The Age
of Irony: 8 Credit Half Time Program, Fall/Winter/Spring 2003-04
Faculty: Susan Preciso X6011 precisos@evergreen.edu |
 |
Meets: Mondays and Wednesdays 6:00-9:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 24
and Saturday, May 15, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Location:
Seminar II Building B2109
This
year-long program will be organized thematically, examining turning points
in American life and thought, especially the development of our sense of irony,
reflected in politics and culture. Each quarter has a distinct focus,
but all have clear interdisciplinary connections. Fall quarter's work
focused on wars and their consequences--intended and unintended--concentrating
on World Wars I and II and the Vietnam War. During Winter quarter, we
studied three key movements for social change: the progressive movements of
the early 20th century, the African American Civil Rights Movement of the
mid-century, and the second wave of feminism of the 1960s and 1970s. Students
wrote articles based on their historical research published them in a program
web-zine. During Spring quarter's study of culture as history, we will
see how these turning points were and are reflected in our cultural lives.
With WeÕll focus on literature
and film, with attention to music and the visual arts, and the program will
participate in a campus-wide commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the
Supreme Court's school desegregation decision, Brown v. Board . This
is an all-level program, ideal for returning and transfer students. It is
a broad liberal arts program designed for students who want to improve their
historical knowledge and (multi)cultural literacy. We will also work
closely with Caryn Cline to integrate film study into our work each quarter.
New students will be admitted, space permitting, if they complete a prerequisite
assignment. (see faculty)
Credits
for Spring may include twentieth-century American history, twentieth century
American literature, film study, and academic writing.
Program
Requirements:
Excellent
attendance and full participation in all program activities.
New
students must read, write responses, and attend a brief seminar on The
Perils of Prosperity, by William Leuchtenburg, and Our War, by
David Harris. Seminars will be held April 5th and 12th
from 5 to 6 p.m.
Completed
essay response to readings.
Complete
a creative/expressive project relating to fall and winter themes.
Completed
portfolio to include all written work: essay responses, lecture notes, project
drafts and final copies, 1 page evaluation of Evening and Weekend Studies
Liberal Arts Forum, self-evaluation and faculty evaluation.
Upper
division credit is possible for students who complete all basic assignments
at a high level of competence and who write consistently at the two highest
levels of the writing rubric (see web page "essay response" section).
Books
Cultural Criticism: A Primer of Key Concepts,
by Arthur Asa Berger, paperback, Sage Publications, 1994
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925,
Paperback: Scribner 1995
Babbitt, by Sinclair Lewis, 1922, Paperback:
Penguin USA 1996
Another Country, by James Baldwin, 1962, Paperback: Vintage; 1992
Jim Crow's Children, by Peter Irons; Paperback:
Penguin USA 2004
A Feather on the Breath of God: A Novel, by
Sigrid Nunez; Paperback: Perennial; 1996 This book is out of print,
but the bookstore will have about 30 copies. Please to try to find it at alibris.com
or ilwulocal5.com or abebooks.com
or another used source.
How to Read a Film: The World of Movies, Media,
and Multimedia: Language, History, Theory, by James Monaco Paperback:
Oxford Press; 3rd edition 2000
Howl, by Allen Ginsburg, 1956, special edition
available in the bookstore, or another edition of your choice.
Then,
choose one dystopian novel, and one World War II book
Dystopian novels:
The Dispossessed : A Novel, by Ursula K. Le
Guin, 1974, Paperback: Perennial; 2003
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, 1932; Paperback:
Perennial; Reprint 1998
Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel, by George Orwell,
1949, Paperback: Plume, May 2003
Fahrenheit
451, by Ray Bradbury, 1953, Paperback: Del Rey; Reissue 1987
World
War II books:
Catch
22, by Joseph Heller, 1961, Paperback: Simon & Schuster 1996
Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, 1969,
Paperback: Dell Publishing; 1991
The Thin Red Line, by James Jones, 1962,
Paperback: Delta; 1998
The
books will be available at the Evergreen bookstore and other sources. All
will be on closed or open reserve in the Evergreen Library.
Schedule Note: this printed copy of the schedule is not final. Please
check for updates on the class web site.
| Week 1 Wednesday,
March 31 Finish Berger and bring 2 copies of essay response for seminar on Monday. |
|
Week 2 Monday, April 5 Workshop
on Berger with things as historical artifacts. Assignment: Read The
Great Gatsby and Chapter 1 "Film as Art"
pages 22-65 from film book. Wednesday, April 7 Movies
and lecture/workshop with Caryn Cline: My Man Godfrey Assignments: Finish Gatsby and bring two copies of essay response
for seminar. Also, read Chapter 3 "The
Language of Film: Signs
and Syntax" pages 152-225 from film book |
Week
3
Monday, April 12 Seminar
on Gatsby. Lecture: Who's Who in early 20th Century
Fiction. Assignment: Begin Babbitt and Baffler article, preparing essay
response for Monday. Wednesday, April 14 Movie:
American Beauty and lecture by Caryn Cline. |
|
Week 4 Monday,
April 19 Performance piece by Jimee Lowe. Seminar on Babbitt. Assignment: read
World War II novel and bring 2 copies of essay response for Saturday.
|
|
Week 5 Monday, April 26 Guest
Lecture: Arun Chandra on music and politics. Caryn Cline lecture/workshop
and Film: Bird Assignment:
Read Flannery O'Connor short stories and Chapter
6 "Media: In the Middle of Things" "Community"-pp.
428-440 and 465-515 Television and Video in film book. |
|
Week 6 Monday, May 3 Seminar
on O'Connor. Assignment: read Jim Crow's Children Wednesday, May 5 Guest
Lecture: Ann Storey on Chicano political poster art. Assignment: finish
Jim Crow's Children and bring 2 copies of essay response for Monday,
May 10. |
|
Week 7 Monday, May 10 Class
will meet at North Thurston High School (details to come) Speaker and
seminar: Peter Irons, author of Jim Crow's Children. Assignment: Read
dystopian novel and bring 2 copies of essay response for Saturday. Wednesday, May 12 Film
and discussion with Caryn Cline: In the Heat of the Night Saturday, May 15 Novel
workshop and Howl. Assignment: work on your project. |
| Week 8 Monday, May 17 Poetry
night |
|
Week 9 Monday, May 24 Seminar:
A Feather on the Breath of God, presentations of student work. Wednesday, May 26 Presentations
of student work. |
|
Week 10 Monday, May 31 No Class Ð Memorial Day holiday Wednesday, June 2 Pot
Luck, party, celebration and a couple of remaining student presentations.
Program Reflection Turn
in Portfolios |
|
June 7-11 Evaluation
week, conferences. Graduation is June 11, then Summer break! |