LTEN 178/ETHN168: Comparative Ethnic Literature: Literary Responses to Collective Trauma (922634/9243610)
MWF 11:00-11:50 pm WLH 2115
Lisa Lampert-Weissig, Literature  Office: Literature 347 (third floor lit. bldg.)
llampert@ucsd.edu; course website at www.medievallit.org

Primary Readings:
Isaac Bashevis Singer, Enemies, a Love Story (1972) (Sonim, di Geshichte fun a Liebe,
 first published serially in The Forward/פֿאָרווערטס/Forverts), 1966)
Octavia Butler, Kindred (1979)
Toni Morrison, Beloved (1987)
August Wilson, The Piano Lesson (1990)
Art Spiegelman, Maus I and II (1991)
Louis Owens, Bone Game (1996)
Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything is Illuminated (2002)
lê thi diem thúy, The Gangster We are All Looking For (2003)

“Language can never 'pin down' slavery, genocide, war. Nor should it yearn for the arrogance to be able to do so. Its force, its felicity, is in its reach toward the ineffable”--
Toni Morrison

Schedule of Readings:  This is a tentative schedule.  Additional secondary readings may be added to enhance discussion as needed.

Week One:
Monday: Introduction         
Wed. and Friday: Readings by Morrison, Gordon and Hirsch. Study questions

Week Two: No class on Monday, MLK Jr. holiday
I.B. Singer: Enemies Study questions

Week Three: No class on Friday, Jan. 26.  Quiz on Maus in “take home” form. Study and quiz questions.
Art Spiegelman, Maus I and II

Week Four: Maus question due at the beginning of class on Monday, Jan. 29th. .
Art Spiegelman, Maus I and II
J.S. Foer, Everything is Illuminated   Study questions

Week Five: J.S. Foer, Everything is Illuminated
Octavia Butler, Kindred Study questions

Week Six:  Octavia Butler, Kindred
Toni Morrison, Beloved

Beloved Study questions SLIDES

Week Seven: No class Monday, President’s Day.
Morrison, Beloved and August Wilson, The Piano Lesson Study/quiz questions

Link to video of The Piano Lesson

Week Eight: 
Wilson, The Piano Lesson and Louis Owens, Bone Game Study/quiz questions

Week Nine:

Louis Owens, Bone Game

lê thi diem thúy, The Gangster We are All Looking For (2003)

Week Ten: Gangster study/quiz questions

lê thi diem thúy, The Gangster We are All Looking For (2003) and spill over/review

slides for course