English 100

Other Readings and Media

(works marked with an asterisk, or selections from them, will be available online or in a course reader) *Dana, Richard H., Two Years before the Mast; *Vallejo, Mariano G., et al., Mexican California/Gold Rush Narratives; *Farnham, Eliza, California, in-doors and out; *Harte, Bret, Stories and Sketches; *Browne, J. Ross, A Peep at Washoe/Washoe Revisited; *Ridge, John. R., Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta; *King, Clarence, Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada; *Stevenson, Robert L., The Silverado Squatters; *Muir, John, The Mountains of California; Clemens, Samuel C. [Mark Twain], Roughing It: U C Press, ISBN 978-0-520-23892-3; Ruiz de Burton, Maria A., The Squatter and the Don: Random House, ISBN 978-0-8129-7289-4; Jackson, Helen H., Ramona: Penguin, ISBN 978-0-451-52842-1; Norris, Frank, The Octopus: Dover, ISBN 978-0-486-43212-0; Austin, Mary, The Land of Little Rain: Random House, ISBN 978-0-8129-6852-1.

Description

Besides reading and discussing fiction and poetry with Western settings, and essays attempting to identify or explain distinctive regional characteristics, this course will include consideration of some movies shaped by and shaping conceptions of California . Writing will consist of a term paper of 16-20 pages. Depending on enrollment, each student will be responsible for organizing and leading class discussion (probably teamed with another student) once during the semester. There will be no quizzes or exams, but seminar attendance and participation will be expected, and will affect grades.