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30496-01 - Lecture: American Literature Survey IV/IV: Postmodernism and Contemporary (2 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2015 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Philipp Schweighauser (ph.schweighauser@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | "Postmodernism" names one of the defining moments of U.S. literary history since 1945: from the early postmodernism of the Beats, Thomas Pynchon, and Donald Barthelme to Don DeLillo's postmodernism of the 1970s and 1980s and the historiographic metafictions of E. L. Doctorow. We will explore the different varieties of postmodern literature at some length without, however, ignoring that the label by no means covers all literature produced since the end of the Second World War. Thus, other sessions focus on the wide variety of new ethnic literatures that have slowly risen to the center of attention since the 1970s, from the Native American Renaissance of writers like N. Scott Momaday, James Welch, and Leslie Marmon Silko to Toni Morrison's neo-slave narrative "Beloved" and Gloria Anzaldùa reflections on the Chicana experience in "Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza." This lecture course will end with a brief survey of contemporary developments in texts such as Mark Z. Danielewski's "House of Leaves" and Diane Williams's microstories. |
| Learning objectives | You are introduced to American literary history since 1945. |
| Bibliography | The eighth or seventh edition of Volume E (Literature since 1945) of Baym, Nina, gen. ed., "The Norton Anthology of American Literature" (New York: W. W. Norton) needs to be ordered and purchased well before the beginning of the term. If you plan to attend more than one part of this four-part lecture course, it makes sense to buy all volumes (A-B + C-E) of "The Norton Anthology of American Literature". We recommend buying the course texts at the Labyrinth book store. You also need to bring along the handouts for each session, INCLUDING THE FIRST. They are available on ADAM. |
| Comments | Note that, together with Ilja Karenovics, I am also offering an MA seminar (41596-01, "Von Mashenka zu Lolita: Der russische und der amerikanische Nabokov") whose topic is related to this course. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | None |
| Course application | Not required |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Course auditors welcome |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Interphilologische Lehrveranstaltungen für die Nordistik (Bachelor's degree subject: Nordic Philology (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Interphilologische Lehrveranstaltungen für die Nordistik (MA) (Master's degree subject: Nordic Philology (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Interphilologische Lehrveranstaltungen für die Slavistik (Master's degree subject: Slavic Studies (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Interphilologisches Angebot: Allgemeine Literaturwissenschaft (Bachelor's degree subject: German Language and Literature (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Advanced Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul Allgemeine Literaturwissenschaft (Master's degree subject: Modern German Literature (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Allgemeine Literaturwissenschaft (Master's degree subject: German Literature (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) Modul English & American Literature (Master's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Extending the View (Literary and Cultural Studies) (Bachelor's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Focusing on the Discipline (Literary and Cultural Studies) (Bachelor's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: German Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: French Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Spanish Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Nordic Philology) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Slavic Studies) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: English) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: German Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: French Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Spanish Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: German Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Latin Philology) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Nordic Philology) Modul Introduction to Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul Learning about Literature and Culture (Bachelor's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Literaturgeschichte (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul Neuere Deutsche Literaturwissenschaft I (Master's degree subject: German Language and Literature (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Refining Skills in Literature and Culture (Bachelor's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Research Skills in English Linguistics or Literature (Master's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment details | Written test (90 mins) toward the end of term |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | one repetition, repetition counts |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |