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| Semester | fall semester 2017 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Christiane Schlote (christiane.schlote@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | In his well-known essay 'Writing American Fiction' (1961), Philip Roth expresses his envy of the power of American reality which outdoes any writer's "meagre imagination" almost daily. More than fifty years later and in view of a globalised and increasingly complex information society public desire for 'authenticity' and factuality has grown evermore and cultural representations are successfully marked (and marketed) by their documentary aesthetics, as can be witnessed in a variety of documentary films, factual TV and docu-fiction. In this lecture, we will approach the frequently invoked 'documentary turn' and the increasingly blurred boundaries between fact and fiction on two levels: on the one hand, we will problematise traditional notions of the fiction/nonfiction divide, authorial intention and conventional concepts of 'authenticity', 'reality' and the politics of representation. On the other hand, we will discuss the role of the documentary in representations (literature, theatre/drama, visual arts, etc.) in postcolonial, transnational and diasporic contexts. This includes phenomena such as literary hoaxes, mockumentaries and parody journalism and hybrid genres in postcolonial creative non-fiction (e.g., life writing, testimonio, travel writing, memoirs, etc.). Texts will include works by Truman Capote, Peter Carey, Frank McCourt, Nelson Mandela, Rigoberta Menchú, Vikram Seth and Anna Deavere Smith. |
| Learning objectives | This lecture introduces students to documentary genres and media and reexamines discourses of subjectivity, fictionality and authenticity in postcolonial, transnational and diasporic texts and contexts. |
| Bibliography | Theoretical and primary texts will be made available on ADAM. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | None |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Course auditors welcome |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
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: German Literature (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Allgemeine Literaturwissenschaft (Master's degree subject: Modern German Literature (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) Modul Einführungswissen Neuere Deutsche Literaturwissenschaft (Bachelor's degree subject: German Language and Literature (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) 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: German Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: French Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Spanish Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Nordic Philology) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Latin Philology) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: English) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: German Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: German Language and Literature) Modul Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Slavic Studies) 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: 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 Literatur im Zusammenspiel der Künste und Medien (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 | Regular and active participation, reading assignments, 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 |