What is an author? Why become one? How does the profession of writing interact with the art of writing? In this course, we'll discuss these questions in the context of the development of "American literature" in the nineteenth century. We'll examine th
e image of "the writer" as a public persona and how that image affected the works writers produced and the ways audiences read. We'll consider the processes and structures of the nineteenth-century publishing business and how that business affected both w
riting and reading. We'll consider some practical issues related to reading, but we'll also discuss how people thought about reading. Ruth Hall, by Sara Payson Willis Parton (aka Fanny Fern) A Hazard of New Fortunes, by William Dean Howells Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe Martin Eden, by Jack London The Profession of Authorship in America, 1800 - 1870, by William Charvat The course schedule also lists some short readings from well-known American writers, which are available in many anthologies. If you do not own a set of American literature anthologies, this might be a good time to buy one. If not, borrow from friends
or libraries. I have several anthologies in my office that you may borrow to make copies of these pieces. In addition, I've put a number of less widely-available short readings and several literary histories on reserve. We'll read sections from some of these histories as a class, and you'll use others for your seminar papers. Reading responses. Each week, you'll write notes in preparation
for
discussion of the assigned readings -- no more than 3 typed pages per week, please. I will not grade these, but they are required, and I will write responses to them. If you do not com
plete at least 6 of these, you will not pass the course. This ungraded writing allows us to have an on-going, personal "conversation on paper," focusing on the issues and ideas that interest you as an individual reader, and they help you prepare for more
engaged class discussions. I will collect these responses on Mondays starting next week. You may choose which 6 weeks of the term to turn in this writing, and you should check in with me at least a few weeks before the quarter ends to be sure you've fulfi
lled the 6- entry requirement. Seminar papers. Once during the quarter, you'll write a short
(3-6)
page critical essay on a section of a book of literary history. You must make copies of this paper and distribute copies them to the whole class, and they will become part of the requi
red reading for the course. More than one person may be responsible for each reading, and you may write these papers collaboratively if you wish. Critical papers, including a preliminary proposal. You will also
write a substantial, 10- 15 page research paper on a topic of your choice related to this course. You may choose to examine one writer's professional career, or you might examine a trend
or theme that you notice as we proceed through course readings. These papers should draw on both primary and secondary materials.
You must submit a proposal for this project on January 30. You will receive a grade on this proposal before the midterm drop deadline, and I will factor your proposal grade into your final grade on the paper. I will only accept final papers for which I
have approved a proposal. This will help ensure that your paper is appropriate for the course, and it will give you an opportunity to get individual advice and assistance from me early on in the project. Your final course grade will be based on your two papers, with more weight given to the longer final paper. Your participation in class discussions will help me determine course grades for people with borderline grades on the papers. This schedule may change if we find that we need more or less time on some topics or readings. Wednesday, Jan. 4 Handout on ideas about authorship Monday, Jan. 9 Charvat, Introduction and Chapters I & II Ronald Zboray, "Antebellum Reading and the Ironies of Technological Innovation," in Reading in America -- ON RESERVE Wednesday, Jan. 11 Nina Baym, "Early Histories of American Literature: A Chapter in the Institution of New England," in Feminism and American Literary History -- ON RESERVE Ideas about "American literature" from the antebellum period -- read both Emerson essays plus one of the other three: Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The Poet" Emerson, "The American Scholar" Margaret Fuller, "American Literature" -- ON RESERVE Walt Whitman, excerpt from "Democratic Vistas" James Russell Lowell, "A Fable for Critics" Wednesday, Jan. 18 Charvat, Chapters V and VII Washington Irving, from the Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, the "Author's Account of Himself" and "Rip Van Winkle" Seminar paper due: R. Jackson Wilson, Figures of Speech, "Washington Irving" (see me for a copy) Monday, Jan. 23 Edgar Allan Poe, "Principles of Composition" Book I, XVII, XVIII, XXV (sec. iii) from Herman Melville's Pierre -- ON RESERVE Rose Terry Cooke, "A Letter to Mary Ann" and "Matilda Muffin" -- ON RESERVE Charvat, Chapters VIII, X, and XIII Longfellow poems, TBA Seminar paper Wednesday, Jan. 25 Ruth Hall -- read the novel plus at least 3 of her essays and the critical introduction Seminar papers due: Susan Coultrap-McQuin, Doing Literary Business, Chs. 1 and 2 Mary Kelley, Private Woman, Public Stage, Chs. 1 & 6 Nina Baym, Woman's Fiction, Chs. 1 and 2 Monday, Jan. 30 Richard Brodhead, "Starting Out in the 1860s" -- in Cultures of Letters -- ON RESERVE Research proposals due Wednesday, Feb. 1 Excerpt from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl -- ON RESERVE Monday, Feb. 6 Uncle Tom's Cabin Seminar paper due: Stephen Railton, Authorship and Audience, Ch. IV Wednesday, Feb. 8 Jane Tompkins, "Sentimental Power: Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Politics of Literary History" -- ON RESERVE Seminar paper Monday, Feb. 13 Charles Chesnutt, "The Goophered Grapevine" Brodhead, "'Why Could Not a Colored Man?': Chesnutt and the Transaction of Authorship," in Cultures of Letters -- ON RESERVE Wednesday, Feb. 15 Nineteenth-century periodicals -- for this session, I'll give you a list of periodicals available in Maag Library and ask you to do some browsing in preparation for class discussion. Monday, Feb. 20 A Hazard of New Fortunes Seminar papers due: Christopher P. Wilson, "Magazining for the Masses," in The Labor of Words Daniel H. Borus, "Fifth Avenue Takes Command," in Writing Realism Borus, "The Novelist at the Desk," in Writing Realism Wednesday, Feb. 22 William Dean Howells, "The Man of Letters as a Man of Business" -- ON RESERVE Seminar papers Monday, Feb. 27 Martin Eden Seminar paper due: Wilson, "The Brain Worker: Jack London," in The Labor of Words Wednesday, Feb. 29 Seminar papers Q & A on research papers Monday, March 5 and Wednesday, March 7 Brief presentations of research paper topics Monday, March 13 Research papers due by 7 pm "A writer can only become a writer by first
constructing
some working idea of what a writer is and does. Such definitions are never merely self-generated but are formed in and against the understandings of this role that are operati
ve in a particular cultural space."
-- Richard Brodhead, Cultures of
Letters
COURSE GOALS
REQUIRED TEXTS
ASSIGNMENTS
GRADING
ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE: