English R1A

Other Readings and Media

"Life and Times of Michael K. by J.M. Coetzee

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

A Gesture Life by Chang-rae Lee

Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys

Tropic of Orange by Karen Tei Yamashita

A course reader of short stories and poems will be made available during the first week of class. "

Description

"A nomad is typically understood as a wanderer, rootless and given to vagrancy. However, as suburbanization and over-inflated housing markets continue to override interests in creating and maintaining public spaces, it might be more fitting to consider the nomad in terms of stagnancy: where can a nomad wander to if there is nowhere to go? Indeed, it might be truer to consider a nomad as the figure whom no one can get rid of. In this course, we will begin to define what ?nomad? might mean through the various texts we will be reading. Who and what might be considered nomadic? How does the nomad relate to the concept of a community? Moreover, how does the idea of a nomad or nomadic ways of life structure our readings of fictional works?



Since this course is designed to foster critical writing, you will be required to write a number of short essays (2-4 typewritten pages) that will help hone your skills in critical analysis and argumentation. And because no paper is ever created in a day, this course will further emphasize writing as a process of revision. To that end, you will be writing an equal number of drafts and revisions of your essays so that, ultimately, you will be writing a minimum of 32 pages. Small exercises will be assigned occasionally to aid you in not only the intense process of writing, but also to help you understand that essays are creative acts. "