ENG 229-01 - The Tradition of African Amer Lit (Fall)

4 credits (Fall)

Debating Black Literature. A survey of African American literature from its beginnings to the present, this course is structured around seven units that will introduce students to major debates, theories, and texts within the black literary tradition. Organized chronologically to ground students in the historical context and cultural tropes that inform much of black writing, this class will debate, among other things, the “origins” of African American literature, gendered notions of racial uplift, dialect and representation in black literature, pimp profiles in jazz poetry, and the “end,” as scholar Ken Warren asserts, of African American literature. An exciting and dynamic class that will feature student-led debates for each unit, majors and non-majors alike will benefit from a wide range of assignments geared toward fostering clear writing, persuasive speaking, and critical thinking.

Prerequisite: ENG 120 or ENG 121 for majors; for non-majors, ENG 120 or ENG 121 or any course in the study of literature in another language department.
Instructor: Benjamin