Readings include short novels Heart of Darkness (by Polish-born author Joseph Conrad), The Lazarus Project (by Bosnian-American novelist Aleksandar Hemon), The Yacoubian Building (by best-selling Egyptian writer Alaa Al Aswany) and Eat the Document, a contemporary work set in Seattle, by Dana Spiotta. Core themes involve interactions between violence and ideology, agency and authority, and history and identity. Students will have an opportunity to develop their writing skills through short essays and essay exams and consultation with the instructor, a member of the faculty in English and Interdisciplinary Writing. This course fulfills both the "W" and the "VLPA requirement, and will be of particular interest to students interested in current events in Egypt and Eastern Europe, in the legacy of colonialism, or in the role of social media. For further information contact the instructor, John O'Neill, joneill@uw.edu.