English R1B

Reading & Composition: Reading California

Book List

Gale, Kate and Veronique de Turenne, Eds.: The Devil's Punchbowl: A Cultural and Geographical Map of California Today; Ridge, John Rollin: The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta;

Recommended: Tan, Amy: The Joy Luck Club

Other Readings and Media

Selections by Pico Iyer, Maxine Hong Kingston, Wendy Rose, Greg Sarris, Michael Chabon, and others.

Description

This course will examine literature produced in and about California.  After grounding our inquiries with Indigenous stories and questions of performance, we will then explore the convergences of narrative, geography, identity, and economics as portrayed by California writers from the Gold Rush to the present.  Our inquiries will engage a range of perspectives, offering students a chance to read widely about California and conduct research about a topic of great personal interest.

English R1B is a writing-intensive course that develops students’ practical fluency with expository and argumentative writing.  This course also builds and refines the skills required for university-level research.  Essay assignments include a short (2-3 page) essay early in the semester, followed by a longer paper (4-6 pages) at midterm and an extensive research paper (8-10 pages) during finals.  These two longer papers will undergo an extensive series of drafts and revisions.  Research projects will enable students to focus on anything related to California.  Students will present their research to the class before submitting the final paper.