Department of English

During the last three decades we have witnessed a prodigious output of writing by American women of color, irrefutably changing the American literary landscape. This course will focus on a broad range of literature from various genre, including fiction, drama, poetry, and non-fiction prose. We will focus on the ways in which this body of writing has invigorated the study of both racial/ethnic formation and gender formation across various disciplines. We will also examine the kinds of textual strategies these writers deploy with an emphasis on how and why they challenge conventional genre boundaries. In addition, we will explore how these writers contribute to our understanding of the politics of representation in contemporary American society. We will also read selections in history and literary and cultural criticism to supplement our reading of the primary texts. Among the authors we will read are: Leslie Marmon Silko, Sandra Cisneros, Brenda Aoki Wong, Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, and Gloria Anzaldua. Students will be required to complete several short papers, one longer paper, and one in-class presentation.