Assignments

Critical Essay & Question Presentation (20%) -- For your presentation, you will read the literary text assigned for a particular week, articulate one or two main points from the week's scholarly text (as assigned), generate a critical question or two connecting the two, and get class discussion started for the day. A short single-spaced half-sheet or 1-page handout copied for the whole class is encouraged. Presentations are no more than 10 minutes, may include media, and each presenter must have a substantive speaking part.

Critical Response Papers (30%) -- These single-spaced, one-page writings serve as thoughtful reactions to, close readings of, analyses of, and articulations of the texts and connections you see, read, and talk about in class. These responses are more than just summaries or personal reactions and will be graded on clarity, focus, coherence, critique, and your ability to concisely formulate arguments. You will be required to generate a response paper approximately every other week for a total of 5. Critical Response Papers are turned in each week via the class Canvas.

In-Class Quizzes (10%) -- There will be five or more in-class quizzes at various times during the quarter. These quizzes serve as a review of the week's main ideas, terms, texts, and readings. These quizzes will include identifications, fill-in-the-blanks, definitions, and short answers.

Queer(ing) American Literature Critical Review (10%) -- A short, 500-600 word, single-spaced critical review of a text not covered by the course that you believe fits the critical, theoretical, and intellectual stakes of this class. In other words, what text might you include in a class like ours? The critical review will be turned in and published on the class blog.

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.

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

What is Close Reading?

Readings

There are ten novels required by the class in addition to a handful of short readings. The novels are available via the Drew Bookstore (or through any reputable bookseller). All of the short readings for class are available via the (class Moodle). Consult the course syllabus for the week's required reading. The following is a full bibliographical list of the class readings:

Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home. Boston: Mariner Books, 2006.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gastby. New York: Scribner, 1993.

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "If I Were a Man." Pearson Education. 11 Jun. 2012. http://wps.prenhall.com/wps/media/objects/107/110026/ch18_a2_d2.pdf.

Ginsberg, Allen. Howl and Other Poems. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1959.

Larsen, Nella. Passing New York: Norton, 2007.

Morrison, Toni. Sula. New York: Vintage, 1973.

Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Back Bay Books, 2001.

Sedgwick, Eve Kosofsky. "Queer and Now." Tendencies. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1993. 1-22.

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

Williams, Tennessee. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. New York: Dramatist Play Service, 1954.

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