This course begins from growing critical interest in literary depictions of “place” to ask how and why certain locales are used to express individual and group identities. We’ll read a variety of novels from the twentieth century by American (U.S.) women writers. Recent studies of culture, literature and the environment, and human geography will help us to explore how placed-based constructs, identities, and relationships are relevant to the literature as well as how they might impact contemporary readers. More broadly, the course will introduce you to the primary concerns and methods for critically reading and responding to literature. Because the course is intensive and based on discussion of the readings, active participation will be essential. Expect a substantial reading load, group work, short writing assignments, a mid-term, and a final paper. The following authors will be included in our schedule: Willa Cather, Zora Neale Hurston, Marilynne Robinson, Jamaica Kincaid, Linda Hogan.