Intro to Lit: Culture & Lit (Session I)

English 272: Resistance Literature

“each morning I stitch a scowl / to my smile. let my eyes sass / every person standing between me / & the bus stop. my eyelashes / icy. call it survival. call it eyeliner / so crisp it could kill a bitch.” – Fatimah Asghar, “Stank Face”

This course will examine themes of resistance and concepts such as sumud, sometimes translated with the phrase “existence as resistance,” in literature of the 20th and 21st century. We will read works of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and hybrid genres; writing by women, men, and queer identified writers; and writing within occupied territories and in worldwide diasporas. Topics of focus may include, among others, intersectional expressions of identity; frameworks, definitions, and aesthetics of resistance; and multilingual dimensions of resistance literature.

Major Assignments will include 4 short papers and a final exam.

Paper 1 – 15 points
Paper 2 – 20 points
Paper 3 – 20 points
Paper 4 – 25 points
Final Exam – 5 points
Attendance – 10 points
Participation – 5 points