Syllabus for English 180 (Fall 2008)

English 180: Topics in Canadian Literature

ENGS 180 A: 10:10-11:00AM , MWF, Old Mill Annex A202

ENGS 180B: 8:00-8:50 AM, MWF, Lafayette L300

This course is a broad survey of the half-century of fiction in Canada, from just after the Second 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. 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. Throughout the course, we will also interrogate the connection between literature, place, and identity, while also paying attention to 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 semester we will be fortunate to have one of the great fiction writers of the last 30 years come to our class to meet with you. Dr. Alistair MacLeod, the author of two critically acclaimed short story collections, As Birds Bring Forth the Sun and The Lost Salt Gift of Blood and the prize winning novel No Great Mischief will be appearing at this year's Burlington Book Festival on September 13th. He has agreed to come to Burlington a day early to meet with classes at UVM. Later in the semester, we will also have a visit from Dr. Audrey Sprenger,

Another highlight of this semester's class will be your opportunity to participate in the annual (and legendary) Canadian Studies field trip to Ottawa from October 23-25. This is an amazing trip that graduating students frequently cite as being one of their best experiences at UVM. Now in its sixth decade, this annual field trip takes students to the Canada's capital city where we visit Parliament, meet with elected representatives (Members of Parliament), visit the incredible Museum of Civilization and the National Gallery, and attend an Ontario Hockey League hockey game. This is a terrific chance for you to explore Canada's capital city and to learn much more about Canada, its history, and its culture. Students from English 180 who do not go on the trip will be required to complete an alternate reading and writing assignment.

The cost for the trip will be determined by early September. Last year's cost was $215 and we'll do our best to keep it as close to that as we can. If you're interested, make sure that you have either a passport or BOTH an official photo ID (i.e. a driver's license) AND a birth certificate/proof of citizenship.

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:

Gabrielle Roy, The Tin Flute (1945)

Sheila Watson, The Double Hook (1959)

Hubert Aquin, Next Episode (1965)

Margaret Laurence, The Diviners (1974)

Jacques Poulin, Volkswagen Blues (1983)

Alistair MacLeod, No Great Mischief (1999)

Eden Robinson, Monkey Beach (2002)

Dionne Brand, What We All Long For (2005)

Assignments:

First essay: 15% (1500 words), due October ??
Second essay: 25% (2000 words) due December ??
Blog contributions (minimum of one per week): 15%
Participation and attendance: 10% (surprise reading quizzes will be used from time to time to measure preparedness)
Participation in Ottawa trip or alternate assignment: 5%
Final exam: 30%

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. Due to the many requests for extensions due to laptop thefts and hard drive failures, these requests will only be accepted with a copy of the police report number or computer repair service number. Extensions are available when you have too many things due on the same day, but they 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

SCHEDULE TO BE ANNOUNCED BY THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST

Participation and blog grades:

Here's the rubric for how I determine grades for your participation and for blog assignments (if applicable)

Participation

A: Nearly 100% attendance, unless due to illness or family emergency AND active participation in class. Clearly on top of the reading and regularly speaks in class. Always engaged in the discussion, whether vocally contributing or not.

B: Missed very few classes (2 or 3 max), unless due to illness or family emergency. Participated in class vocally on a fairly regular basis, but, more importantly, is always listening and attentive to the ongoing discussion. Unprepared for class occasionally, but usually caught up on the reading and willing to contribute.

C: Misses more than three classes for reasons other than illness or family emergency. Clearly behind in the reading on at least several occasions. Mostly attentive and speaks in class several times over the course of the semester. Makes a good effort to stay involved in class discussion and appears interested.

D: Regularly missing from class and/or frequently appears disinterested. Routinely behind on reading and fails to bring books to class. Leaves class from time to time to take phone calls thinking that the professor thinks they are using the bathroom, continually passes notes back and forth with someone else, works on other homework, reads the newspaper during class, checks e-mail or text messages while instructor or classmates are speaking, all of which, I should add, are apparent to the instructor and your classmates and immediately qualify you for a D.

F: Attendance and participation not worthy of a D or higher. Failure to attend most classes and/or to participate in any meaningful way.

Blogs

A: To earn an A on the blog component of the course all assignments must have been completed and comments posted by the assigned deadline. Comments are thoughtful, fully answer the question asked, and, if specified, take into account the comments of other students.

B: All assignments completed, mostly on time. Thoughtful comments, though perhaps briefer and less engaging than those that merit an A.

C: Most assignments completed, primarily at the end of the semester and/or comments are short, perfunctory answers to the blog prompt with little consideration of the comments of others.

D: Only partial completion of the assignments and comments show little commitment to making a contribution to the discussion.

F: Failure to complete more than 50% of the assigned blog questions.