announcements I forgot to make in class, etc.) by e-mail, so if you don’t do so already, get in the habit of checking your e-mail nightly. If you have something for general distribution, feel free to use the class listserver, an address that automatically copies anything sent to it to the entire class. Send an e-mail to: hsu-engl465-1@redwood.humboldt.edu.

Grades: Here’s where the oppressive substructure of my seemingly benign classroom shows through. My letter grades adhere to official guidelines: “A” is reserved for exceptionally, stunningly, well-written, well-spoken and insightful stuff. “B” gets tacked onto the extra-ordinary—i.e., work whose quality goes beyond mere course requirements. “C” is standard and normal; it meets the minimum requirements in every way. “D” is worthy of credit but substandard, and we all know what “F” means. You have to complete all the requirements listed on this syllabus to receive a passing grade. If you’re taking the class CR/NC, you need the equivalent of a “C” to pass. I don’t expect to give any incompletes.

I’ll read and respond to anything you ask me to, and I’ll grade all your formal work. You’re always welcome to come see me at any point in the term to discuss your progress, prospects, enthusiasms or anxieties. If you’re getting behind in the class, feeling as though you’re not “getting” something, or just having an unspecified problem either mild or severe, please, please, please: don’t sit around fretting and cowering—come and talk to me without delay.

CALENDAR
Warning: potentially volatile! Assigned reading, due dates, and reading schedule are subject to change. Please listen for announcements, watch for communiqués, and check the class website (which always trumps this calendar) regularly for any updates.

Unless otherwise noted, all reading assignments listed below are required. Be aware, however, that you will always find additional reading and/or web resources on each week’s reserve reading page, and I encourage you to explore as much of this supplemental material as you can. Reading responses should focus primarily on required reading, but feel free to incorporate relevant thinking inspired by this other material, as well.

Jan. 20: Introductions, the syllabus, and other bureaucratic housekeeping.
Jan. 22: Lecture/discussion: “Colonialist Discourse”—Eng-Lit’s imperial past and “broken” future. Required Reading: Bill Aschcroft, et al., Introduction to The Empire Writes Back and and Edward Said, from Culture and Imperialism (class web page Reserve Reading: “Points of Departure”).

Across the Sea: Two Tempests
Jan. 27/29: Discussion of William Shakespeare, The Tempest. Additional Required Reading: “Emigrants and Settlers: An Overview” (Reserve Reading/“Across the Sea” section of the class web page).
Feb. 3/5: Discussion of Aimé Césaire, A Tempest. Additional Required Reading: Robin D.G. Kelley, “Poetry & the Political Imagination” (introduction to A Tempest).
Feb. 10/12: Shakespeare and Césaire in dialogue.

Additional Required Reading for this unit: “Why Study Critical Controversies about The Tempest?” (The Tempest pp. 91-108); “Literary Study, Politics, and Shakespeare: A Debate” (The Tempest pp. 109-116); Ronald Takaki, “The ‘Tempest’ in the Wilderness” (The Tempest pp. 140-165 only). Additional Recommended Reading for this unit: Stephen Greenblatt, “Learning to Curse” (Reserve Reading/“Across the Sea” section of the class web page). It would be good to have read all of this additional material by the beginning of the unit, but at worst, you should have completed it for the week of February 10th.

Cast Away: Robinson Crusoe and Foe
Feb. 17/19: Discussion of Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe. Additional Required Reading: “Travel, Trade, and the Expansion of Empire” (Reserve Reading/“Cast Away” section of the class web page).
Feb. 24/26: Discussion of J. M. Coetzee, Foe.
Mar. 2/4: Defoe and Coetzee in dialogue.

Additional Required Reading for this unit: Peter Hulme, “Robinson Crusoe and Friday”; Gayatri Spivak, “Theory in the Margin”; J. M. Coetzee, “He and His Man” (Reserve Reading/“Cast Away” section of the class web page). It would behoove you to have read all of this additional material by the beginning of the unit, but at worst, you should have completed it for the week of March 2d.

Up the River: Heart of Darkness and Season of Migration to the North
Mar. 9/11: Discussion of Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness. Additional Required Reading: “Victorian Imperialism” (Reserve Reading/“Up the River” section of the class web page).
Mar. 23/25: Discussion of Tayeb Salih, Season of Migration to the North.
Mar. 30/Apr. 1: Conrad and Salih in dialogue.

Additional Required Reading for this unit: Chinua Achebe, “An Image of Africa” (Heart of Darkness pp. 151-162); Edward Said, “Two Visions in Heart of Darkness”; Saree Makdisi, “The Empire Renarrated” (Reserve Reading/“Up the River” section of the class web page). You’d benefit from reading all of this additional material by the beginning of the unit, but at worst, you should have completed it for the week of March 30th.

Into the Woods: The Last of the Mohicans and Bearheart: The Heirship Chronicles
Apr. 6/8: Discussion of James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans. Additional Required Reading: “Romancing the Indian” (Reserve Reading/“Into the Woods” section of the class web page).
Apr. 13/15: Discussion of Gerald Vizenor, Bearheart: the Heirship Chronicles. Required Reading: Mikhail Bakhtin on the “Carnivalesque” (Reserve Reading/“Into the Woods” section of the class web page).
Apr. 20/22: Cooper and Vizenor in dialogue.

Apr. 27/29: Class takeovers.
May 4/6: Class takeovers.

May 11: There’s no final exam in this class, but we’ll meet during our scheduled exam period (10:20-12:10) for one more “class takeover,” as well as last remarks, evaluations, and tearful goodbyes.