English 250: Introduction to American Literature—but what is American Literature (not to mention those terms taken independently of one another), and what is a proper introduction to it (them)? How might the Department of English (or any other department, institution, person, group, etc.) answer these questions? How would you? Have you taken this course to get the canonical texts (whatever they are), or are you looking for something more diverse (or is the canon too diverse? Is there a canon at all?)? Are you even interested in these questions, or are you sitting in your chair, woefully recalling the decision to take this class over any other that might have fulfilled this requirement for you, much less, one that fit into your schedule? And this further begs the question: what might you have put as required readings for this course, and why? What would your goals have been? You will have a chance to answer these questions and more as we continue through the quarter. The texts I have chosen begin with certain static (and perhaps common) notions of “American Literature,” and then move both forward and backward through time, often juxtaposing the past and the present in order to provide you with productive contact zones between times, identities, forms, and such which in turn, allows you to generate your own notions on how (and what) American Literature is doing. Along the way, we’ll be reading very popular, canonical texts, as well as the less common (but equally relevant) ones to provide you with a large reservoir of material. Famous authors such as the “Founding Fathers,” Emerson, Whitman, Dickenson, Pound, Stein, W.C. Williams, Joseph Heller, and Don Delillo will appear, but so will lesser known authors, as well as contemporary critics and text-makers of all sorts. I will be lecturing for a good part of the class, but you, too, will carry some of the pedagogical load through group assignments, in-class projects, and eventually, research. You’ll find that the relationship between the identity (political, cultural, etc.) of an America, and the textual produce of America are intertwined in fascinating and continually evolving ways. Ultimately, my goal is to not only acquaint you with American Literature, but also to help sharpen your reading, writing, and critical thinking skills so that you can further develop the invisible but important relationship between American Literature and American Life. Learn more about this class, its requirements, course readings, and other information at the course website.