.. L(oo)king at L[it]er@ture . .

Jessica Pressman

Required Texts:
Course Reader, Westwood Copies
Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett
The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison
Maus. Vol I and II, Art Spiegelman
Pafko at the Wall, Don DeLillo
Pale Fire, Vladimir Nabokov

Course Description:
.. L(oo)king at L[it]er@ture . seeks to pursue an appreciation of literature as an art form that uses the materials of its medium (language, ink, grammar, graphics, etc.), as the means for enabling narrative and visual aesthetics.

ENG 4 is an introduction to literature and literary analysis. The motivation and methodology of this class is two-fold: 1) to explore and examine a variety of literary genres, and 2) to acquire the critical and analytical skills necessary to approach and explain your interactions with the text in university-proficient compositions.

1) Pursuing the first goal, we will become acquainted with the principal literary genres—the novel, poetry, drama, and the short story-- through works that explore and experiment with their formal elements and materiality. Course readings and class discussions will provide opportunities to closely engage with the literature and develop approaches to close reading and critical analysis.

2) Class activities and assignments will focus on various aspects of constructing a critical argument essay, enabling you to practice your skills and to solidify your confidence as you develop university-level proficiency in writing.

Course Requirements:

1. Three essays: 2 short (2-3, 3-4 pages), 1 long (5-6 pages). Topics will be distributed. Typed, standard 12-point font with double-spacing is required.
2. Three in-class quizzes: These unannounced quizzes will prompt short explications on passages from the readings.
3. Homework: Short assignments will range from the preparation of discussion questions to the construction of a thesis statement.
4. Final Exam: Cumulative final consisting of passage identification and explications.
5. Participation: The success of this class and of your personal development depends on your active participation. This means that you will need to: (1) attend all class meetings; (2) participate in class discussions; (3) complete all required reading thoughtfully and thoroughly; (5) bring the necessary material with you to class.

Grading
Essay #1 15%
Essay #2 20%
Essay #3 25%
Quiz #1 5%
Quiz #2 5%
Quiz #3 5%
Homework…………………………………….…..10%
Participation ...5%
Final………………………………………….…….10%

Extra Credit: Electronic Literature Hammer Readings
1 full percentage point for each evening (ex. 1 attendance would turn a 89 (B+) into a 90 (A-).
Readings are at the UCLA Hammer Museum, at 7 pm. Friday, February 27 &Friday, March 19.

Important Reminders
· Late papers will drop your grade by 1/3 of a letter grade for every day that it is late (including weekends). For example, a B+ paper would become a B after one late day.
· Homework is due on the day (and time) of class and cannot be made up.
· In-class quizzes cannot be made up.
· In order to fulfill the university writing requirements, you must receive at least a C in this class.
· Plagiarism, the use of someone else’s words or ideas without proper acknowledgement, is a serious offense at UCLA. I am required to report any instances of plagiarism to the Dean of Students, which can result in suspension and/or expulsion. Make sure that you understand how to properly cite your sources. I am, of course, available for consultation on this subject.

Advice
Due to the extensive amount of reading for this class, I strongly advise that you do not procrastinate. Begin reading early, and be prepared to discuss the entire work on the first day that it is assigned. Meet with me early about your ideas for paper topics and personal concerns.

Reading Schedule

Week 0: Introduction
. January 8: Introduction

Week 1:
. Jan: 13: Calligrammes
George Herbert “Easter Wings,” Lewis Carroll “The Mouse’s Tale,” John Hollander “Swan and Shadow” and “Love Letter”

. Jan: 15: Seeing the Letter
Edgar Allan Poe “The Purloined Letter”; Jorge Luis Borges “The Book of Sand”

Week 2:
. Jan: 20: The Grapheme
Dickinson 341, 1129, 441

. Jan: 22: Imagism
William Carlos Williams “The Red Wheelbarrow”; Wallace Stevens “13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird”; Jean Toomer “Portrait in Georgia”

Week 3:
. Jan: 26: Stripping the Word
Gertrude Stein “Food” section from Tender Buttons

. Jan: 29: Stripping the Sentence
Ernest Hemingway “Big Two-Hearted River Part I”
PAPER DUE

Week 4: The Stage
. Feb: 3: Samuel Beckett Waiting for Godot

. Feb. 5: Samuel Beckett Waiting for Godot

Week 5:
. Feb: 10: Written Sound
Sterling Brown “Tin Roof Blues”; Langston Hughes “Weary Blues” and “Harlem: Dream
Deferred”

. Feb. 12: Sounds of Civil Unrest
Allen Ginsberg “Howl”, e.e.cummings “next to of course god America i”
Adrienne Rich: “The Burning of Paper Instead of Children”

Week 6: Narrating the Physical
. Feb: 17: Toni Morrison The Bluest Eye

. Feb. 19: Toni Morrison The Bluest Eye; Eduardo Galeano excerpt from Century of the Wind
PAPER DUE

Week 7: The Graphic Novel
. Feb: 24: Art Spiegelman Maus vol. I

. Feb. 26: Art Spiegelman Maus vol. II

Week 8: Postmodern Narrative
. Mar 2: Don DeLillo Pafko at the Wall

. Mar 4: Don DeLillo Pafko at the Wall; Jorge Luis Borges “The Garden of Forking Paths”

Week 9: The Hypertext Novel
. Mar 9: Vladimir Nabokov Pale Fire

. Mar 11: Vladimir Nabokov Pale Fire

Week 10: Electronic Literature
. Mar 16: Michael Joyce Twelve Blue

. Mar 18: Michael Joyce Twelve Blue [http://www.eastgate.com/TwelveBlue/Welcome.html]
PAPER DUE

FINAL EXAM March 25, 2004, 8:00am-11:00am