Assignments & Readings | ENGL 307 A Spring Quarter 2012-13 | University of Washington

Download the course policies and syllabus (PDF).

Assignments

Keyword Major Papers: You will be required to write up to three formal papers, each 4-6 pages in length, that engage each of the novels and theoretical and critical texts of the class. Papers will be collected three times during the quarter, approximately in Week 5, Week 8, and Finals Week. You must complete a minimum of two papers. Each paper will be graded and the average of the number completed will constitute 50% of your final grade.

Annotated Bibliography: Over the course of the quarter, you will research, read, and annotate academic and scholarly sources for class discussion and your Major Papers. You will keep a running list of useful, relevant, timely, and authoritative sources to be compiled into an annotated bibliography, which will be turned in at the end of the quarter. Your bibliography must include a minimum of ten sources and be in proper MLA format and style. See the Annotated Bibliography prompt for more details.

Critical Approaches to Tolkien Collaboratory: As a class project, you will contribute to and collectively curate an online collaboratory via the social media platform Tumblr. The Tumblr is a collaborative space, a collection of scholarly, pop cultural, and multimodal artifacts, and is for continued class discussion. The Tumblr will be for public archiving and curating of materials related to our class, to the readings, and to your own intellectual and analytical discoveries. You will be invited to be a contributor. Once invited, start posting things relevant to the class and the week's main ideas. Comment on the artifacts other people post. Participating on the Tumblr counts toward overall class participation and the Tumblr may be used for ad hoc, online assignments as well. Be thoughtful, make connections, stay relevant, maintain respect. Happy collecting!

Information Sheets

The following are handouts, informational sheets, and readings that will be assigned or used over the course of the quarter. Each student will recieve a copy of each as a handout in class during the appropriate week. If you miss a sheet, feel free to print out a new copy.

ENGL 307 Student Info Sheet & Release Form

Ed's Top Ten List of "Ways to Survive University"

Ed's Top Ten Rules of Writing

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

MLA Citation and Bibliographic Format

Readings

The short, theoretical readings for the class are available via the Course Reader (for sale at Ave Copy, 4141 Univ. Way @ 42nd) or through the university's online course reserves, or directly from the web. The six required texts are available at the UW Bookstore (or through any reputable bookseller, try to get the same editions). Consult the course syllabus for the week each reading will be covered in class. The six required texts are:

Bennett, Tony, Lawrence Grossberg, and Meaghan Morris, Eds. New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Burgett, Bruce and Glenn Hendler, Eds. Keywords for American Cultural Studies. New York: NYU Press, 2007.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit. New York: Mariner Books, 2012.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.

Moreover, the following is a full list of the class readings by week:

Week 1: April 1-5 • CULTURE + LITERATURE

Bennett, Tony, Lawrence Grossberg, and Meaghan Morris, Eds. "Introduction." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Culture." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Narrative." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Burgett, Bruce and Glenn Hendler, Eds. "Introduction." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 1-6.

Cultural Politics. http://culturalpolitics.net/.

Cultural Studies & Critical Theory. http://theory.eserver.org/.

Flieger, Verlyn. "Fantasy and Reality." Green Suns and Faerie: Essays on J.R.R. Tolkien. Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 2012. 5-13. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Giroux, Henry, David Shumway, Paul Smith, and James Sosnoski. "The Need for Cultural Studies." Cultural Studies and Critical Theory. 2005. 2 Jan. 2009. http://theory.eserver.org/Need.html. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Gustafson, Sandra M. "Literature." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 145-148.

Le Guin, Ursula K. "Why Are Americans Afraid of Dragons?" The Language of the Night. New York: Perigee, 1979. 39-45.

Tolkien, J.R.R. "On Fairy-Stories." The Monsters and the Critics. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1984. 109-161. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Yudice, George. "Culture." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 71-76.

Zipes, Jack. "Why Fantasy Matters Too Much." CLC Web: Comparative Literature and Culture. 10.4 (Dec. 2008): http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/clcweb/vol10/iss4/3/. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Week 2: April 8-12 • POWER + IDEOLOGY

Althusser, Louis. "Ideology Interpellates Individuals as Subjects in 'Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses.'" Marxists Internet Archive. April 1970. 22 Mar. 2012. http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/althusser/1970/ideology.htm. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Bennett, Tony, Lawrence Grossberg, and Meaghan Morris, Eds. "Capitalism." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Foucault, Michel. "The Subject and Power." Critical Inquiry. 8.4 (Summer 1982): 777-795. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

---. "Ideology." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Power." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Hebdige, Dick. "Introduction" & "One: From Culture to Hegemony." Subculture: The Meaning of Style. London: Routledge, 1979. 1-19. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Hendler, Glenn. "Society." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 225-230.

Ruccio, David F. "Capitalism." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 32-36.

Thomas, Paul. "State." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 233-236.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.

Week 3: April 15-19 • IDENTITY + CITIZENSHIP + DEMOCRACY

Alcoff, Linda Martín. “Who’s Afraid of Identity Politics?” Articles. Linda Martín Alcoff's Website. 22 Mar. 2012. http://www.alcoff.com/content/afraidid.html. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Bennett, Tony, Lawrence Grossberg, and Meaghan Morris, Eds. "Citizenship." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Democracy." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Identity." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Person." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Berlant, Lauren. "Citizenship." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 37-42.

Kaplan, Carla. "Identity." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 123-127.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Dir. Peter Jackson. Perf. Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, and Orlando Bloom. New Line, 2002. DVD.

Moten, Fred. "Democracy." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 76-79.

Week 4: April 22-26 • RACE & CLASS

Bennett, Tony, Lawrence Grossberg, and Meaghan Morris, Eds. "Class." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Race." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Ferguson, Robert A. "Race." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 191-196.

Fimi, Dimitra. "A Hierarchical World," Tolkien, Race, and Cultural History." Tolkien, Race, and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits. New York: Palgrave, 2010. 131-159. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

hooks, bell. "Representing Whiteness in the Black Imagination." Cultural Studies. Eds. Lawrence Grossberg, Cary Nelson, and Paula Treichler. New York: Routledge, 1992. 338-346. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Lott, Eric. "Class." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 49-52.

Perry, Pamela. "White." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 242-246.

Rearick, Anderson. "Why is the Only Good Orc a Dead Orc?" Modern Fiction Studies. 50.4 (Winter 2004): 861-874. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.

Winant, Howard. "Race and Race Theory." Annual Review of Sociology. 26 (2000): 169-185. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Yu, Henry. "Ethnicity." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 103-108.

Week 5: April 29-May 3 • SEX + GENDER + SEXUALITY

Bennett, Tony, Lawrence Grossberg, and Meaghan Morris, Eds. "Desire." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Gender." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Sexuality." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Butler, Judith. "The Heterosexual Matrix in 'Subjects of Sex/Gender/Desire.'" Gender Trouble. New York: Routledge, 1990. 42-44. (cp) (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Burgett, Bruce. "Sex." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 217-221.

Halberstam, Judith. "Gender." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 116-120.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Dir. Peter Jackson. Perf. Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, and Viggo Mortensen. New Line, 2003. DVD.

Partridge, Brenda. "No Sex Please—We’re Hobbits." J.R.R. Tolkien: This Far Land. London: Vision, 1983. 179-197.

Week 6: May 6-10 • NATION + STATE + ENVIRONMENT

Alston, Vermonja R. "Environment." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 101-103.

Anderson, Benedict. "Introduction" & "Cultural Roots" & "Origins of National Consciousness." Imagined Communities. London: Verso, 1983. 1-46.s

Bennett, Tony, Lawrence Grossberg, and Meaghan Morris, Eds. "Environment/Ecology." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Nation." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "State." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Plank, Robert. "The Scouring of the Shire: Tolkien’s View of Fascism." A Tolkien Compass. Ed. Jared Lobdell. Chicago: Open Court, 2003. 105-113.

Thomas, Paul. "State." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 233-236.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.

Weinbaum Alys Eve. "Nation." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 164-170

Week 7: : May 13-17 • QUEER + BODY

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Somerville, Siobhan B. "Queer." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 187-191.

Kochhar-Lindgren, Kanta. "Disability." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 85-88.

Cherniavsky, Eva. "Body." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 26-29.

Bennett, Tony, Lawrence Grossberg, and Meaghan Morris, Eds. "Body." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Disability." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Normal." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Queer." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Butler, Judith. "Critically Queer." GLQ. 1.1 (1993): 17-32. (cp) (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Chance, "‘Queer’ Hobbits: The Problems of Difference in the Shire"

Smol, "‘Oh...Oh...Frodo!’: Readings of Male Intimacy in The Lord of the Rings"

Week 8: May 20-24 • FANTASY + OTHER

Bennett, Tony, Lawrence Grossberg, and Meaghan Morris, Eds. "Difference." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Orientalism." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Other." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Brady, Mary Pat. "Border." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 29-32.

Haraway, Donna. "The Promises of Monsters." Cultural Studies. Eds. Lawrence Grossberg, Gary Nelson, and Paula Treichler. New York: Routledge, 1992. 295-337. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Nagy, Gergely. "The 'Lost' Subject of Middle-earth: The Constitution of the Subject in the Figure of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings." Tolkien Studies. 3 (2006): 57-79. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Prashad, Vijay. "Orientalism." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 174-177.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit. New York: Mariner Books, 2012.

Week 9: May 27-31 • FANDOM + FILM

Bennett, Tony, Lawrence Grossberg, and Meaghan Morris, Eds. "Media." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Popular." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Dir. Peter Jackson. Perf. Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, and Richard Armitage. New Line, 2013. DVD.

Joseph, Mirand. "Community." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 57-60.

Robbins, Bruce. "Public." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU Press, 2007. 183-187.

Jenkins, Henry. "How Texts Become Real." Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture. New York: Routledge, 1992. 50-84. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Lord of the Rings Fanfiction: http://www.lotrfanfiction.com/.

One Wiki to Rule Them All. http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page.

Shippey, "Another Road to Middle-earth: Jackson’s Movie Trilogy." Understanding the Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. 233-254. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Tolkien Fan Fiction: http://www.tolkienfanfiction.com/.

Week 10: June 3-7 • TECHNOLOGY + MEDIA

Bennett, Tony, Lawrence Grossberg, and Meaghan Morris, Eds. "Information." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Technology." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

---. "Virtual." New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Lord of the Rings Online. http://www.lotro.com/en.

Card, Orson Scott. "How Tolkien Means." Meditations on Middle-Earth. Ed. Karen Haber. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2001. 153-173. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

Chang, Edmond Y. "Close Playing, A Meditation on Teaching (with) Video Games." EDagogy. 11 Nov. 2012. http://faculty.washington.edu/changed/2010/11/close-playing-a-meditation/.

Bogost, Ian. "Videogames are a Mess." Ian Bogost. 3 Sep. 2009. http://www.bogost.com/writing/videogames_are_a_mess.shtml.

Steinkuehler, Constance. "Why Game (Culture) Studies Now?" Games and Culture. 1.1 (Jan. 2006): 97-102. (Also available via UW e-reserve).

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