Syllabus

ENGL 121: Humanities Literature-Experiencing the Magical Through the Digital
Prof. Amy L. Klemm Indiana University of Pennsylvania Fall Session 2012 Leonard Hall 205 T/TH 10-11:15 __Instructor Contact Information:__ __Emai__l: a.l.klemm@iup.edu (best way to reach me; also please try to make appointments for meetings with me either at the end of class or through e-mail, e-mail is preferable) __Mail__: 1258 School St. Indiana, Pa 15701 __Office Hours/Location__: Leonard 213C; M/W 12:00-1:30 TH 11:30-2:30 F (by appt.) __Work__: (724) 357-2224 __Home__: (724) 248-1299 (leave a message 9:00 am to 10:00 pm only please)

IUP’s undergraduate course catalog describes Humanities Literature as a course that “introduces literature of various genres through a careful analysis of poetry, fiction, and drama. [It should] include literature of various time periods, nationalities, and minorities.” In this section of Humanities Literature we will accomplish that description by navigating through a wide variety of texts that fall under the umbrella of “magical realism.” Critic Roger Holland describes magic realist texts as anything “that re-imagines ‘normal’ by re-imagining ‘reality’ in ways that challenge readers to deconstruct both text and the contexts in which they live. A ‘book’ classified as magic realism tells its stories from the perspective of people who live in our world and experience a different reality from the one we [the rest of us] call reality” (2002). We will be using this description as a basis for the type of texts we will explore in this course. We should all be prepared to ‘expect the unexpected’ as we navigate through this course. Many of the texts will be unfamiliar to readers, and some of the digital pieces may take some time to acclimate to, but I am confident that together we will be able glean an appreciation for them. We will be reading things by those not afraid to take risks, and seeing how the bend the rules of the genre, if we as readers think they even belong in the genre, and if so, why. Part of the proposed aim of this course will be exploring the contesting of the “categorization of gender and sexuality;” the idea that “identities are not fixed;” that they cannot be categorized and labeled – because identities consist of many varied components, not a set concrete list of characteristics. These ideas will become clear when we read texts such as Angela Carter’s //Nights at the Circus// in which certain characters blur the lines of gender and sexuality and what is //real// by exploring the magical possibilities in our own constructed realities. Films/plays such as //Rent// from writer Jonathan Larson will test the limits of magical realism and the definitions of ‘normal’ ‘accepted’ and ‘reality,’ and what it means to be a part of a community who all share that same perspective and reality. In both these pieces, the historical element will also play a large part in learning where certain social/political/gendered/etc. constructions come from and how we might learn to subvert or adapt these principals to fit our modern perceptions and realities that we find ourselves in everyday. v To Read closely, with attention to the detailed use of diction, syntax, metaphor, and style. v To Examine the social constructs of identity, and different activities that fall into deviant or normative categories. v To Create a ‘community of scholars’ (Thompson) in which we actively support and engage each other’s critical conversations and magical realist ideas explored in the texts. v To Learn to disrupt and subvert the normal tendencies of order, and categories of orientation. v To Interact with texts of various genres, time periods, written by authors of various races, genders, and nationalities; and also to be able to //distinguish// between these genres. v To Think creatively about problems by using the texts they have explored as a broadening of one’s own experience and practical knowledge.
 * Course Overview**
 * Course Goals**

__Required Texts:__ Carter, Angela. //Nights at the Circus//. New York: Penguin, 1986. Print. Rushdie, Salman. //Haroun and the Sea of Stories//. Oxford: Pentham, 1996. Print. Puccini, Giacomo. //La Boheme//. 1889. Trans. Alfred Hillman. London: Sage, 1992. Print. Carey, Peter. //The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith.// London: Reed, 1996. Print. Marlowe, Christopher. //The Tragical History of// //Doctor Faustus.// New York: CreateSpace, 2011. Print. Course Packet with all the short stories for the course, as well as the theory texts and the nine magical realsim plays from Jose Gonzales.
 * Available at the Hub Bookstore:
 * Available at Copies Plus:

Class participation is worth a lot of points in this course. This means that I will assume that everyone will appear weekly as good class citizens, prepared and eager to participate in lively discussions. As you surely know by now, participating well doesn’t simply mean talking a lot—it means joining in an extended conversation, offering comments and questions that show you are engaged in a process of careful reading and reconsideration of that already read, and demonstrating that you are attuned to what others in the class say. We will have in class quizzes periodically and also in class writing exercises. The in-class writing exercises will be done at the end of a class period and will be a paragraph or two in length, no more than 1 page. The quizzes and exercises will be worth **10 pts a piece and there will be one of the two every week.** In addition every Sunday by 6:00 pm Everyone Must post something on our class discussion board on our class Wiki (http://www.klemmweb.org) that will be looked at on that next Tuesday’s class. This can be similar to one of our in class writing exercises or it can be any questions, thoughts, further observations that were not covered in class that last week, or anything you would like to spend a little more time on. **Every post will be worth 5 pts. and you have the option to not write two for the whole semester for a total of 60 pts. Class participation as a whole is worth 200 pts for the entire semester.**
 * Course Requirements**
 * __Class Participation:__**

The first paper will ask you to closely examine a work from that unit of your own choosing. The paper must be between 3-4 pages. It will ask you to look at the reading you chose, whether it be a passage from a play, short story, poem, film, passage from a novel, digital literature piece, etc. For the second paper, you will be writing your //own// magic realist text. One way that you may want to accomplish that is to emulate a text/author that we have already read so far in the semester. If you choose this option, make sure to give credit to the author you are emulating. This paper will be more of a creative endeavor than the first close reading paper. However, it will still employ all the close reading skills you have worked hard to develop all semester. A big part of writing your own magical realism piece is knowing what that entails. This will be accomplished by engaging in close reading and exploring all the facets and nuances of a magical realism text. This piece will vary in length depending on what genre you choose, so look for forthcoming handout. Close reading is what we will be doing all semester long, so this paper should not be extremely difficult if you have been doing the reading and participating in class. There will also be a handout given closer to the due date to explain more fully the requirements for each paper and a grading rubric for each paper. **Paper 1 and 2 are both worth 100 pts a piece and are due on Tuesday 10/4/12 and Tuesday 11/17/12 respectively.** Expo/ do field research and find magic realism in any other media and literary analysis.
 * __Close Reading Papers:__**

By this point in the semester, you all should have a clear understanding of what a magical realism piece is. For this expo, I want every student to do a bit of field work. Now that we have seen magical realism poetry, short stories, novels, and plays I want each student to go find their own magic realism piece. I am not limiting this expo to any genre or medium. That will be up to //you//, as the student, to decide. You may want to explore media, film, music, poetry, food, art, video games, etc. Be creative with these pieces; see what type of medium and genre that you can find magical realism in. The piece that you choose will be showcased in an expo to be presented to the rest of the class and also the college. The expo will take place during class so that we can critically assess the magical realism pieces and see what type of genres we were able to use that have not been explored before. Each student will prepare a poster presentation for their piece, however the computer will be available to showcase and multimedia pieces. After class, the expo will be open to any other students/faculty to view the pieces. Some other students may never have experienced any magical realism pieces and this will be another way for me to assess the knowledge you have gleaned so far in the semester as I hear you explain your piece to other people not in our class. **The magical realism expo is worth 200 pts and will take place on 10/27/12.**
 * __Magical Realism Expo:__**

“Are You Magical?” This is a first question that the online world of //Pottermore// asks. The semester project for this course will be an ongoing project for the whole term. On the first day of class, I will ask everyone to sign up for a membership to the online “game” //Pottermore//, based on the Harry Potter books. We will be treating this online experience as a piece of digital literature, and I have structured the semester so that our digital literature unit is last. This will give us plenty of time to really explore the world of //Pottermore// and hopefully lead to good discussion/presentations the last day of coursework. As a piece of digital literature, make sure to pay close attention to the textual element of this piece. J.K. Rowling has written and shared information about certain characters that has never been previously released. It is in these textual sections that you will see how some people are viewed and placed into specific categories that perhaps we may want to challenge. Throughout the entire semester I am asking you to chronicle your personal experiences engaging with this text in a journal of your own choosing. If a physical notebook works best for you that is fine, if you are more comfortable creating a blog, or making an electronic Word document, that it fine as well. The journal should consist of entries based on the experience of working through this text, and exploring the different magical realist components is offers. Part of the experience is engaging with other players. You and your peers will be sorted into the 4 houses of Hogwarts, each given a digital wand, and are given opportunities to “duel” another wizard in a chance to test your skills. I am asking each of you to write about the challenges, frustrations, excitement, and any other aspect that engaging with this text might offer. Each entry should be a couple paragraphs in length. I am expecting that the further along in the semester we are, the more the entries should start to include certain vocabulary that we have come to associate with magical realism. I also want to see some of the theory that we have been reading incorporated into these journals, as a way of inserting your own thoughts into ongoing critical conversations. Use the theory especially when looking at the treatment of certain “deviant” characters or any of those characters who are not a part of the “inside” group at Hogwarts and the wizarding community at large. The journal will be due the day we all look at //Pottermore// in class. You will be divided into the different houses that you have all been sorted into and will have a chance to compete for…The House Cup! More exiting explanation to follow! **Semester Project is worth 150 pts and is due 12/6.**
 * __Semester Project:__**

The final exam will be worth more points than anything else and therefore will be allotted an extra day at the end of the semester to review for it. The final exam will consist of multiple choice, short answer and essay questions. There will also be an additional section for quotation identification, where you must indentify a quote from a passage of something we read this semester, and also additional essay questions to show your close reading skills you have all sharpened this semester with your in-class writing exercises, Wiki posts, semester projects, and both close reading papers. As with the other assignments, you will be given a rubric to let you know how each section will be graded. **The final exam will be worth 300 pts and will be given on Tuesday 12/13/12.**
 * __Final Exam:__**

Participation…………………..200 pts Close reading paper #1...……...150 pts Close reading paper #2…..........150 pts Magic Realism Expo……………..….200 pts Semester Project…………………….300 pts __Total Possible Points__…………………1000 pts
 * Final grades will be determined as follows:**

A= 900-1000 pts B= 800-899 pts C= 700-799 pts D= 600-699 F= 599 or below
 * __Grading Scale:__**


 * SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS**
 * Short Stories**

“Journey to the Seed” from Alejo Carpentier Queer Criticism” by Lois Tyson [ALK3]
 * T 8/30** Introductions, course policies, key terms, course objectives. Everyone sign up for //Pottermore// [ALK1] by J.K. Rowling as part of the semester project
 * Th 9/1** “Metamorphosis//”// by Franz Kafka and the Wikipedia Queer Theory and Magic Realism page [ALK2]
 * 9/6** “The Death of Chamberlain Brigge” (excerpt) and “The Hand” (excerpt) by Rainer Maria Rilke and “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Men, Women and Masculinity” by Judith Halberstam
 * 9/8** “The Visit to the Museum” by Vladimir Nabokov and “Lesbian, Gay, and
 * 9/13** “In the Land of Magic” by Henri Michaux
 * 9/15** Selections from //Orlando// by Virginia Woolf [ALK4]
 * 9/20** “The Other Side of Death,” “One of These Days,” “The Sea of Lost Time,” and “Someone Has Been Disarranging These Roses” by Gabriel García [ALK5] Márquez from the collection //Collected Stories//
 * Novels**


 * 9/22** Begin Angela Carter’s //Nights at the Circus// [ALK6]
 * 9/27** //Nights// continued
 * 9/29** //Nights// cont.
 * 10/4** //Haroun and the Sea of Stories// by Salman Rushdie [ALK7] **(Close Reading paper #1 due)**
 * 10/6** //Haroun// cont.
 * 10/11** //The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith// by Peter Carey
 * 10/13** //Tristan Smith//cont.
 * 10/18** //Tristan Smith// cont. [ALK8]


 * Film/Drama**

script version
 * 10/20** //La bohème// by Giacomo Puccini [ALK9]
 * 10/25** Stage version viewing of the musical //Rent// [ALK10] with accompanying
 * 10/27 Magical Realism Expo**
 * 11/1** Viewing of //Moulin Rouge// [ALK11]
 * 11/3** //Nine Plays// by Jośe Cruz Gonzáles
 * 11/8** //Dr. Faustus// by Christopher Marlowe [ALK12]
 * 11/10** Viewing of //Amélie//


 * Digital Literature**


 * 11/15** //Game, game, game, and again game// by Jason Nelson [ALK13]
 * 11/17** //My Body a Wunderkammer// by Shelley Jackson [ALK14] **(Close Reading paper #2 due)**
 * 11/21-11/27 Thanksgiving break**
 * 11/29** //88 Constellations for Wittgenstein//by David Clark [ALK15]
 * 12/1** //Public Secrets// by Sharon Daniels
 * 12/6** Discussion of //Pottermore// experiences-House Cup! [ALK16] **(Semester projects due)**
 * Conclusions**
 * 12/8 Final Exam Review/Prep**
 * 12/13 Final Exam-Time TBA**

[ALK1] See the semester project above for full description and also the lesson plans for how my hopes in how it will be a useful pedagogical tool. [ALK2] While this may seem unorthodox to use a Wiki page, the students will look at it anyways whether I assign it or not, and at least this way they will see the list of bibliographical sources at the bottom for future reading, and I an help clarify or correct anything on the page the students might have questions on in class instead of them assuming on their own that it is all true. [ALK3] My goal in introducing the theory is to start with a general piece, move into one that incorporates pop culture and will be accessible, and then use the Tyson piece for the vocabulary and to see how to apply it to a piece of literature. While this is the only theory listed, I will insert more if necessary as we navigate through the semester. [ALK4] A good day to talk about the full spectrum of the LGBTQ community since the selection they are reading is where Orlando changes gender. [ALK5] Seminal writer in the field I wanted to have him last in this unit to see if students could begin to see that changes in the genre from its beginnings. [ALK6] I am treating this text as both a piece of fiction, and as a piece of theory. See annotated bib for more explanation. [ALK7] This book is a fairly easy read as it appears to be a work of juvenile fiction on the surface. However, the political and historical elements to this piece work well to show how the magical community goes through its own kind of “othering” [ALK8] This is a text that shows a boy who is disfigured, whose mother dies for political reasons and was an actress, and the anthropomorphism at work in his reality. It will be very useful to show students how animals are treated in a magic realist reality that can translate to how we treat other groups in our own world. (Useful Queer Theory text) [ALK9] This is included so that the background of both Rent and Moulin Rouge can be understood and as a historical piece that will highlight the ways in which magic realism centers around layers of not only reality but also history. [ALK10] This stage version of the play and the film Moulin Rouge are both excellent examples that highlight the connection between Queer Theory and magic realism. While “Rent” may not appear to be magic realist at first in embodies the definition from Roger Holland of those who are living in our reality and yet feeling apart from it. The play deals with homosexual characters and inter-racial couples who are living with or dealing with the effects of knowing someone with AIDS. It is a powerful film and frankly can be a life-changing film that I HOPE the students get as much out of as I did at their age. [ALK11] Giant Elephant apartments, absinthe, can-can girls, Paris, Beauty-Truth-Freedom-Love, tuberculosis, a homosexual Toulouse-Lautrec played by John Leguizamo. I think that about sums it up. [ALK12] I was pleasantly surprised to discover this text as it appears to be a very early magic realist text, before the genre was even defined. In this play Faustus makes a pack with the devil for knowledge. There is a whole lot of history at work here in this play and it will be a good contrast to the short plays read the previous class from Gonzales. [ALK13] I am so excited to have digital literature pieces for this course! It will broaden the students sense of what it a “text” and what is “literature” in a way that will illustrate what they have learned about magic realism and Queer theory so far. This is a “game” piece about another reality that you must follow the text in order to get to the next section. It has queer undertones to some sections. [ALK14] Wonderful and often used digital piece from an African American, homosexual writer who explores the reality she finds herself in by an exploration of all the different parts of her body. [ALK15] This digital lit piece is a map of constellations that gives history on just about anything along with random facts about popular culture so that there seems to be no topic not covered in this piece. It is an easy piece to see as both magic realist and also as being informed by queer theory. [ALK16] See Lessons Plans for further explanation