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| Semester | fall semester 2016 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Philipp Schweighauser (ph.schweighauser@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | As we try to interpret literary texts, paintings, and films, we often forget what they consist of: paper, print, canvas, paint, celluloid. What we also tend to forget is that the production of these cultural artifacts is thoroughly dependent on a number of tools and apparatuses: pencils, typewriters, computers, printing presses, paint brushes, cameras, projectors, and so on. In this course, we will have a close look at the materiality of literary texts and other media, i.e., we will focus on the stuff they are made of. We will read and touch two of those stunningly beautiful literary works of art published by McSweeney's: T.C. Boyle's literary cigar box "Old Facts, New Fiction, & a Novella" (McSweeney's Issue 19; ISBN: 193241648X) and McSweeney's Issue 16, which contains stories, a deck of cards, and a comb (ISBN 1932416153). We will see the images and hear the sounds of E. Elias Merhige's movie "Shadow of the Vampire", which stars John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe. We will also engage with artworks displayed at Basel's Museum für Gegenwartskunst. In addition, we will read some texts by literary and media theorists such as Marshall McLuhan, Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht, N. Katherine Hayles, and Friedrich Kittler that help us make sense of what has been called "the materiality of communication". These texts will be made available on ADAM. |
| Learning objectives | You understand the extent to which the meanings we attribute to literary texts and other media depend on their materiality. |
| Bibliography | Two literary works need to be bought and read before the beginning of the term: T.C. Boyle's "Old Facts, New Fiction, & a Novella" (McSweeney's Issue 19; ISBN-10: 193241648X / ISBN-13: 9781932416480) and McSweeney's Issue 16 (ISBN-10: 1932416153 / ISBN-13: 978-1932416152). |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | This course is open to MA students and PhD candidates. |
| Course application | Please register on MOnA. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
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 Literatur im Zusammenspiel der Künste und Medien (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul Literaturtheorie (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul Research in Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | regular attendance, active participation |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| 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 |