This course traces the African American literary tradition from its beginnings in the 18th century to the contemporary moment. Our readings span roughly five periods of literary production: the colonial and early national eras; the antislavery era; the post-reconstruction era; the early twentieth century; the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. We will cover a myriad of genres including poetry, essays, short stories and novels. We will situate each work within its aesthetic, historical and ideological context. This is an ambitious but rewarding undertaking--it requires that you keep up with reading and actively engage with the material in our discussions and class assignments. Even though this class is lecture-sized, we will aim for a seminar environment in which we freely exchange and collaborate upon ideas. Throughout the quarter, we will focus on a range of questions, including:
• What are the ramifications of the shift from oral to written forms of expression within African American culture? With this shift, what artistic innovations take place within African American literature?
• What are the connections between authorship and authority? How does literacy dovetail with freedom, citizenship and power?
• What are the stakes in constituting an African American literary tradition or canon?
• How do African American writers speak to each other and also address dominant myths of race?
• How does the literature discuss race as it intersects with class, gender, sexuality and nationality?
This class aims to make you familiar with this rich and vital body of literature as well as provide you with an interpretive framework with which to guide future reading beyond the course list.