English 135: Alternative Voices in American Literature - Race, Ethnicity, and Magical Realism

Fall 2023, Section 001

Instructor Info and Course Overview

Instructor Information

Robert Nguyen
ran22@psu.edu *
Burrowes 314
Office Hours:
Tues. 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.,
Wed 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.,
and by appointment.

*I reply to emails by the end of the next business day. Please plan ahead if you have timely questions regarding a project.

Course OVERVIEW

What can zombies, jinns, and prophecies in fiction tell us about ethnicity, race, and racism in America today? In this course, we'll read recent novels and short stories by a diverse selection of authors who combine magical, fantastical, or impossible elements with the real world we think we know. Through analyzing texts like Ling Ma's Severance, Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad, Disney's Encanto, and more, we'll investigate how imagined collisions between the magical and the real can inform and complicate how we understand some of the most pressing issues of our time. Assignments include a creative project, hosting a class discussion, a group presentation, and a short essay.