|
|
LITR
5738: Literature
of Space and Exploration University of Houston-Clear Lake Spring 2004, Mondays 7-9:50pm Meeting Room: Bayou 3233 Instructor: Craig White Office: 2529-8 Bayou Phone: 281 283 3380 Office Hours: M 4-6; Th 11-12, 4-5 & by appointment email:
whitec@uhcl.edu Course
webpage: http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/LITR/5738 Spring 2004 Meeting, Reading, & Presentation Schedule Monday, 26 January: Introduction ********** Monday, 2 February: Instructor’s question: What genres constitute Literature of Exploration, and how can these genres be differentiated? Primary Reading Assignment: Read the following selections from Ice, which are arranged provisionally under the following genre headings. (These headings may be multiplied or differed with.) journal: George W. De Long, from The Voyage of the Jeannette, 157-170; David L. Brainard, from Six Came Back, 237-256 memoir: Richard E. Byrd, from Alone, 137-156; history: Nancy Mitford, "A Bad Time," 43-58 (This essay introduces the Scott expedition, which appears in later readings from Ice.) contemporary essay / travel writing: Barry Lopez, from Arctic Dreams, 171-194 Discussion-starter(s): Simone Rieck, Ashley Salter Poetry: John Keats (1795-1821), “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer” (1816) Reader
/ discussion leader: Kim Keyes Respondent:
Theresa Matthews Research (all class reads): Larzer Ziff, “Arctic Exploration and the Romance of Failure,” Raritan (2003) 23.2: 58-79. Discussion-starter(s): Rebecca Wilson Music: The Pentangle, “Lord Franklin” ********** Monday, 9 February: begin Poe, Pym genre: novel, fantasy, science fiction, gothic Instructor’s question: In what ways does historic or empirical reality impinge on Poe's fiction? How does Poe try to make fiction appear to be fact? How does fiction betray itself as fiction? Discussion-starter(s): Kristy Pawlak Research (all class reads): William E. Lenz, "Poe's Arthur Gordon Pym and the Narrative Techniques of Antarctic Gothic." CEA Critic (Spring / Summer 1991): 30-38. Discussion-starter(s): Simone Rieck Research review: A. Alvarez, "Ice Capades" (review of several books on polar exploration) New York Review of Books (9 August 2001): 14-17. Reviewer: Jamie Davis ********** Monday, 16 February: Primary Reading Assignment: conclude Poe, Pym; selections from Ice concerning the Scott Antarctic Expedition of 1910-13: Apsley Cherry-Garrard, from The Worst Journey in the World, 59-100; Robert Falcon Scott, from Scott's Last Expedition: The Journals, 101-118. Discussion-starter(Poe): Kim Keyes Discussion-starter(Ice):
Deshon Smith Instructor’s question: How does Poe develop an “aesthetics of extremes?” How much do the styles of Cherry-Garrard and Scott both develop yet defer such extremes? Research review: I. S. MacLaren, "Exploration/Travel Literature and the Evolution of the Author" International Journal of Canadian Studies 5 (1992): 39-68, esp. 39-43. Reviewer: Simone Rieck Research (all class reads): A. Alvarez, "A Magnificent Failure" (review of The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard), New York Review of Books (26 June 1997): 23-26. (handout) Discussion-starter(s): James Hood Poetry: William Cowper (1731-1800), "On the Ice Islands Seen Floating in the German Ocean" (1799) Reader
/ discussion leader: Theresa Matthews Respondent:
Kristy Pawlak ********** Monday, 23 February: discuss midterm topics Instructor’s question: How do different genres change the representation of the exploration experience? Primary Reading Assignment: continue selections from Ice concerning the Scott Antarctic Expedition of 1910-13: Cultural studies: Francis Spufford, from I May Be Some Time, 285-326 Interview: Charles Neider, from Beyond Cape Horn, 327-344 Novel: Beryl Bainbridge, from The Birthday Boys, 345-368 Discussion-starter(s): Janette Tingle Poetry: Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), “Ulysses” (1833, 1842) Reader
/ discussion leader: Kim Keyes Respondent:
Rebecca Wilson Music: Cream, “Tales of Brave Ulysses” (w. Eric Clapton) Research review: Sheila Nickerson, "The Arctic in Literature," and Elle Tracy, "The Southern End of the Earth: Antarctic Literature," Literature of Nature: An International Sourcebook, ed Patrick D. Murphy (Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1998) (handout) Reviewer: Chris Lucas ********** Monday, 1 March: Take-home midterm due within 72 hours of class meeting Reading assignment: Tracks part 1 (through page 115) Discussion-starter(s): Ashley Salter Instructor’s questions: How does the personal nature of the explorers’ quest change the journey and the text? Research Reviews: book reviews (online and print) of Tracks plus updates on Davidson’s writing career before and after Tracks, possibly including reviews of other publications by Davidson. Reviewer: Janette Tingle ********** Monday, 8 March: Primary Reading Assignment: complete Track –parts 2, 3, 4; through page 254 Discussion-starter(s): Laurie Eckhart Research review: Robyn Davidson, "Against Travel Writing" Granta 72 (winter 2000): 247-54. Reviewer: Kim Keyes Poetry: Percy Shelley (1792-1822), “Ozymandias” (1818) Reader
/ discussion leader: James Hood Respondent:
Rebecca Wilson ********** Monday, 15 March: spring break—no meeting ********** Monday,
22 March:
Princess of Mars Primary Reading Assignment: A Princess of Mars (complete) Discussion-starter(s): instructor Deadline:
research proposal due within 72 hours of class Research (all class reads): Fred G. See, "'Writing so as not to die': Edgar Rice Burroughs and the West Beyond the West." Melus 11.4 (Winter 1984): 59-72. Discussion-starter(s): Laurie Eckhart Poetry: Billy Collins (1941-), "Man in Space" (1995) Reader
/ discussion leader: Jerry Hamric Respondent:
Jamie Davis Research review: Report on Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Gods of Mars (sequel to A Princess of Mars). Include some critical reaction, perhaps from online reviews. Reviewer: Marc Schooley Research review: Richard Dale Mullen, "The Undisciplined Imagination: Edgar Rice Burroughs and Lowellian Mars." SF: The Other Side of Realism: Essays on Modern Fantasy and Science Fiction. Ed. Thomas D. Clareson. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1971; Richard Dale Mullen, "The Prudish Prurience of H. Rider Haggard and Edgar Rice Burroughs." Riverside Quarterly 6 (1974): 134-46. (copies available from instructor) Reviewer: Deshon Smith ********** Monday, 29 March: Of a Fire on the Moon, pp. 3-49 (Part I. Aquarius. 1. A Loss of Ego. 2. The Psychology of Astronauts.) Discussion-starter(s): Marc Schooley Deadline: If you intend to read a science fiction text of extraterrestrial exploration besides The Sparrow, you need to announce it in class on this day. Otherwise you agree to read The Sparrow. Research review:
review of Joseph Tabbi, “Mailer’s
Psychology of Machines.” Postmodern Sublime. Ithaca NY: Cornell UP,
1995; other critical selections on Mailer’s Of a Fire on the Moon (copies
available from instructor) Reviewer: Laurie Eckhart Poetry: Craig Raine (1944-), "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home" (1979) Reader
/ discussion leader: Simone Rieck ********** Monday, 5 April: Of a Fire on the Moon, pp. 50-131, 155-209 (Part I. Aquarius. 3. Some Origins of the Fire. 4. The Greatest Week. . . . Part II. Apollo. 1. The Psychology of Machines) Discussion-starter(s): Chris Lucas Research review: Report on science fiction / fantasy as genre(s). Reviewer: Ashley Salter Research review:
Accounts of space exploration written by (or ghost-written with) NASA astronauts
Reviewer: Jerry Hamric ********** Monday, 12 April: Of a Fire on the Moon, pp. 343-458. (Part II. Apollo. 6. The Ride Down. 7. A Sleep on the Moon. Part III. The Age of Aquarius. 1. The Hanging of the Highwayman. 2. “The World is Bigger Infinitely.) Discussion-starter(s): Deshon Smith Research review: Ronald Weber, "The View from Space: Notes on Space Exploration and Recent Writing" Georgia Review 33 (1979): 280-296. Reviewer: James Hood Poetry: W. H. Auden (1907-1973), "Moon Landing" (August 1969), Selected Poems: New Edition, ed. Edward Mendelson (NY: Vintage, 1979), 294-5. (Neumann Library PR 6001 / .U4 / A17 / 1979) Reader
/ discussion leader: Chris Lucas Respondent:
Simone Rieck ********** Monday, 19 April: The Sparrow, pp. 1-100 (chapters 1-11) Discussion-starter(s): Ashley Salter Research Review: Jesuit missions to New World and Asia (The Jesuit Relations) Reviewer: Theresa Matthews ********** Monday, 26 April: The Sparrow, pp. 101-277 (chapters 12-24) Discussion-starter(s): Deshon Smith Research: Reports by readers who read science fiction text on extraterrestrial exploration instead of The Sparrow (Does not count as formal Research Review) Research review: review of web reviews and/or other book reviews of The Sparrow and Children of God (consult with instructor for some copies) Reviewer: Kristy Pawlak ********** Monday, 3 May: Research project due within 72 hours of class meeting. The Sparrow, pp. 278-405 (chapters 25-32) + review backmatter including “Reader’s Guide” Discussion-starter(s): James Hood Research review: Report on Children of God (sequel to The Sparrow) Reviewer: Rebecca Wilson ********** Monday, 10 May: final exam (in-class or email; see above) Possible titles for science fiction texts on extraterrestrial exploration instead of The Sparrow (to be volunteered for on 29 March and reported on 26 April)
(Thanks to UHCL reference librarian William Boatman for helping compile this list. The UHCL library holds only some of these titles, but William said he has some personal copies he could make available on extended reserve, or go through Inter-Library Loan.) |