University of Texas at Austin Department of Middle Eastern Studies

LOVE IN THE EAST AND WEST MEL 321/MES 342/CL 323/CTI 345 Fall 2019

Unique # 40384/39939/33444/28969 Instructor: Jeannette Okur Email: [email protected]

Course Description: Participants in this course will examine various definitions and cultural representations of , as expressed in major Eastern and Western literary works, and explore the question, "To what extent do conceptions and representations of love differ cross-culturally?" Class activities will include mini-lectures and performance reading, as well as comparative analysis and discussion of the portrayal of topics like "love and beauty," "love and separation," "love and madness," "love and marriage," "love and time," "love and war," "love and self-sacrifice," "love and death," and "love for the divine and love for the human". Participants will also, on occasion, be introduced to significant musical, visual art and cinematic forms/productions related to the poetry, prose and theatrical works read. Students’ engagement in reader response writing and peer review of that writing will enhance the quality of their small and large group discussions. As all texts will be read in English translation, there is no language prerequisite. However, students capable of reading some texts in the original language/s will be encouraged to do so.

Prerequisites: The course has no prerequisites.

Global Cultures Flag: This course carries the Global Cultures flag. Global Cultures courses are designed to increase your familiarity with cultural groups outside the United States. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and histories of at least one non-U.S. cultural group, past or present. Languages Across the Curriculum Component: Students who have completed the Intermediate Turkish sequence (ie. have earned a grade of C or higher in TUR 320L or TUR 329) are eligible to sign up for an additional credit hour in Turkish language via the “Languages Across the Curriculum Program”. Students taking this credit hour with Dr. Okur will read and discuss short texts in Turkish (and view and discuss additional Turkish films) related to the main course topics.

Course Materials: Required Texts (to buy):

1. Aϊtmatov, Chingiz. (2007). Jamilia. Trans. J. Riordan. Telegram Books: London. ISBN: 978-1-84659-032-0. 2. The Romance of Tristan and Iseult. (2005). Retold by J. Bédier. Trans. H. Belloc and P. Rosenfeld. Dover Publications. ISBN: 978-0486440194. 3. Shafak, Elif. (2010). The Forty Rules of Love. A Book of . Viking Penguin: New York, NY. ISBN: 978- 0-670-02145-1. 4. The Story of by Nizami. (1997). Trans. R. Gelpke, Z.I. Khan and O. Safi. Omega Publications: New Lebanon, NY. ISBN: 0-930872-52-5. Von Goethe, Johann Wolfgang. (1989). 5. The Sorrows of Young Werther. Trans. Michael Hulse. Penguin Classics. ISBN: 978-0140445039. [1]

Required Texts (to be provided via Canvas):

1. , Hakim Nuruddin Abdurrahman. (1980). Yusuf and Zuleyha. An Allegorical Romance. Trans. D. Pendlebury. : London. ISBN: 900-860-77-4. (to be posted on Canvas, as the text is out-of-print. Note that copyright law prohibits your sharing/distributing this pdf text.) 2. Shorter texts to be distributed as handouts or via Canvas: a. Appendix from As’ad E. Khairallah’s Love, Madness, and Poetry. An Interpretation of the Mağnūn Legend b. Gail Kern Paster’s essay, Romeo and Juliet: a Modern Perspective c. Summary of Farhad and Shirin d. Chpt. 5 of Sadi's , or The Garden e. Book III of Sadi's Boston, or Pleasure Ground 3. Selections from Ibn Hazm’s The Ring of the Dove. A Treatise on the Art and Practice of Arab Love. Trans. A.J. Arberry. Full text available online: http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/hazm/dove/ringdove.html Selected poems by Yunus Emre, Mawlana Jalalaeddin Rumi, , Khalil Gibran, and various Ottoman and European poets to be posted on Canvas.

Recommended Texts: 1. Andrews, Walter C. and Mehmet Kalpakli. (2005). The Age of Beloveds: Love and the Beloved in Early- Modern Ottoman and European Culture and Society. Duke UP: Durham & London. ISBN: 0-8223-3424-0. 2. Barks, Coleman Barks with John Moyne, A.J. Arberry & Reynold Nicholson. (1995). The Essential Rumi. Harper Collins: San Francisco, CA. ISBN: 0-06-250959-4. 3. Gorgani, Fahkraddin. (2008). Vis and Ramin. Trans. D. Davis. Penguin Books: New York, NY. ISBN: 978-0- 14-310562-6. 4. Ottoman Lyric Poetry. An Anthology (Expanded Ed.). (2006). Ed. and Trans. By Walter G. Andrews, Najaat Black, Mehmet Kalpakli. U. of Washington Press: Seattle & London. ISBN: 0-295-98595-X. 5. Mirror of the Invisible World. Tales from the Khamseh of Nizami. (1975). Trans. by Peter j. Chelkowski. The Metropolitan Museum of Art: New York. ISBN: 0-87099-142-6. 6. Nightingales & Pleasure Gardens: Turkish Love Poems. (2005). Ed. and Trans. Talat S. Halman. U. of Syracuse Press: Syracuse, NY. ISBN: 0-8156-835-7. 7. Shakespeare, William. (2004) Romeo and Juliet (Folger Shakespeare Library). Washington Square Press/Simon & Schuster: New York, NY. ISBN: 978-0743482806. (or an online version, if you have not read the play in the last two years). 8. Seyh Galip. Beauty and Love. (2005). Trans. by Victoria Rowe Holbrook. The Modern Language Association of America: New York. ISBN: 0-873552-934-0.

*** More texts related to the subject of love will be recommended later in the course, especially as you begin to work on the comparative paper.

Course Films:

1. Romeo and Juliet (1968), Dir. Franco Zeffirelli (138 min.) 2. Tristan and Isolde (2006), Dir. Kevin Reynolds (125 min.) Some Recommended Films: 1. West Side Story (1961), Dir. Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise 2. Moulin Rouge (1952), Dir. John Huston. 3. The Girl with the Red Scarf (1978), Dir. Atif Yılmaz 4. Like Water for Chocolate (1992), Dir. Alfonso Arau 5. Head On (2004), Dir. Fatih Akin. 6. The Color of Love (2007), Dir. Maryam Keshavarz

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7. Ali and Nino (2016), Dir. Asif Kapadia

Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of “Love in the East and West”, students will: ! Be familiar with the themes, references, imagery, metaphors and rhetorical style of major pieces of classical Arab, Persian and Ottoman/Turkish literature related to the subject of love, and – to a lesser extent – to the content and style of well-known English, French, and German literary pieces on the subject. ! Have improved their critical thinking and writing skills, in particular, their ability to - Form and support a thesis. - Interpret or critique evidence. - Synthesize material and identify patterns. - Carry out comparative research. ! Have improved their dramatic reading (recitation) and discussion skills, in particular, their ability to - Identify and portray character/speaker motivation. - Capture the listeners’ attention and/or imagination when reading, reciting or speaking to a group. - Listen and respond constructively to classmates’ comments. - Disagree agreeably and support oral arguments in a logical, effective manner. - Discuss independently, without the constant prodding of the instructor. ! Have gained greater awareness and appreciation of and insight into transcultural nature of literary production. ! Have gained greater awareness and appreciation of and insight into the varying media (ie. cinema, music, visual arts) in which famous literary works have found new expression.

Grade Distribution: Attendance and Participation 20% Reader Response Papers 20% Mid-Term Exam 15% Final Paper/Presentation 30% Final Exam 15%

Please note that in this course, your final grade will be based primarily upon the quality of work you do all along, rather than on performance on one or two “big exams.” Hence, you should pace yourself, work consistently, and stay organized. Consistent effort will pay off in the end!

Grade Distribution/Course Requirements in Detail:

1. Attendance and Participation (20%): Most class time will be devoted to discussing/interpreting the texts you will have read prior to coming to class. Some contextual background information and analysis will be given by the instructor in the form of mini- lectures, but the bulk of course activity will depend on students’ active oral and written participation. Viewing (film) and listening (music) activities will also require students’ critical response, i.e. active discussion. Small group work should be taken seriously. This part of your grade will be based on a daily “attendance and participation” grade assigned by your instructor and/or TA according to the following criteria: 3- You are actively engaged in discussing the course material with your partner/classmates/teachers from the moment you walk into the class until you leave it. Full credit will be given when you, i. arrive to class on time

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ii. are well prepared for the class, which means that you have carefully read the assigned pages, taken note of particularly interesting, moving or puzzling sections of the assigned work, and completed any assigned pre-discussion activity/exercise before coming to class. iii. bring the necessary materials to class, including print-outs of shorter texts/handouts you have downloaded from the Canvas course. (You may use your laptop to refer to longer electronic texts.) iv. are alert and participate actively when we are working together as a class v. make maximum use of pair/group work time by a) understanding the learning objectives of tasks assigned b) staying focused on those objectives c) continuing to work with your partner/group on the task objectives even if you “finish” an assigned task before the allotted time is up (Ask your TA or instructor for additional instructions if you aren’t sure what to do next). 2- You are present but lacking in one or two of the above criteria for full credit in participation. A “2 points” grade is a warning that you are not working at your full potential. 1- You are present but lacking in more than three of the above criteria. For instance, you come late to class, have forgotten to bring the text being discussed, sleep during a classmate’s presentation, and are not focused on the assigned task during group work. 0- Absent

Attendance Policies: • If you are absent from class, you will receive a “0” for that day’s attendance and participation. Your lowest 3 grades for attendance and participation will be dropped for purposes of grade calculation. • More than ten absences--whatever the reason--will result in an "F" for the course. • Please inform us by email of absence as soon as possible before--not after--the class you will miss. This helps us considerably in planning for daily class activities. • If you will miss class in order to observe any religious holy days during the semester, you must inform your instructor per email by the 12th class day, ie. by Friday, Sept. 13, 2019. These absences will be excused; however, we recommend that you limit your observance of any given religious holiday to no more than three consecutive days, so as to not fall behind in class. If you also miss the midterm exam or fail to complete an assignment due to the observance of a religious holy day, you will be given opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence. • Likewise, if you miss the midterm exam or fail to complete an assignment due to a documented illness, family emergency or any other reason your instructor chooses to excuse, you will be given opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

Classroom Conduct Policies: • Use of cell phones/i-phones is not permitted. Use of laptops is permitted ONLY IF we are discussing a longer text made available electronically via Canvas. • Please do not chew gum in class. • If you bring food, proper cultural etiquette dictates that you offer some to others in the room.

2. Reader Response Papers (20%)

At regular intervals throughout the course, you will be asked to write 500-800 word (2-3 page) reader- response “journals”, in which you analyze and interpret the material you are reading or viewing. You must complete ALL FIVE reader-response papers in a timely fashion; and read and respond in writing (200-300 words) to at least one classmate’s paper on FIVE occasions. These informal writing activities (mostly during the first half of the semester) will enrich class discussions and serve as a warm-up for the comparative paper you will write during the second half of the semester.

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You will be given a prompt (i.e. one or more discussion questions) for each reader response paper, which should serve as a guide for the content/organization of your writing; however, if you are particular moved, puzzled or intrigued by another aspect of the material you’ve read or viewed, you are welcome to disregard the prompt and write about that. (That said, please do not disregard the prompt on more than two occasions.) Each of your 5 reader response papers should be formatted and turned in the following manner:

1. It should be a Word document, using 12 pt. Times New Roman font, normal 1inch margins and double-spaced lines. 2. The first page should contain your name, the course name, date, and the homework number (from the assignment schedule) at the top left and an appropriate title at the top center. 3. The document should be uploaded to Canvas by the assigned date and time. (Both your instructor and your assigned Reader Response partner will access it on via Canvas Assignment. Your partner will vary each time and will be indicated in the Canvas Assignment.) 4. The electronic document should be labeled in the following manner: your first name.lastname.rr1 (or rr2, rr3, etc.) Failure to do any of the above will lower your Reader Response grade by 10%.

Upon receiving your partner’s paper, you should read and respond to it (again, writing 200-300 words) within 48 hours. Generally speaking your response should be focused on the content of the paper, i.e. engage with your partner’s ideas, rather than with organization, grammar, spelling, etc. However, you may be asked to identify the organizational/stylistic strengths and/or weakness of your partner’s paper in some responses. Each response to your partner’s reader response paper should be formatted and turn in the following manner:

1. It should also be a Word document, using 12 pt. Times New Roman font, normal 1inch margins and double-spaced lines. 2. The first page should contain your name, the course name, date, and the homework number (from the assignment schedule) at the top left and the title: “Response to ______’s RR paper entitled ______” at the top center. 3. The document should also be uploaded to Canvas within 48 hours (of the date and time you receive the reader response paper). (If your partner sends his/her paper late, you will NOT be penalized for responding late, as long as you respond within 48 hours.) 4. The electronic document should be labeled in the following manner: your first name.lastname.rr1+ (or rr2+, rr3+, etc.) Again, failure to do any of the above will lower your Reader Response grade by 10%.

Note: Should you quote exact or paraphrased lines from a text or another source in your response paper, please document the page number (of any primary text you’re discussing) and/or any other important bibliographical information. In other words, give credit where credit is due! Please remember that plagiarism is a violation of the Honor Code and will be treated accordingly.

The tentative dates for the Reader Response papers are:

RR Papers Date RR 1 Mon. Sept. 9 at NOON RR 2 Mon. Sept. 16 at NOON RR 3 Mon. Sept. 23 at NOON RR 4 Mon. Oct 7. at NOON RR 5 Fri. Nov. 1 at NOON

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3. Mid-Term Exam: (15%)

The mid-term examination will contain literary identification questions, analysis of excerpts, and essay questions. Students will receive more detail exam information and practice questions via Canvas 1-2 weeks before the exam. Students will write the mid-term exam during regular class time on Monday, October 21, 2019. (See the tentative course calendar.)

4. Final Paper/Presentation: (30%)

In the first month of the semester, you will choose a theme or motif related to “love”, or a set of authors/works from cultures/time periods you’re interested in who/which deal with an aspect of “love” to explore comparatively. Your topic may be as narrow as the analysis of two poems (or two scenes from theatrical/prose works) or much broader; but, it should be content that you can discuss intelligently and with mention of the broader context in which the works were produced -- in the space of 8-12 pgs. (Those who would like to write up to 20 pages may.)

Over the course of the semester, you must complete all steps of this final comparative paper to receive full credit for the project, ie: o Selection of an appropriate, self-generated topic o Reading list/task plan o Clustering/Mapping of Patterns; Formation of a thesis o Outline (or diagram/map) of paper o Rough draft o Peer review of 2 classmates’ rough drafts o Revised draft o Peer review of 1 classmate’s revised draft o Final, edited version o Oral Presentation of the paper’s major point(s) You can expect to receive instructor feedback on all of these tasks and to give/receive peer feedback on some of them. You will receive more detailed information about these tasks by the 12th day of class, ie. by September 13, 2019.

5. Final Examination: (15%)

The final examination, like the mid-term exam, will contain literary identification questions, analysis of excerpts, and essay questions. Students will receive more detail exam information and practice questions via Canvas 1-2 weeks before the exam. The exam will be written during our allotted final exam time: Thursday, December 12, 9:00 am-12:00 pm. Please arrange your Winter Break travel accordingly!

Course Extras

1. Extra credit may be earned by attending up to two academic events organized by the Center for Middle Eastern Studies during Fall 2019 and submitting a 1-2 page critical review of each event’s content per email to your course instructor by the last day of classes, December 9, 2019. Please check with your instructor re. the eligibility of the event BEFORE writing the review. Information about CMES Events may be found at: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/mes/events/index.php 2. Extra credit may also be earned by completing a 6th reader response paper on a literary work read after the mid-term exam.

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Final Grade Calculation and Grade Policies: Number/Letter grade equivalents are:

Number Letter Number Letter Number Letter Number Letter 94 - 100 A 87 - 89.9 B+ 77 – 79.9 C+ 67 – 69.9 D+ 84 - 86.9 B 74 – 76.9 C 64 – 66.9 D 90 – 93.9 A- 80 – 83.9 B- 70 – 73.9 C- 60 – 63.9 D- (Below 60%F) • Grades on the border between two letter grades (89.9 for instance) may or may not be rounded up to the next higher letter grade, at the instructor’s discretion. • No Incompletes will be given for this course. • Auditing is not permitted.

How to Do Well in this Class

This class is a group effort! We can make much more progress as a class than as individuals by creating an engaged community, of which you will be a fully participating member. The following suggestions will help you get the most out of the course:

1. Be an active learner. Active learners often have questions that reflect their engagement of the material. Take initiative in class and in your homework/reader response papers. This effort will be rewarded both in your grade and in your relations with your classmates.

2. Put yourself out there. Learning requires you to make mistakes, both in your assignments and in front of your peers. In this class, you will never be penalized for a mistake that you make when trying to understand or express your thoughts about something new. Feedback from your instructors is intended to support you as you develop your analytical skills, and not as criticism.

3. Prepare for active participation in class by anticipating what you will do. You should soon be able to predict what kinds of activities we’ll do in class. As you read new material and complete assignments before each class, think about how you will use the new material. This will help you to prepare for the discussion activities we’ll be doing in class.

4. Extend learning beyond the classroom. Study with classmates: ask each other questions, brainstorm about assignments, go over materials –and do this as much as possible. Look out for films and cultural activities on campus and around town and go attend them.

Principles for Group Activities There can be no application of learning without community. In our class community, respect for each other at all times will ensure a positive and fruitful learning experience. We will spend at least 50% of class time in small group or pair activities so that each one of you gets the maximum possible time to participate and share ideas. During these activities, the instructor plays the role of personal trainer. Discussing material read at home is a lot like going to the gym: the personal trainer guides you, but you have to do the work to get the benefit. Please keep in mind the following principles for group work: " Help and encourage your classmates and accept help from them: each of you can learn with and from everyone else. " Work with different people on a regular basis. " Come prepared. Don’t be someone who slows down colleagues by not being able to fully participate in the work. If you are not prepared for class let your instructor know beforehand and s/he will arrange for you to learn by listening on that day. ~ 7 ~

" Stay focused on the task at hand and do not rush to finish. Most activities are designed to elicit your opinions and ideas about the arguments/ideas/examples at hand. If you do the minimum, you will get only minimum benefit. Take advantage of class time by pushing yourself to be creative and say as much as you can. " When your group finishes the task, raise your hand to let the instructor know. " The instructor may call time before everyone is finished. If your group does not finish, you may want to take a few minutes after class to complete the exercise.

Important UT policies and regulations that apply to this course

Important Dates Tuesday, September 3rd is the last day of the official add/drop period; after this date, changes in registration require the approval of the department chair and usually the student’s dean. Friday, September 13th is the last day to drop a class for a possible refund and without a possible academic penalty (a Q on your record). Thursday, October 31st is the last day a student may change registration in a class to or from the pass/fail or credit/no credit basis. Thursday, October 31st is also the last day an undergraduate student may, with the dean’s approval, withdraw from the University or drop a class except for urgent and substantiated, nonacademic reasons.

UT Honor Code The UT Honor code is in effect in this class. The core values of the University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.

Submitting any assignment or exam that is not your own, or that you did not participate fully in doing, is a violation of that code. As a research university, the University of Texas at Austin takes plagiarism very seriously. Do not risk getting involved in a plagiarism infraction. Always cite your sources, and when in doubt, consult a professor or librarian. You may read more about plagiarism at the Student Judicial Services website: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/academicintegrity.html . Also consult the plagiarism file on the University’s library site: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/services/instruction/learningmodules/plagiarism .

Disabilities Students with disabilities who require special accommodations need to get a letter that documents the disability from the Services for Students with Disabilities area of the Office of the Dean of Students (471-6259 voice or 471-4641 TTY for users who are deaf or hard of hearing). This letter should be presented to the instructor in each course at the beginning of the semester and accommodations needed should be discussed at that time. Five business days before an exam the student should remind the instructor of any testing accommodations that will be needed. See website below for more information: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ssd/providing.php

Religious holy days If you will miss class in order to observe any religious holy days during the semester, you must inform your instructor per email by the 12th class day, ie. by Friday, September 13, 2019. These absences will be excused. If you also miss a class quiz or fail to complete a homework assignment due to the observance of a religious holy day, you will be given opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

Use of Canvas This course uses Canvas, a Web-based course management system in which a password-protected site is created for each course. You are responsible for checking the Canvas course site regularly for class work and announcements. Canvas is available at http://courses.utexas.edu. Support is provided by the ITS Help Desk at 475-9400 Monday through Friday 8 am to 6 pm.

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Use of E-mail for Official Correspondence to Students All students should become familiar with the University's official e-mail student notification policy. It is the student's responsibility to keep the University informed as to changes in his or her e-mail address. Students are expected to check e-mail on a frequent and regular basis in order to stay current with University-related communications, recognizing that certain communications may be time-critical. It is recommended that e-mail be checked daily, but at a minimum, twice per week. The complete text of this policy and instructions for updating your e-mail address are available at http://www.utexas.edu/its/policies/emailnotify.html.

Email Etiquette Emails should open with an appropriate address to the instructor. Refrain from using Hi, Yo, or no address at all. Please make sure you identify yourself and clearly indicate your question or request. Emails will be answered in a timely fashion, depending on circumstances and need.

Writing Center I strongly encourage you to use the Undergraduate Writing Center, FAC 211, 471-6222: http://uwc.utexas.edu/ ). The Undergraduate Writing Center offers free, individualized, expert help with writing for any UT undergraduate, by appointment or on a drop-in basis. UWC services are not just for writing that has "problems": Getting feedback from an informed audience is a normal part of a successful writing project. The UWC’s trained consultants work with students from every department on both academic and non-academic writing. Using methods that preserve the integrity of your work, they help you develop strategies to improve your writing and become a more independent writer. Whether you are writing a lab report, a resume, a term paper, a statement for an application, or your own poetry, UWC consultants will be happy to work with you.

Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL) If you are worried about someone who is acting differently, you may use the Behavior Concerns Advice Line to discuss by phone your concerns about another individual’s behavior. This service is provided through a partnership among the Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD). Call 512-232-5050 or visit http://www.utexas.edu/safety/bcal.

Q drop Policy The State of Texas enacted a law limiting the number of course drops for academic reasons to six (6). Senate Bill 1231: “Beginning with the fall 2007 academic term, an institution of higher education may not permit an undergraduate student a total of more than six dropped courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education, unless the student shows good cause for dropping more than that number.”

Emergency Evacuation Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and assembling outside. Hence, you should familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building our class occupies. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building. Students requiring assistance in evacuation should inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class. In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors; and do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office. The Office of Campus Safety and Security, 512-471-5767, http://www.utexas.edu/safety/ has also prepared a link to information regarding Link to information regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures: www.utexas.edu/emergency

Welcome to class!

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Tentative Course Calendar for “Love in the East and West” – Fall 2019

---Week 1--- Wednesday, August 28, 2019: introduction to course syllabus, icebreakers

Homework for Fri., Aug. 30: Introduce yourself and two interesting love quotes on our Canvas discussion board. Buy/acquire the required texts for the course.

Friday, Aug. 30: Match that Love Quote – icebreaker activity. Analysis of ’s “If my heart were a wild bird” – references to Layla and Majnun.

Homework for Wed., Sept. 4: Respond to at least one classmate’s thread on the “Getting to Know You” discussion board. Read the prefaces/intro. and pgs. 1-77 of Layla and Majnun.

---Week 2--- Monday, Sept. 2: NO CLASS due to the Labor Day holiday!

Wednesday, Sept. 4 intro. to Nizami’s Layla and Majnun

Homework for Fri., Sept.6: Read pgs. 77-137 of Layla and Majnun.

Friday, Sept. 6: more discussion of Layla and Majnun

Homework for Monday, Sept. 9: Read pgs. 137 to end of Layla and Majnun. Write Reader Response Paper #1 about your view of Majnun’s transformation in Nizami’s epic. (See Canvas Assignment prompt for details). Upload your paper to Canvas by Monday, Sept. 9 at NOON.

---Week 3--- Monday, Sept. 9: more discussion of Layla and Majnun

Homework for Wed., Sept. 11: Read Gail Kern Paster’s essay, “Romeo and Juliet: A Modern Perspective” (posted on Canvas); and if you have not read Shakespeare’s 5-act tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, in the past year, please read Acts I and II. If you have read it recently and remember it well, you may choose instead to start reading the assigned sections of Ibn Hazam’s The Ring of the Dove (see below). Finally, write and upload your response (RR1+) to your partner’s paper about Majnun’s transformation in Nizami’s epic to Canvas by Wed, Sept. 11 at 11:59 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 11: viewing of Romeo and Juliet

Homework for Fri., Sept. 14: Read acts III, IV and V of Romeo and Juliet.

Friday, Sept. 13: continue viewing Romeo and Juliet

Homework for Mon., Sept 16: Write your Reader Response Paper #2, comparing/contrasting ONE of the following aspects of Layla and Majnun and Romeo and Juliet: (1) the nature/degree of parental involvement in marriage (2) societal expectations for pre-marital relations between men and women (3) the language the lovers use when addressing each other (4) the settings in which important scenes happen and their effect on the plot (5) the attitudes of the two pairs of lovers toward death

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(6) or some other topic you find particularly interesting to compare! Upload your paper to Canvas by Monday, Sept. 16, at NOON.

---Week 4--- Monday, Sept. 16: finish viewing Romeo and Juliet; comparative discussion of Layla and Majnun and Romeo and Juliet

Homework for Wed., Sept. 18: Read the following sections of The Ring of the Dove (online): “Author’s Preface; The Signs of Love; Of Allusion By Words, Of Hinting with the Eyes, Of Correspondence, Of the Messenger, Of Concealing the Secret, Of Divulging the Secret”. Also, write and upload your response (RR2+) to your partner’s comparison of Layla and Majnun and Romeo and Juliet to Canvas by Wed, Sept. 18 at 11:59 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 18: explanation of the final comparative paper and its steps; discussion of The Ring of the Dove

Homework for Friday., Sept. 20: Read the following sections of The Ring of the Dove (online): “Of Compliance, Of Opposition, Of The Reproacher, Of The Helpful Brother, Of The Spy, Of The Slanderer, Of Union, Of Breaking Off , Of Fidelity, Of Betrayal”.

Friday, Sept. 20: more discussion of The Ring of the Dove

Homework for Mon., Sept 23: Read THREE of the following sections of The Ring of the Dove (online): Of Separation, Of Contentment, Of Wasting Away, Of Forgetting, Of Death , Of The Vileness Of Sinning, Of The Virtue Of Continence”. Then write Reader Response Paper #3 in which you discuss which aspects of Ibn Hazam’s The Ring of the Dove are universal (ie. applicable to all people/lovers in all times and places) and which aspects of his descriptions are specific to people/lovers living in a specific time, place and/or culture. Upload your paper to Canvas by Monday, Sept. 23 at NOON.

---Week 5--- Monday, Sept 23: discussion of The Ring of the Dove; mini-lecture on transcultural literary history: the case of Vis and Ramin and Tristan and Isolde

Homework for Wed., Sept. 25: Read The Romance of Tristan and Iseult, pgs. 1-48. Also, write and upload your response (RR3+) to your partner’s paper on The Ring of the Dove to Canvas by Wed, Sept. 25 at 11:59 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 25: discussion of The Romance of Tristan and Iseult

Homework for Fri., Sept. 27: Read The Romance of Tristan and Iseult, pgs. 49-end. Also, by Friday, Sept. 27 at NOON, send Dr. Okur an email containing a list of three possible topics you would like to explore and write about in your final comparative paper. Indicate which of three topics would be your first choice.

Friday, Sept. 27: more discussion of The Romance of Tristan and Iseult

Homework for Monday, Sept. 30: Read the story of Farhad and Shirin (Khosraw and Shirin) and the poems referring to it, (to be posted on Canvas).

---Week 6--- (Screening of Tristan and Isolde this week! Date/time to be determined via class Doodle.) Monday, Sept. 30: discussion of Farhad and Shirin (story and poetry); comparison to The Romance of Tristan and Iseult

Homework for Wed., Oct. 2: Read the selections from Sa’di’s Gulistan, (to be posted on Canvas).

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Wednesday, Oct. 2: intro. to Love in Sufi literature: discussion of Sa’di’s Gulistan

Homework for Fri., Oct. 4: Read the selections from Sadi’s Bostan, (to be posted on Canvas).

Friday, Oct. 4: more discussion of Love in Sufi literature: Sadi’s Bostan (The Moth and the Taper)

Homework for Mon., Oct. 7: Read the selected poems by Rumi. Referring to Farhad and Shirin, the selections you have read from Gulistan, Boston and Rumi’s poetry, write Reader Response Paper #4, in which you discuss the following question: “According to Sufi thought, what virtues and vices aid (or hinder) humans on the path of Love?” Upload your paper to Canvas by Monday, Oct. 7 at NOON.

---Week 7--- Monday, October 7: more discussion of Love in Sufi literature: poems by Rumi; view short film about Rumi’s life, works and impact on interfaith dialog

Homework for Wed., Oct. 9: Read more selected poems and stories by Rumi, (to be posted on Canvas). Also, write and upload your response (RR4+) to your partner’s paper on Sufi concepts of love to Canvas by Wed, Oct. 9 at 11:59 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 9: more discussion Love in Sufi literature: more poems/stories by Rumi

Homework for Fri., Oct. 11: Read the selected poems by Yunus Emre, (to be posted on Canvas). By Friday, Oct. 11 at NOON, upload a bibliographic list of the books/articles/films/other material you will be reading/viewing for your final comparative paper, as well as an approximate time schedule (ie. calendar) for the tasks you envision yourself doing. Your schedule should be a realistic work schedule for you, one that you will be able to stick to!

Friday, Oct. 11: final discussion of Love in Sufi literature: poems by Yunus Emre; mid-term information and practice questions distributed/posted on Canvas

Homework for Mon., Oct. 14: Read the selections from The Song of Solomon and the Surah Yusuf, (to be posted on Canvas). Then read the Foreword and pgs. 1-47 (chpts. 1-6) of Jami’s Yusuf and Zulaikha

---Week 8--- Monday, Oct. 14: intro. to Love Texts in the Old Testament and Qur’an; intro. to Jami’s Yusuf and Zulaikha

Homework for Wed., Oct. 16: Read pgs. 48-98 (chpts. 7-14) of Jami’s Yusuf and Zulaikha.

Wednesday, Oct. 16: discussion of Jami’s Yusuf and Zulaikha

Homework for Fri., Oct. 18: Read pgs. 99-146 (chpts.15-20 ) of Jami’s Yusuf and Zulaikha. Reading the Afterword (pgs. 147 to end) is optional, but, of course, recommended.

Friday, Oct. 18: discussion of Jami’s Yusuf and Zulaikha.

Homework for Mon., Oct. 21: Study/prepare your answers for the mid-term exam. Don’t forget that you should be working on the pre-writing steps of your final comparative paper, too!

---Week 9---

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Monday, Oct. 21: Mid-term Exam

Homework for Wed., Oct. 23: Read the selections in the “Ottoman poetry packet #1”, (to be posted on Canvas).

Wednesday, Oct. 23: intro. to Ottoman lyrical poetry; small group discussion/analysis

Homework for Fri., Oct. 25: Read the selections in the “Ottoman poetry packet #2”, (to be posted on Canvas).

Friday, Oct. 25: discussion of Ottoman lyrical poetry; demonstration of how to cluster/map patterns and how to generate a thesis statement

Homework for Mon., Oct. 28: Read pgs. 5 to (the top of) 67 of Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther. Either scan and upload your cluster/map and thesis statement for your final comparative paper to Canvas (by NOON) or bring a hard copy of it to class on Monday, Oct. 28.

---Week 10--- Monday, Oct. 28: intro. to/initial discussion Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther

Homework for Wed., Oct. 30: Read pgs. 67 to the end of Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther.

Wednesday, Oct. 30: more discussion of The Sorrows of Young Werther

Homework for Fri., Nov. 1: By Fri., Nov. 1 at NOON, upload your Reader Response Paper #5 to Canvas. In this paper, compare the experiences of Young Werther to either those of Majnun or those of Zuleikha. Try to include (embed) at least one significant quote from each work that demonstrates a similarity or difference(s) in those two characters’ experiences. Also, read the designated selections in the “European poetry packet #1”, (to be posted on Canvas).

Friday, Nov. 1: discussion of European/American poetry packet #1; mini-lecture on Hafiz, Goethe’s Westlicher- Ostlicher Divan, and Romantic German poetry inspired by Eastern poetry

Homework for Mon. Nov. 4: Read the designated selections in the “European/American poetry packet #2,” (to be posted on Canvas.) Complete the outline (or diagram/map) of your final comparative paper and upload it to Canvas by Monday, Nov. 5th at NOON. Also, write and upload your response (RR5+) to your partner’s paper comparing Werther to another character to Canvas by Mon., Nov. 4 at 11:59 p.m.

---Week 11--- Monday, Nov. 4: discussion of European/American poetry packet #2, small group discussion/analysis

Homework for Wed., Nov. 6: Read pgs. 7-59 of Aitmatov’s Jamilia. Give the writers in your Canvas writers’ support group some constructive feedback on their paper outlines (via the Comment Box on the page/s where you read their outlines) by Wed., Nov. 6 at NOON.

Wednesday, Nov. 6: intro. to/initial discussion Aitmatov’s Jamilia

Homework for Fri., Nov. 8: Read pgs. 60 to the end of Aitmatov’s Jamilia.

Friday, Nov. 8: discussion of Aitmatov’s Jamilia

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Homework for Mon., Nov. 11: By Monday, Nov. 11th at NOON, please upload your rough draft of your final comparative paper to Canvas. Make sure your document is clearly labeled: firstname.lastname.roughdraft. Please also bring two hard copies of your rough draft to class on Monday for peer review.

---Week 12---- Monday, Nov. 11: how to do a constructive, helpful peer review aimed at revision; only the first peer review of a group member’s rough draft to be completed in class! Attendance is VERY IMPORTANT today!

Homework for Wed., Nov. 13: Read pgs. 1-52 of Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi. Read the rough drafts of ALL your writers’ support group members on Canvas. Choose one more rough draft to peer review, communicating with your group members to make sure that everyone’s draft gets reviewed.

Wednesday, Nov. 13: intro. to/initial discussion Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi (pgs.1-52)

Homework for Fri., Nov. 15: Read pgs. 53-99 of Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi. Complete your second rough draft peer review and upload it as an attachment in the Comment Box next to Canvas Assignment of the person whose draft you reviewed by Friday, Nov. 15, at 11:59 p.m. Make sure the document is clearly labeled: firstname.lastname.peer-rev1-of.firstname.lastname.

Friday, Nov. 15: more discussion of Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi (pgs. 53-99)

Homework for Mon., Nov. 18: Read pgs. 100-146 of Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi. Read the peer reviews done on your rough draft and plan how to incorporate (or not incorporate!) that feedback into your revisions.

---Week 13--- Monday, Nov. 18: more discussion of Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi (pgs. 100-146)

Homework for Wed., Nov. 20: Read pgs. 147-199 of Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi.

Wednesday, Nov. 20: more discussion of Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi (pgs. 147-199)

Homework for Friday, Nov. 22: Read pgs. 200-251 of Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi.

Friday, Nov. 22: more discussion of Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi (pgs. 200-251)

Homework for Mon., Nov. 25 and Wednesday, Nov. 27: For Monday, read pgs. 252-300 of Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi. By Wednesday, Nov. 27 at NOON, complete your revised draft of your final comparative paper and upload it to Canvas. Be sure to label your document clearly: firstname.lastname.reviseddraft.

---Week 14--- Monday, Nov. 25: more discussion of Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi (pgs. 252-300); how to do a constructive, helpful peer review aimed at editing/final touches

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! (NO CLASS on Wednesday, Nov. 27, or Friday, Nov. 29.)

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Homework for Mon. Dec. 2: Read pgs. 301 to the end of Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi. By Monday, Dec. 2 at NOON, complete your one peer review of a classmate’s revised draft and upload it as an attachment in the Comment Box on the page where you read that revised draft. Be sure your document is clearly labeled: firstname.lastname.peer.rev2.of.firstname.lastname.

---Week 15 and 16--- Monday, Dec. 2: final discussion of Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Rumi

Homework for the last week of class: After studying the 2nd peer review of your revised draft, prepare your final, edited version of your comparative paper, as well as your oral presentation of your paper’s major points. You must present on the day you selected; but you may turn in your final paper as late as Monday, Dec. 9th, ie. at our last class. Please upload your final paper to Canvas by Monday, Dec. 9th at NOON.

Wednesday, Dec. 4: students’ final presentations; final exam information and practice questions posted on Canvas

Friday, Dec. 6: final presentations; course evaluations

Monday, Dec. 9: final presentations; wrap-up ------

Your FINAL EXAM is on Thursday, December 12, 2019, 9:00 AM-12:00 NOON. Please arrange your Winter Break travel accordingly!

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