The
latter half of the 20th century was an incredibly rich time for
American literature—it saw the emergence of new voices and the representation of
previously invisible subjectivities in literature. Literature in these decades
also represented the political concerns and cultural shifts of its times, from Beat
poetry to postmodernism.
In
this class, in addition to reading a wide selection of representative works
from the Heath Anthology, we will also delve deeper into works that both represent
the concerns of their milieus and illustrate the best of their genre: Joan
Didion’s essay collection Slouching
Toward Bethlehem (1968), Toni Morrison’s novel Song of Solomon (1977), Tony Kushner’s play Angels in America (1993), and Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel Fun Home (2006).
Texts:
The
Heath Anthology of American Literature; Volume E, 7th Edition
Slouching Toward Bethlehem, Joan Didion
Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison
Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes: Revised
and Complete Edition, Tony Kushner
Fun Home, Alison Bechdel
Requirements:
Informal
writing assignments
Six
reading responses
Two
4-5 page essays
Midterm
and final
Attendance
and participation