English 233 - Winter, 2013

Problems in American Literature

Topic: Environmental History and Literature

Class Information

Instructor: Ziser, Michael
CRN: 52954
Time: W 12:10-3:00
Location: 120 Voorhies
Focus: Interdiscipline, Method

Description

This team-taught interdisciplinary seminar in the environmental humanities is an advanced introduction to an emerging field that explores the changing connections between peoples and the natural world as they are reflected in literature, the arts, and history. Through foundational texts and case studies drawn from environmental history, environmental justice, and ecocriticism, we will sketch out the major substantive questions, methodological challenges, and critical opportunities opened up by transdisciplinary and multi-methodological engagement with environmental issues. Students from all disciplines who are interested in environmental history, ecocriticism, Science Studies, American Studies, and postcolonial studies are encouraged to participate. The seminar will run concurrently with the Environment and Societies colloquium, for advanced students who wish to immerse themselves in the field. (Participation in the colloquium is not a requirement for this seminar, and vice-versa.)

Readings will include literary, historical, critical, and theoretical materials.

Instructors: Diana Davis (History), Julie Sze (American Studies), Michael Ziser (English).

Please note: this seminar is listed under two different departmental designations, English 233 (CRN 52954) and History 202H (CRN 74425). Students should sign up for whichever version works best with the requirements of their particular program. For English graduate students, the course may fulfill either the early or later national requirement, depending on the subject of the final paper.

Grading

weekly attendance and participation, including discussion questions and short reaction papers to be circulated at each meeting (25%); one-time leadership of seminar discussion, including preparation and delivery of a 15-minute framing of the material (8-10 written pages) and moderation of subsequent discussion (25%); final term paper (10-15pp) chosen from literature review, grant proposal, conference paper, prospectus, or article seed formats (50%).

Texts

Walden, Henry Thoreau
Cambridge Introduction to Literature and Environment, Timothy Clark
The Arcadia Project, Corey and Waldrep, eds.
The Hungry Tide, Amitav Ghosh
Defining Environmental Justice, David Schlosberg
Toxic Bodies, Nancy Langston
The Problem of Nature, David Arnold
Zeitoun, Dave Eggers
Killing for Coal, Thomas Andrews