Department of English

This course will uncover the styles and themes that are defining the early years of 21st century African American literature. Twenty-first century African American literature extends a long tradition of African American literature and, also, breaks this tradition as it creates new space for satire, experimentation, and less legible images of class, gender, race, and sexuality. Our focus will be the new literary voices that have emerged in the 21st century and, also, writers whose 21st century art is the late stage of their larger literary flow.

Our list of authors may include Toni Morrison, Danzy Senna, Lynn Nottage, Colson Whitehead, Percival Everett, Octavia Butler, Claudia Rankine, John Edgar Wideman, Suzan-Lori Parks, and Chimamanda Adichie.