Course Description: This course explores and imagines the world of literature-the imagination as it finds creative expression in language. Why do we call some writing “literature”? What makes us label something “art”? Through fiction, poetry, and drama, participants learn about literary devices and terminology and develop an appreciation for the writer’s craft. 

What is othering, and what does it mean to be labeled as an ‘other’? Who belongs to the ‘in’ group and who belongs to the ‘out’ group, and why? This semester, we will explore texts featuring characters who don’t ‘fit in’ and tackle what it means to defy order and societal expectations.

Introducing concepts rooted in different schools of literary criticism—from semiotics to black feminism—and engaging with ‘nontraditional’ texts—from films to graphic novels—this course will further explore how we, as readers, can analyze and relate to art and literature in new and unexpected ways. 

This blog is a way for students to explore the texts and topics discussed in class in a critical, collaborative, and creative way. Each week, as students contribute to the blog, they are encouraged to make real-world and personal connections, explore intertextual observations, and challenge convention.