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| Semester | spring semester 2017 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Franziska Gygax (franziska.gygax@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Life writing (the much broader and more encompassing term than autobiography) has become a booming field not only in the scholarly field of auto/biography studies but also regarding its popularity and spreading on the book market. Among the numerous recently published life writing texts there is a striking appearance of so-called illness narratives, among which we find different mediums and genres such as more traditional written ones, autobiographies combined with theoretical explorations of the construction of illness, or graphic memoirs (autopathographics), many of which written by acknowledged and well-known writers/authors. These narratives not only provide insight into the experience of illness and suffering but also into the complex representations of illness and its cultural and social meanings. |
| Learning objectives | This MA seminar will introduce students to current debates on the implications of life writing such as identity, selfhood, and ethics. Furthermore, students will become acquainted with the recent theoretical work on the representation of illness in autobiographies. The course will also provide an opportunity for students to present their own ideas for an MA seminar paper and to receive feedback from the class. |
| Bibliography | Ellen Forney, "Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me" (2012); Susan Gubar, "Memoir of a Debulked Woman" (2012); Christopher Hitchens, "Mortality" (2012); Siri Hustvedt, "The Shaking Woman or a History of My Nerves" (2010); Jenny Diski, "In Gratitude" (2016). |
| Comments | The texts need to be read before the beginning of the course. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | For MA and PhD students. |
| Course application | Please register by e-mail to franziska.gygax@unibas.ch. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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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- und kulturwissenschaftliche Forschung (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 | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |