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LITR
5733: Seminar in American Culture American Immigrant Literature University
of Houston-Clear Lake Summer 2004 (M, T, Th 3-6pm—1st 5-Weeks Summer Session) Instructor: Craig White. Phone: 281 283 3380. Email: whitec@uhcl.edu Summer 2004 meeting, reading, and presentation schedule IA = Imagining
America (2nd edition) VA = Visions of America UA = Unsettling
America Tuesday, 1 June: introduction; students indicate presentation preferences; some history of immigration *********** Thursday, 3 June: Examples of the Immigrant Narrative. Anzia Yezierska, “Soap and Water” (IA 105-110) [handout]; Nicholasa Mohr, “The English Lesson” (IA 21-34); Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, “Going Home: Brooklyn Revisited” (VA 158-169); Tahira Naqvi, “Thank God for the Jews” (IA 229-236) Poetry
presentation: Joseph Papaleo, “American Dream:
First Report,” UA 88 Video review & highlights: “American Dream
Literary Seminar” discussion-starter / problem-poser: Rosalyn Mack *********** Monday, 7 June: Minorities and the immigrant narrative. James Baldwin, from No Name in the Street (VA 284-290); Toni Cade Bambara, “The Lesson” (IA 145-152); Leslie Marmon Silko, “The Man to Send Rain Clouds” (IA 205-209); Louise Erdrich, "American Horse" (IA 210-220) Poetry presentation: Patricia Smith, “Blonde White Women,” UA 77 Reader: Susan Cummings discussion-starter / problem-poser: Defne Yunus “webpage-highlighter”: Kim Maness *********** Tuesday, 8 June: Non-Mexican Hispanics: Immigrant or Minority? Nicholasa Mohr, “The English Lesson” (IA 21-34); Judith Ortiz Cofer, "Silent Dancing" (VA 179-186) Junot Diaz, "How to Date a Browngirl . . . “ (IA 276-279); Poetry presentation: Jose Angel Villalongo, Sr., “In the Good Old U. S. A.,” UA 328 Reader: Thomas Parker Poetry presentation: Martin Espada, “Coca-Cola and Coco Frio,” UA 124 Reader: April Patrick Video review &
highlights: “Immigrant Writers’ Impact on American Literature” panel Presenter: Madeline Clark *********** Thursday, 10 June: Afro-Caribbeans: Immigrant or Minority? June Jordan, “Report from the Bahamas” (VA 305-315); Edwidge Danticat, “Children of the Sea” (IA 98-112); Paule Marshall, “The Making of a Writer: From the Poets in the Kitchen” (VA 82-89); Paule Marshall, “To Da-Duh, in Memoriam” (IA 368-377) Video review &
highlights: Uprooted: Refugess of the Global Economy Presenter: Defne Yunus Video review &
highlights: Marcus Garvey biography Presenter: Shannon Garth-Rhodes discussion-starter / problem-poser: Susan Cummings *********** Monday, 14 June: Mexican Americans as Immigrants or as Ambivalent Minority? Richard Rodriguez, from Hunger of Memory (VA 229-235); Gary Soto, “Like Mexicans” (VA 301-304); Nash Candelaria, "El Patron" (IA 221-228); Sandra Cisneros, "Barbie-Q" (IA 252-253) Poetry presentation: Pat Mora, “Immigrants,” UA 119 Reader: Nicole Jackson discussion-starter / problem-poser: Emily Islam “webpage-highlighter”: Madeline Clark *********** Tuesday, 15 June: in-class or email midterm *********** Thursday, 17 June: Sui Sin Far, "In the Land of the Free" (IA 3-11); Gish Jen, “In the American Society” (IA 158-171); Maxine Hong Kingston, from The Woman Warrior (VA 195-200) Poetry presentation: Nellie Wong, “When I was Growing Up,” UA 55 Reader: Rosalyn Mack discussion-starter / problem-poser: Jessica Hayman *********** Monday, 21 June: Chitra Divakaruni, “Silver Pavements, Golden Roofs” (70-83); Bharati Mukherjee, “A Wife’s Story” (IA 57-69); Bharati Mukherjee, “Love Me or Leave Me” (VA 187-194) Poetry presentation: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, “Restroom,” UA 21-23 Reader: Emily Islam Video review &
highlights: “Reinventing the Melting Pot” panel Presenter: Bryon Smith discussion-starter / problem-poser: Shannon Garth-Rhodes *********** Tuesday, 22 June: Anzia Yezierska, Bread Givers (1925) Poetry presentation: Louis Simpson, “A Story about Chicken Soup,” UA 245 Reader: Yvonne Hopkins Video review &
highlights: Early Jewish America Presenter: Laurie Eckhart discussion-starter / problem-poser: John Lawrence *********** Thursday, 24 June: Anzia Yezierska, Bread Givers (1925); Eva Hoffman, from Lost in Translation: A Life in a New Language (VA 219-228) Poetry presentation: Gregory Djanikian, “In the Elementary School Choir,” UA 215 Reader: John Lawrence discussion-starter / problem-poser: Nicole Jackson *********** Monday, 28 June: selections from the Exodus story in the Old Testament of the Bible (student provides; King James / Revised Standard version preferred); Exodus, chapters 1-15; chapter 16, verses 1-4; chapter 20; chapter 31, verse 12 through chapter 32 complete. Leviticus, chapter 18, verses 1-5 Numbers, chapter 14, verses 1-6; chapters 33. Deuteronomy, chapter 7, verses 1-6; chapter 11, verses 10-17.26-28; chapter 12, verses 2-3; chapter 34.1-6 Joshua, chapter 24 Judges, chapter 2, verses 1-15 Poetry presentation: Hamod (Sam), “After the Funeral of Assam Hamady,” UA 288 Reader: Kim Maness discussion-starter / problem-poser: Thomas Parker “webpage-highlighter”: Ashley Salter *********** Tuesday, 29 June: William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation (introduction, esp. p. xxii; chapters I-IV). Jonathan Raban, from Hunting Mr. Heartbreak: A Discovery of America (VA, 344-356). Poetry presentation: Lyn Lifshin, “Being Jewish in a Small Town,” UA 144 Reader: Ashley Salter discussion-starter / problem-poser: Bryon Smith “webpage-highlighter”: Yvonne Hopkins *********** Thursday, 1 July: The Pilgrims, the Hebrew model of national migration, and late Anglo-American culture / vertical immigration. Of Plymouth Plantation (V, 29-32;VI, 45 middle paragraph; VII, 49-50, 57; VIII, 59-61; IX; X; XI, 83-89; XII, 96-100, 107 bottom paragraph; XIV, 128-129, 132-134, 143-146; XV, 160-161; XIX, 224-232; ch. 21, p. 62; XXIII, 281-283; XXXII, 351; XXXIII, 364-368; 370-1); “webpage-highlighter”: April Patrick *********** Monday, 5 July: (holiday—no class meeting) *********** Tuesday 6 July: final exam |