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PRIOR SYLLABUS. SUBJECT TO CHANGE. CONTACT INSTRUCTOR FOR FURTHER QUESTIONS. Sarah E. Turner Old Mill 306 Ex. 1412 Office Hours Wed. 10:30 – 12:30 or by appointment [email protected] or [email protected] English 57: Spring 2009 Section E Race and Ethnicity in Contemporary American Literature In an interview several years ago, Nobel Prize winning author Toni Morrison stated that racism is a scholarly affair and one that is useful for whites. In the 1998 movie American History X, Ed Norton's character claims that all problems in this country are race-related. Poet and activist Maya Angelou envisions a time when “ideally, race should be [only] as important as the color coordination of one’s costume.” What do these statements mean? And what relevance do they have for us, in 2009, as this country welcomes its first biracial president? This course considers a variety of contemporary texts -- novels, short stories, movies -- written by and about nonhegemonic groups living in the United States today that explore the intersections of race, class, socioeconomics, racism and institutionalized racism. Because the course expects students to engage in polemical and engaging dialogue, students are asked to “agree to disagree’ in a respectful environment. Attendance is mandatory: after 3 unexcused absences, final grades will be lowered by one ½ letter grade per missed class. I.e. if you miss 4 classes, a B becomes a B-. Athletic events and religious holidays must be documented in writing the first week of class. Course Requirements: Active Participation 20% Group Presentation 25% Discussion Postings 15% -- available through Blackboard Response Papers 2 x 20% -- Please see the link to the English Department’s style sheet for paper formats: http://www.uvm.edu/~english/?Page=English_dept_style_sheet.html *Emailed papers will not be accepted! Required Texts: Toni Morrison The Bluest Eye Joanna Scott Make Believe T.C. Boyle The Tortilla Curtain Adam Mansbach Angry Black White Boy Ruth Ozeki My Year of Meats Various articles and short stories available on E-reserve or through Blackboard – these articles are to be printed out and brought to class to enable discussion Course Schedule: 13th January Course Introduction 15th January

Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif” available on e-reserve

20th January

Morrison’s The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison Uncensored (video) Susan Willis’ “I Want the Black One” (e-reserve)

22nd January

The Bluest Eye Bamboozled Clip

27th January

The Bluest Eye Kennedy’s “’Who Can Say Nigger’?…And Other Considerations” (e-reserve) From the NY Times: “In A Bid To Ban Racial Slur, Blacks Are On Both Sides” SNL Skit (Chevy Chase and Richard Pryor – YouTube)

29th January

The Bluest Eye (including the Afterword)

3rd February

Scott’s Make Believe

5th February

Make Believe

10th February

Make Believe

12th February

Group Presentations First Response Paper Due

17th February

Sherman Alexie’s “My Father was the only Indian…”, “Assimilation” & “Lawyer’s League” (e-reserve) – Please read in this order as they are chronological James Rawls’ “A National Tragedy” (e-reserve) Winds of Change video with N. Scott Momaday

19th February

Alexie’s “My Father was the only Indian…”, “Assimilation” & “Lawyer’s League” Churchill’s “Let’s Spread the Fun Around” (e-reserve) King’s “Arguing Over Images: Native American Mascots and Race” (e-reserve)

24th February

“Babies” (e-reserve) “Learning While Black” (e-reserve or Blackboard) “The Color of Skin is the Color of Crime” (e-reserve or Blackboard) “The Facilities Gap: Cameras in Hand, Students Capture Photos of Schoolhouse Decay” (e-reserve)

26th February

Group Presentations First 5 Blackboard postings to be completed by this date

3rd March

No Class: Town Meeting Day

5th March

Group Presentations

10th March

No Class: Spring Break

12th March

No Class: Spring Break

17th March

Angry Black White Boy

19th March

Angry Black White Boy

24th March

T.C. Boyle’s The Tortilla Curtain “Who Left the Door Open?” (e-reserve or Webct) Illegal Immigrants video

26th March

The Tortilla Curtain

31st March

The Tortilla Curtain

2nd April

The Tortilla Curtain

7th April

American History X & Hate.com video

9th April

American History X Second Response Paper Due

14th April

American History X

16th April

Ozeki’s My Year of Meats “What’s White, Anyway” (e-reserve or Blackboard)

21st April

Ozeki’s My Year of Meats Picard’s “Hot and Soured: Slave Wages and Unsafe Housing: Exposing the Unsavory Side of Cheap Chinese in Vermont” (e-reserve)

23rd April

My Year of Meats

28th April

Last Day of Class All 10 Blackboard postings due by Midnight