English 180 syllabus from fall 2007

English 180: Topics in Canadian Literature

ENGS 180 B, 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM, TR, LAFAYETTE L311

This course is a broad survey of the last hundred years of fiction in Canada, from before the First World War to the present day. We will cover novels and stories by writers from Canada's three founding peoples (English, French, and First Nations), although our primary focus will be on texts originally written in English. Throughout the course, we will also interrogate the connection between literature, place, and identity. By covering a wide range of texts from different language and cultural communities and from different regions of Canada, we will gain some perspective of the diversity of Canada, its peoples, and its literatures. At the same time, we will also question the assumptions we inevitably make about any country and its people through reading its literature. As with any survey course covering such a large period of time and variety of literary expression, the selections of readings is not meant to be comprehensive, but rather provides you with a wide sampling of periods, genres, and authors.

This course will also allow you the opportunity to participate in the annual (and legendary) Canadian Studies field trip to Ottawa from October 18-20. this is an amazing trip that students frequently cite as being one of their best experiences at UVM. Although I am not requiring participation from the students in English 180, I strongly encourage you to participate. This is a terrific chance for you to explore Canada's capital city and to learn much more about the cultures and places about which we will be reading. Students from 180 who do not go on the trip will be required to complete an alternative assignment.

Finally, I also encourage you to purchase your books from the campus bookstore. A number of the books I've chosen are not normally available in the United States and the UVM bookstore has gone to great efforts to track them down for us. You will find it easier and not likely much more expensive -- if at all -- to buy these books on campus rather than online.

Required Texts:
Stephen Leacock, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town (Norton Critical Edition only)
Gabrielle Roy, The Tin Flute
Hubert Aquin, Next Episode
Margaret Laurence, The Diviners
Michael Ondaatje, In the Skin of a Lion
George Elliott Clarke, George and Rue
Eden Robinson, Monkey Beach

Also required: a course notebook or journal to bring with you to every class for freewriting assignments.

Assignments

First essay: 15% (1500 words), due October 16
Second essay: 25% (2000 words) due December 4
Blog contributions (minimum of one per week): 20%
Participation and attendance: 10%
Participation in Ottawa trip or alternate assignment: 5%
Final exam: 25%

English 180: Topics in Canadian Literature

ENGS 180 B, 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM, TR, LAFAYETTE L311

This course is a broad survey of the last hundred years of fiction in Canada, from before the First World War to the present day. We will cover novels and stories by writers from Canada's three founding peoples (English, French, and First Nations), although our primary focus will be on texts originally written in English. Throughout the course, we will also interrogate the connection between literature, place, and identity. By covering a wide range of texts from different language and cultural communities and from different regions of Canada, we will gain some perspective of the diversity of Canada, its peoples, and its literatures. At the same time, we will also question the assumptions we inevitably make about any country and its people through reading its literature. As with any survey course covering such a large period of time and variety of literary expression, the selections of readings is not meant to be comprehensive, but rather provides you with a wide sampling of periods, genres, and authors.

This course will also allow you the opportunity to participate in the annual (and legendary) Canadian Studies field trip to Ottawa from October 18-20. this is an amazing trip that students frequently cite as being one of their best experiences at UVM. Although I am not requiring participation from the students in English 180, I strongly encourage you to participate. This is a terrific chance for you to explore Canada's capital city and to learn much more about the cultures and places about which we will be reading. Students from 180 who do not go on the trip will be required to complete an alternative assignment.

Finally, I also encourage you to purchase your books from the campus bookstore. A number of the books I've chosen are not normally available in the United States and the UVM bookstore has gone to great efforts to track them down for us. You will find it easier and not likely much more expensive -- if at all -- to buy these books on campus rather than online.

Required Texts:
Stephen Leacock, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town (Norton Critical Edition only)
Gabrielle Roy, The Tin Flute
Hubert Aquin, Next Episode
Margaret Laurence, The Diviners
Michael Ondaatje, In the Skin of a Lion
George Elliott Clarke, George and Rue
Eden Robinson, Monkey Beach

Also required: a course notebook or journal to bring with you to every class for freewriting assignments.

Assignments

First essay: 15% (1500 words), due October 16
Second essay: 25% (2000 words) due December 4
Blog contributions (minimum of one per week): 20%
Participation and attendance: 10%
Participation in Ottawa trip or alternate assignment: 5%
Final exam: 25%

N.B. Late assignments will be penalized one grade increment per day past the assigned deadline, unless accompanied by a doctor's note outlining medical reasons for the delay. Extensions are available, but must be requested in writing no later than one week in advance of the original due date. There are no exceptions.

Tentative Schedule

BOOKS ARE TO BE READ IN THEIR ENTIRETY BY THE FIRST DAY WE START DISCUSSING THEM IN CLASS

Aug. 28: Introduction

Aug. 30: Literary histories of Canada

Sept. 4: Stephen Leacock, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town

Sept. 6: Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town

Sept. 11: Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town

Sept. 13: Québec literature and the realist novel; Gabrielle Roy, The Tin Flute (Bonheur d'occasion)

(Sept 14-16: Burlington Book Festival: Canadian writers Marie-Louise Gay, Sue Elmslie, and Jeffrey Moore)

Sept. 18: The Tin Flute

Sept. 20: The Tin Flute

Sept. 25: Performance by James Douglas, Sunshine and Shadows

Sept. 27: The Tin Flute

Oct. 2: Hubert Aquin, Next Episode (Prochain Épisode)

Oct. 4: Next Episode

Oct. 9: Next Episode

Oct. 11: Margaret Laurence, The Diviners

Oct. 16: The Diviners (FIRST ESSAY DUE)

Oct. 18 - Ottawa Trip!

Oct. 23: The Diviners

Oct. 25: The Diviners

Oct. 30: Michael Ondaatje, In the Skin of a Lion

Nov. 1: In the Skin of a Lion

Nov. 6: In the Skin of a Lion

Nov. 8: George Elliott Clarke, George and Rue

Nov. 13: George and Rue

Nov. 15: no class, George and Rue discussion continues online

Nov. 19-23: US Thanksgiving

Nov. 27: George and Rue

Nov. 29: First Nations literature; Eden Robinson, Monkey Beach

Dec. 4: Monkey Beach (Second essay due)

Dec. 6 - Monkey Beach (last day of class)

Dec. 10, 8 AM - FINAL EXAM (the final exam is on all material covered in the course and consists of an essay and a series of passage identification questions)

The Blind Assassin

Here are a few links to some interviews with Margaret Atwood from around the time of the publication of The Blind Assassin:

Margaret Atwood: Queen of Can Lit: A series of clips from the CBC archives about Margaret Atwood. Watch the clip of her 2000 interview with Evan Solomon

An interesting interview with January Magazine

Atwood interviewed by Charlie Rose about The Blind Assassin (also a 2007 interview with him)

Another magazine interview following The Blind Assassin

Interview and reading by Atwood on Minnesota Public Radio