CO N TE M P O R AR Y BR ITIS H AN D AM E R ICAN LITE R ATU R E English 336

Course O b jectives and P roced ures

Contemporary British and American Literature will introduce students to literature genres and authors who are recently and currently writing and contributing to our literary tradition. In our study of these writings, we will use the fundamental tools of literary interpretation in the discussion, analysis, and evaluation of the literature. We will incorporate some principal interpretative theories: formalism, psychological, gender studies, reader-response, and new historicism.. Each of these theories will provide specific insights into literary texts that invite analysis from many different perspectives. We will also engage in thoughtful writing and dialogue to help us arrive at a rich understanding of the literature we read and the world in which we live.

í Course Goals The course goals for English 336 include: ô Apply BYU-Idaho Learning Model to prepare, Any edition of the following books (notice the book teach one another, and ponder/prove. grouping options): ô Appreciate literary texts as sources of intellectual, emotional, and aesthetic experiences. Novels ô Explore critical theories that inform the ways Choose ONE of these two novels: experienced readers respond to literature. Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go ô Develop critical reading skills to analyze fiction, John Banville’s The Sea poetry, and drama. ô Understand the conventions of literature. Choose ONE of these two novels: ô Apply the critical vocabulary describing literature. Anne Tyler’s Digging to America ô Use textual evidence to support literary Louise Erdrich’s The Painted Drum interpretations. ô Develop skills for literary research and present Choose ONE of these three novels: information accurately. Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss ô Document formal writing according to MLA Isabel Allende’s Inés of My Soul guidelines. Amy Tan’s Saving Fish from Drowning ô Adapt literary interpretations to a general, non- academic audience. Plays Choose ONE of these plays: í Texts August Wilson’s Fences Margaret Edson’s W;t [Wit]

Foote, Horton. Three Screen Plays: The Trip to Choose ONE of these plays: Bountiful, Tender Mercies, To Kill a Mockingbird. John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable New York: Grove Press, 1989. Nilo Cruz’s Anna in the Tropics

Friel, Brian. Dancing at Lughnasa. London: Faber & Faber, 1990. í Organization of English 336

Halpern, Daniel, ed. The Art of the Story: An English 336 has the following major assignments: International Anthology of Contemporary Short Stories. New York: Penguin, 1999. Spori Literary Review Articles Students will write four articles for the class McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. New York: Vintage, magazine Spori Literary Review. Each article will fit 2006. within a two page template format (approximately 750 words each). The articles demonstrate critical Stoppard, Tom. The Coast of Utopia: A Trilogy analysis directed towards a non-academic audience. (Voyage, Shipwreck, Salvage). New York: Grove Students will write at least one article on each of the Press, 2007 three genre groupings: fiction/art, poetry/music, drama/film.

R. Keller Ø Smith 370 Ø 496-1454 Ø [email protected] These articles will become a class magazine character, music for the score, or sets for scenes. representing students’ interactions with fiction, Focus on one aspect and write a well-written, poetry, and drama. (100 points for each article) developed response.(approximately 500 words) • Side Kicks. Place one character from fiction, Literary Team Discussion Questions poetry, or drama with another character from a Students will become members of literary teams. For different fiction, poetry, or drama in a room. every class period, each team member will generate How would these characters interact or react from that day’s readings a total of 10 discussion with each other? Write a well-written, questions. These questions will be a combination of developed response (approximately 500 words). factual, interpretive, and evaluative questioning. • Author Talks. Place two different authors from These questions will start each class activity. (5 the class readings into a room. How would these points for each day’s questions) characters interact or reach with each other? Write a well-written, developed response Literary Team I-Learn Discussion Board (approximately 500 words). Students will post a journal response (300-500 words) each week to their own literary team’s Reading Quizzes discussion board. The journal entry will focus on one For each class period, students will take a reading or two of that week’s readings through a particular quiz on that day’s readings. Each quiz will open one literary critical lens. The critical lenses include: week before the due date on the syllabus and will formalism, reader-response, gender studies, close at the beginning of that day’s class. (10 points psychological, and new historicism. Each team for each quiz). member will be responsible for a different critical lens for that week, and then the team members will LATE ASSIGNMENTS rotate their critical lenses for the following week. NOT ACCEPTED Students will respond to each other’s entries both online and in class. (10 points for each fully í Grading and Evaluation developed journal entry). The teacher will evaluate all formal assignments and comment on what works well and offer suggestions Literature Adaptations for improvement. The teacher will assign a letter Students will with contemporary literature by grade and record a number grade in the roll book. adapting it into a different form. Students will Most often the number grade follows the breakdown submit two different adaptations. (50 points for each below adaptation) A = 95% C = 75% A- = 92% C- = 72% Students have flexibility in determining their B+ = 88% D+ = 68% literature adaptations. Below are some pre-approved B = 85% D = 65% options: B- = 82% D- = 62% C+ = 78% F = 59% • Book Cover Design. Create an original book cover based on any class reading (short story, The teacher reserves the write to slightly alter the novel, poem, play, or screenplay). number points depending on the student’s • Movie Poster Design. Create an original movie performance. For example, instead of recording a poster based on any class reading (short story, 92% for an A-, the teacher may record a 90%. novel, poem, play, or screenplay). • Book Club Discussion Brochure. Create a two- í Teacher Conferencing sided book club discussion guide based on any Most student questions and concerns are handled in class reading (short story, novel, poem, play, or the classroom through class or individual discussion. screenplay). Students may schedule an appointment with the • Senior Companions. Compare a character, teacher for more extended conferencing. Rarely will theme, plot, setting, or other literary element the teacher read an entire document during a based on any contemporary class reading with conference but rather will assist the student in any other piece of literature written prior to identifying the writing frustration and in developing 1965. Write a well-written, developed response options to solve the communication problems. (approximately 500 words). • Casting Call. Consider adapting a class reading Students who wish to conference with the teacher into a movie. Discuss the actors playing which about a graded paper must meet the following two

R. Keller Ø Smith 370 Ø 496-1454 Ø [email protected] conditions (there are no rewrite options to improve a graded assignment): í E-mail 1. Wait 24 hours before making an Students must have access to BYU-Idaho e-mail. If appointment with the teacher. students prefer other email servers, students should 2. Come to the appointment with a list of arrange with their carriers to forward their campus suggestions to improve the paper. The email directly to them. teacher will discuss those options with the student. í Academic Honesty “BYU-Idaho students should seek to be totally honest í Attendance Requirements in all their dealings. They should complete their own Random quizzes are used to check attendance. The work and be evaluated for that work. They should quizzes cannot be made up so class attendance is avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its essential because the quizzes will not be announced. forms, including but not limited to plagiarism, The student has the responsibility to attend class and fabrication or falsification, cheating, and other to be prepared for class. If the student misses class, academic misconduct.” the student should contact the teacher out of courtesy via office phone-mail or email prior to class. This course will adhere to procedures for handling incidents of academic dishonesty found in the BYU- This is a highly interactive course. The success of Idaho Catalog, 2008-2009, pp. 44-45. this course and your individual success depends on your regular presence and promptness, your thorough í Special Limitations preparation for class, and your active participation To accommodate students with special learning, within class. You may have three class absences physical, emotional, mental, social, or other without a grade penalty. limitations, the student must notify the teacher the first week of class. By law, BYU-Idaho is only Please note: I make no distinction between required to assist those students who make these “excused” and “unexcused” absence. You are issues known during the first week. responsible for saving your absence leave to accommodate unexpected illness or personal / family í Course Content need. If students find an assigned reading offensive or objectionable for any reason, students have the option Excessive absence will result in deduction from final to choose another reading. For short stories, students average of 1 percentage point per hour of absence may choose another reading from the Halpern over the limit. If you miss more than four class textbook. For the plays or novels, students may select periods, you will not be able to earn an A in the other works. Rather than take the online quiz, course. If you miss more than six class periods, the students may submit a 300-500 word response to the highest grade you can earn in the course is a C. If new reading due at the beginning of class. you miss eight or more classes, you will earn an F in the course. í Caveat The teacher reserves the right to make changes in At the end of the semester, if you have perfect course content and policy at any time during the attendance, you will have a bonus of 1 percentage semester. point added to your final average.

R. Keller Ø Smith 370 Ø 496-1454 Ø [email protected]