This course examines dominant and insurgent histories of the “Cold War,” the Civil Rights Movement, the US War in Vietnam and its legacy, the “AIDS Crisis,” and the “war on terrorism.” It turns primarily to literature and film for accounts of these events, but also to the “official histories” (eg., government documents, news reporting and other institutionalized memories) that they engage. Recent scholarship on the construction of history and cultural memory introduce three questions that will guide our studies. They are: how does this text make sense of the past; what factors are likely to have influenced this interpretation; and what are the consequences of constructing history in this way. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions and a group project and to write 6 short responses to assigned texts and a final 7-8 page paper. Required texts: E.L. Doctorow, The Book of Daniel; Le Thi Diem Thuy, The Gangster We Are All Looking For; Sarah Shulman, Rat Bohemia.