Hawaii is a confluence of peoples — a cultural crossroads where all aspects of our being meet, push, and pull at multiple levels. These interactions are often seen in the recorded history of the islands, but this course will focus on an aspect of record often overlooked by history: stories. In this class, we will trace the trajectories of these points of cultural contact, investigating how Hawaii’s short stories have come to reflect the dominant cultural, social, and political issues of their respective periods.
Questions we will consider:
How has Hawaii told its stories? Who are the people writing these stories? What do these stories have to say about Hawaii, its history, and its people?
The short stories we will digest traverse Hawaii’s cultures, its generations of peoples, and various geographic locations. While we read these texts, we will carefully consider the socio-political and historical context of each work, as well as focus on aspects of craft – not only the “what,” but also the “how.” By evaluating the basic elements and foundations of a short story, and analyzing how each is used by various authors, we will come to understand the self-reflective nature of writing – how are we, as authors, forced to interrogate our perceptions of setting, social class, gender, education, etcetera in order to develop characters and situations worth reading? How do we inform our writing and how might this process of producing story inform us about ourselves?
By the end of the course, each student should be able to formulate an answer to perhaps some of the most basic of creative writing inquiries: why do we write? And, perhaps by extension, read? Furthermore, what is it about written stories which we, as human beings living in an ever-changing and evolving world, find so compelling?
To develop a possible response to such inquiries, it is necessary that we investigate what sort of “work” stories, in general, do. Stories are much more than static entertainment. They have become the catalysts of critical thought, conversation, and change. In this course, we will consider how stories are dynamic – constantly responding to, and acting upon, prevalent individual, communal, and global issues. We will carefully consider how stories are in conversation with the environment – with land, sea, and air. What patters in craft can we identify in a narrative and what do these patterns reveal about the author, the audience (intended or unintended), and/or the socio-political and historical context from which the narrative originates? What can a story tell us about culture, perspective, collaboration, and contention?
Note: This course IS NOT a creative writing workshop. Though we will integrate creative writing practices into our curriculum, the class will center mostly on lecturing, the discussion of reading materials, and an overview of the processes and craft of creative writing itself.
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Required Coursework (tentative):
- One (1) introductory/personal narrative – 1000 words.
- Fifteen (15) “blog” postings to our course website concerning assigned readings – 300 words minimum.
- Attend one (1) community event involving land stewardship, conservation, and/or sustainability, and compose a reflection essay grounding your experiences in the readings for the particular week – 500 words minimum.
- Alternative: Attend one (1) community event involving the arts, whether it involves visual arts or performative arts, and compose a reflection essay.
- Two (2) literary analysis essays where you’ll place into conversation, and engage with, both creative works and critical scholarship– 1000 words minimum for each essay.
- One (1) final project proposal/draft – 1000 words minimum.
- One (1) final project – 1500 words minimum.
- One (1) final examination – Friday, May 11, 2018 @ 9:45 AM – 11:45 AM.
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Participation:
- Because this course is discussion-based, student participation is mandatory. All students are expected to attend class and engage with the course content, materials, lessons, and be in conversation/discussion with peers. Those who arrive unprepared will have participation points deducted. This includes all in-class work, such as writing exercises, peer-review, group work/discussion, short quizzes concerning readdings, etc.
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Readings:
- Ching, Stewart. “Way Back to Palolo.” (PDF)
- Kanae, Lisa. “Islands Linked by Ocean.” (PDF)
- Kaopio, Matthew. Written in the Sky. Honolulu: Mutual Publishing, 2005.
- This will, most likely, be the only text I require you to purchase.
- Morales, Rodney. “Daybreak Over Haleakala.” (PDF)
- Apio, Alani. “Ka Ho‘i Ana.” (PDF)
Note: This is an abbreviated list. Additional readings may be added.
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Attendance:
- The first THREE (3) absences will not count against your overall course grade. However, for each absence starting with the FOURTH (4th) – REGARDLESS OF EXCUSE – the student will be penalized 25 PARTICIPATION POINTS for each consecutive absence. A student who is absent SIX (6) or more class periods – REGARDLESS OF EXCUSE – and who has not properly withdrawn from the course will be given an automatic fail (“F”) for the course.
- Three (3) tardies amount to one (1) absence. A tardy is defined as a student being fifteen (15) or more minutes late to class.
Note:
The entirety of this course description is tentative and subject to change. Please contact me, Kapena Landgraf, at KAPENAML@HAWAII.EDU should you have any questions.