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

Fall 2023, Section 001

Schedule

“Read” and “Watch” items: complete before the class meeting for which they are listed. Projects are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on the day for which “Project Due” is listed.

I. Labor & Home

Mon. Aug. 21
Course Introduction + "The Golem" (Borges)

Wed. Aug. 23
Syllabus

Fri. Aug. 25 - Watch American Zombie (2007), dir. Grace Lee
Genre Expectations: Zombies and Documentaries

Mon. Aug. 28
Keywords + Project Introduction: Course Journal Entry
Announcements: Liberal Arts Undergraduate Festival
In-class viewing: (may/may not get to this) One of a Kind: A Zorg Story

Wed. Aug. 30 - Read Severance, Prologue—Ch. 7 (p. 1–98)
Introducing Severance and Asian American Studies
Mentioned: Schlund-Vials, Cathy J., et al. “The Why and Whither of Asian American Studies: Toward a Reckoning.” Journal of Asian American Studies, vol. 25, no. 2, June 2022, pp. vii–xv.

Fri. Sep. 1
Community Building: Opening Survey and Introductions
Announcements: Marathon Read 2023
Slides: An Alarmingly Homogeneous Set of Interests

Mon. Sep. 4
Labor Day - No Classes

Wed. Sep. 6 - Read Severance, Ch. 8–16 (p. 99–190)
Discussion: Severance and the Idea of Home
- Course Journal Discussion

Fri. Sep. 8
Project Introduction: Close Reading Essay
Slides: Severance and Home discussion recap; Close Reading Essay Pres.

Mon. Sep. 11 - Read Severance, Ch. 17–26 (p. 191–291)
Discussion: Severance and Labor
Slides: Severance and Labor Handout: Severance textual digest, labor

Wed. Sep. 13
Discussion: Forming an Argument About Work; Severance Wrap Up: Pandemic, Immigration, Contagion
- Course Journal Discussion
Mentioned: “Queer, Crip Zionist History?…” lecture by Prof. Sarah Imhoff

Fri. Sep. 15 - Bring completed Close Reading Essay Worksheet to class.
Project Workshop: Close Reading Essay
Slides: Revising and Improving Your Work; Close Reading Worksheet Workshop
Mentioned: The Writing Center @ Penn State Learning

II. Technology

Mon. Sep. 18 - Read Alif the Unseen, Ch. 0–6 (p. 1–124)
Introducing Alif the Unseen.
Slides: G. Willow Wilson introduction; Alif the Unseen Primary Topics
Mentioned: Tolentino, Jia. “The Writer Behind a Muslim Marvel Superhero on Her Faith in Comics.” The New Yorker, April 29, 2017.

Wed. Sep. 20
Writing Arguments
- Course Journal Discussion
Announcements: Marathon Read 2023
Slides: Writing Arguments, Top Gun: Maverick example; Presentation Notes
Mentioned: The Craft of Research, by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup and William T. FitzGerald.

Fri. Sep. 22 - Project Due: Close Reading Essay
Orientalism
Slides: Orientalism. Video (3:30–7:48 shown in class): Edward Said on Orientalism. Mentioned: MLA Sample Paper.

Mon. Sep. 25 - Read Alif the Unseen, Ch. 7–11 (p. 124–248)
Generative AI and the College Classroom
Announcements: English Major Hangout
Slide: Discussion Questions
Handout: Terry, Owen Kichizo. “I’m a Student. You Have No Idea How Much We’re Using ChatGPT.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 12 May 2023.

Wed. Sep. 27
Intertextuality and Allusion
Announcements: SP24 ENGL 428: Asian American Literature. Techno Orientalisms: Visions of Global Asias Across Time and Space.
- Course Journal Discussion

Fri. Sep. 29
Project Introduction: Keyword Reflections Short Essays
Announcement: Poetry Salon with Kimberly Quiogue Andrews (Insta. Post). Related optional extra credit assignment.

Mon. Oct. 2 - Read Alif the Unseen, Ch. 11–17 (p. 248–431)
Technology and Alif the Unseen
Slide: Discussion Q. and tech-related citations

Wed. Oct. 4
- Course Journal Discussion

Fri. Oct. 6
Ali the Unseen Wrap-Up & Writing with Generative AI
Mentioned: ChatGPT by OpenAI, Terms of Use, Privacy Policy; Bloom by Plastic Labs, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy

III. History & Movement

Mon. Oct. 9 - Read The Underground Railroad, Ch. Ajarry–Ridgeway (p. 3–84)
Mentioned: July 2017 interview w/ Colson Whitehead in The Guardian

Wed. Oct. 11
Keyword Focus: What’s America?
- Course Journal Discussion

Fri. Oct. 13
What’s America Follow-Up Convo., Project Workshop: Keyword Essays
Slides: What’s America/(n)? image, based on Wed. convo.; America discussion Qs; Workshop Prompts
Mentioned: “America” Keywords essay by Kirsten Silver Gruez

Mon. Oct. 16 - Read The Underground Railroad, Ch. South Carolina–Ethel (p. 86–200)
Mentioned: October events at Penn State celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month. NYU Keywords Series; The Godfather (1972) opening scene; Rebecca Evans, “Geomemory and Genre Fiction,” American Literature (2021).

Wed. Oct. 18
- Course Journal Discussion
“What do you do with a B.A. in English?” presentation
Mentioned: Kate Rix “Why Majoring in the Humanities Can Be a Great Career Move,” US News (2023).

Fri. Oct. 20 - Read student work circulated via Canvas/email
Writing Tips and Generative AI Check-In

Mon. Oct. 23 - Read The Underground Railroad, Ch. Tennessee–The North (p. 202–313)
Critique, Works of Culture, and What We're Doing Here
Mentioned: Permissions Document: Pedagogy and Generative AI Project; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “The danger of a single story,” TedTalk (2009).

[Tues. Oct. 24 - Optional Extra Credit (EC) 1 Event, “Unravelling the Nation” Lecture by Linda Istanbulli.
- See link for time and location details.]

Wed. Oct. 25
Project Due: Keyword Essays
The Underground Railroad Wrap Up (slides)
- In-Class Writing and Reading Work
Mentioned: Literary London 2024 trip; Education Abroad Fair; Dubey, Madhu. “Museumizing Slavery: Living History in Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad.” American Literary History. 2020.

Fri. Oct. 27
Adaptation and The Underground Railroad (slides)
- In-Class watching and discussion: The Underground Railroad TV series excerpts (Amazon Prime)

IV. Story & Identity

Mon. Oct. 30 - Watch Encanto
Alternative Voices in Mainstream Popular Culture // Capital M capital R Magical Realism (slides)

Wed. Nov. 1 - Read The Brief,Wondrous… Ch. 1–2 (p. 11–75)
- Optional EC 1: Mini essay on “Unravelling the Nation” lecture due.
- Course Journal Discussion
Mentioned: Spring 2024, English 428. Luna, José María. “Disney’s Encanto Isn’t Just about Representation — It’s an Act of Defiance.” Polygon. 2021. Chasman, Deborah. “My #MeToo Moment.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 17 Apr. 2023. Video: Fiction Writer Junot Díaz: 2012 MacArthur Fellow

Fri. Nov. 3
Project Introduction: Keyword Presentations
Meeting Plans (slides)

Mon. Nov. 6 - Read The Brief,Wondrous… Ch. 3–4 (p. 77–210)
Story // Magic (slide)
Mentioned: Lanzendörfer, Tim. “The Marvelous History of the Dominican Republic in Junot Díaz’s ‘The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.’” MELUS, Summer 2013.

Wed. Nov. 8
The Brief Wondrous Life and The Lord of the Rings (slide)
- Course Journal Discussion

Fri. Nov. 10
Identity
Mentioned: Ortíz, Ricardo L. “Diaspora.” Keywords for Latina/o Studies (2017). Kaplan, Carla. “Identity.” Keywords for American Cultural Studies, 3rd Edition (2020). American Fiction (2023) trailer.

Mon. Nov. 13 - Read The Brief,Wondrous… Ch. 5–end (p. 211–335)
Lingering Questions on The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Mentioned: Ireland Study Abroad opportunity, summer 2024. Moore and Gibbons, Watchmen (1986), Page referenced by Yunior.

Wed. Nov. 15
Project Workshop: Keyword Presentations Check-In
Mentioned: “Lord of the Rings Trilogy but it's EVERY scene where two female characters interact,” eightfootmanchild, YouTube (2022). Bechdel, Alison, Bechdel test bit in Dykes to Watch Out For (1985).

Fri. Nov. 17 - Optional EC 2: Mini essay on Inhuman Figures video essay due.
Identity Follow-Up (slides); Big History, Little History; The Magic Fish Introduction (slides)
Mentioned: Kimberly Q. Andrews, "No one needs another poem about the Second World War,” excerpted from A Brief History of Fruit. MacArthur’s Landing by Anastacio Caedo.

Mon. Nov. 20 – Fri. Nov. 24
Thanksgiving Holiday - No Classes

Mon. Nov. 27 - Read The Magic Fish (complete novel)

Wed. Nov. 29 - Project Component Due: Keyword Presentations visual aids.
- Course Journal Discussion
Mentioned: Literary London 2024. Info session 12/4 and 12/5, 6–7 PM in Burrowes Building Room 102. PEN America Index of School Book Bans – 2022-2023

V. Conclusion

Fri. Dec. 1
Keyword Presentations I
Intertextuality and Love Actually; Adaptation and A Christmas Carol (slides).
Mentioned: Penn State SEEQ evaluation; Generative AI Project Permissions Document; Closing Survey - ENGL 135. College of Ed event: Jamar Nichols, graphic novelist. 12/5 6:30–7:30pm, Foster Auditorium. Hemisphere/DAS US surveillance program. Laura Zornosa, “Once Upon a Time, Ursula Was a Drag Queen.” Time, May 25, 2023.

Mon. Dec. 4
Keyword Presentations II

Wed. Dec. 6
Keyword Presentations III
Mentioned: David E. Sanger, “Henry Kissinger Is Dead at 100; Shaped Nation’s Cold War History.” New York Times, November 30, 2023.

Fri. Dec. 8 - Project Component Due: Keyword Presentations Mini Essay.
Keyword Presentations IV
Wrap Up