Contemporary Novel

Instructor Joel Peckham

Course English 283-001

Section: 2: Contemporary U.S. Novel

Meetings TH 9:30AM-10:45AM

Location CCSTUDENT 235

Office hours

E-mail joel.peckham@yahoo.com

Phone

Synopsis

An undergraduate–level examination of recent novels from a diverse array of American authors.

Description

This course is devoted to the contemporary novel. Its aim is to provide an overview

of currently developing—and often competing—trends in contemporary literature and to

provoke a discussion of how theses texts reflect American Culture over the past 25 years.

To this end, we’ll read four American novels and explore how those works of fiction comment on and make art out of the tensions inherent in a diverse and rapidly shifting political, economic, sexual, ethnic and racial landscape of this society. I have deliberately chosen works that frankly, and explicitly question and challenge American values and mores—not because I wish to offend or change sensibilities, but because exposure to different ways of seeing the world is an integral and invaluable part of human growth and development. If you are easily shocked or offended, you may want to reconsider taking this class.

Objectives

This course has three primary objectives:

First, it aims to broaden student knowledge of the novel as a genre—its tradition and it’s development as it responds to the particular realities of the later 20^th and early 21^st century. This will require some discussion of genre theory. We will ask, what is a novel and how does a contemporary novel draw from and change/challenge the tradition of the novel.

This leads us to our second objective, to explore how culture informs the novel and how novelists respond to their moment in time and place. To that end we will study postmodernism as a concept and postmodern literary theory as a practice—particularly theoretical articles dealing with issues of power, gender, race, and ethnicity in literature and the arts. We will also explore the novels in context- studying political and social events surrounding the authors who wrote them.

Finally, since the course will require a literary paper, short journal responses and two exams, it will build upon, develop, and refine reading and writing skills nurtured in 101, 102, and other literary courses offered at UC campuses.

Readings:

Bastard Out of Carolina (Essential Ed)
--Dorothy Allison

Reservation Blues
-- Sherman Alexie

A Gathering of Old Men (Trade Ed)
-- Ernest Gaines

The Kite Runner
-- Kahleed Hosseini

Expectations--Written Work--Grading

This class meets on Tuesday and Thursday and everyday, students will have reading assigned and will be expected to not only have done the reading but to have responded to that reading both verbally and on paper. There will no days off. If you keep up with the reading, ask good questions when you get confused and /or are interested, are engaged and involved in class discussion and complete your work on time, you have a good chance of doing well. If that is beyond your abilities, please drop the course today.

Tuesday Responses—200 pts out of 1000

Tuesday responses will be short, 350-500 word typed replies to questions on the text given by the professor on Thursday of the preceding week. They will be graded on the quality of thinking, the completeness of the answer and evidence that the text has been read carefully by the student. Each Tuesday, a different student will be asked to read his or her response to the class.

Thursday Quizzes—200 pts out of 1000

Thursday quizzes will be relatively simple reading comprehension quizzes on the material covered in the novels in the readings between Tuesday and Thursday. Questions will be extremely short answer and will ask about the actions and major statements of characters in the novel. The lowest response grade will be dropped.

Term Paper—300 pts out of 1000

For the term paper, students will be asked to examine one of the novels read for the class within the context of one of the supplemental readings assigned with the novel. No outside research will be required and a list of possible topics will be provided at mid-term. Students will be required to turn in a rough-draft of at least 1000 words a week before the paper is due. The final paper should be 5-6 pages in length, double-spaced and between 1250 and 1350 words in length. The paper will be in MLA format. An assignment sheet will be provided in advance. A term paper turned in one week in advance of the deadline may be revised for a completely new grade.

Final Exam—300 pts out of 1000

The final exam will be cumulative and drawn from the Tuesday responses and Thursday quizzes. There will be a short answer section and an essay portion. Possible essay questions will be provided two weeks prior to the final exam.

What to do if you miss class: Students are responsible for obtaining any notes that they miss and for turning in responses for missed days via e-mail, before the beginning of the class that they must miss (otherwise the work will be given a zero). There’s no such thing as a legitimate reason for not handing in a written response on time. If a student must miss a Thursday quiz for a legitimate, documented, absence, that missing quiz will not affect their overall quiz grade. If a student misses a second quiz he or she must complete an extra response on a question of the teacher’s choosing or will receive a zero on that quiz grade.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES:

Withdrawal dates:

Withdrawals are subject to the standard University of Cincinnati procedures and dates.  The student, not the professor, is responsible for completing the appropriate withdrawal procedures. 

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is a serious academic offense. This is the University’s definition of plagiarism:

•Submitting another's published or unpublished work, in whole, in part, or in paraphrase, as one's own without fully and properly crediting the author with footnotes, citations or bibliographical reference.

•Submitting as one's own original work material obtained from an individual or agency without reference to the person or agency as the source of the material.

•Submitting as one's own original work material that has been produced through unacknowledged collaboration with others without release in writing from the collaborators.

We will be working on how to properly cite sources in 103. Therefore, there will be no excuse for plagiarizing in this class.

American with Disabilities Act policy

The policy of the University of Cincinnati Clermont College requires students with physical or learning disabilities to identify themselves to the coordinator of disability services, Jennifer Radt, in the Student Services Building, for appropriate academic assistance.

POLICIES OF THIS PROFESSOR:

A.       Completion of the drop/add process and the withdrawal process is the responsibility of the student.

B.       Absence Policy:  Don’t miss the class if you can avoid it. Missing classes will make it very hard for you to succeed in this class. Please see above, “What to do if you miss class.”

C.       Tardiness.  If you are late you should be respectful of the people whose education you are disrupting. Sneak into class, find a seat near the front and make sure to apologize to the professor after the class is over.

D.      Policy for make-up work.  Students are responsible to complete any work they miss during an absence.  Missed work can only be made up if the student has a legitimate excuse for missing the class and provides supporting documentation.  Legitimate excuses include illness, serious family obligations, and sanctioned college activities for which absence is required. 

E.       Harassment Policy:  I see sexual and racial harassment as a direct attack not only on the victim, but on the entire community.  Harassment is any behavior that would either threaten a reasonable person or inhibit that person’s ability to learn or work by creating an uncomfortable environment.  Don’t say or do anything to a fellow student that you wouldn’t say or do to your own mother, father, sister, or brother.   Sexual or racial comments made in the classroom, even if not directed at anyone in particular and even if made in jest, will be considered harassment.   The presence of materials that demean others –inappropriate or offensive  t-shirts or magazines for example—will also be considered harassment.  Such behavior will directly affect the offending student’s grade for class participation and may result in dismissal from the class for the day or even for the quarter. 

F.      Late Assignments:  I do not accept late assignments.  Assignments should be ready for submission at the beginning of class on the day that they are due.  Because I understand that events may happen that are beyond a student’s control, I allow for one 24 hour pass a semester.  That means that one time during the semester, for whatever reason you might have, or for no reason at all, you may hand in an assignment 24 hours late.  If an assignment is due on a Friday, I expect you to send it to me over the e-mail by attachment or as text by Saturday, 11am.  If electronic submission is not possible, contact me and I will arrange another method for you to hand in the assignment on time.  I urge students to use this option only when and if they desperately need it. If a student must miss a class on the day an assignment is to be turned in, the student must find another student to turn it in for them or must send the assignment to me via e-mail by the beginning of class on the day the assignment is due.  I will make rare exceptions if I have ample reasons. The 24 hour pass cannot be used for a final portfolio or a pop-quiz..   A late portfolio will assure failure in the course.

Reading Schedule (specific chapters assigned in class)

Week 1 (9/24) Welcome and introduction. Alexie

Week 2 (9/28) Alexie

WEEK 3 (10/5) Alexie

WEEK 4 (10/12) Allison

WEEK 5 (10/19) Allison

WEEK 6 (10/27) Allison

WEEK 7 (11/2) Gaines

WEEK 8 (11/9) Gaines

WEEK 9 (11/16) Hosseini

WEEK 10 (11/23) Hosseini

WEEK 11 (11/30) Hosseini

WEEK 12 (12/7) Finals Week

Major Deadlines

Reading Responses Due Every Tuesday

Comprehension Quiz Due Every Thursday

11/17 Term Paper Deadline