UNIT ONE - SIMULATING AMERICA

 



WEEK 1

8/21
INTRODUCTIONS

8/23
THE DAY OF THE LOCUST
CH 1-10 (pp 21-67)

"POSTMODERNISM" - McGOWAN (HO)


WEEK 2

8/28
THE DAY OF THE LOCUST
CH 11-27 (pp 68-202)

"MECHANICAL REPRODUCTION" - BENJAMIN (P)
AFTERSHERRIELEVINE.COM

8/30
THE CRYING OF LOT 49
CH 1-3 (pp 1-63)

REMEDIOS VARO - BORDANDO EL MANTO TERRESTRE


WEEK 3

9/4
THE CRYING OF LOT 49
CH 4-6 (pp 64-152)

"SIMULACRA AND SIMULATIONS" - BAUDRILLARD (P)
"SAN JOSE SEMAPHORE"
"DECODING THE SAN JOSE SEMAPHORE"
"SAN JOSE SEMAPHORE: THE SOLUTION"

THURN UND TAXISTHURN UND TAXISTHURN UND TAXIS

9/6
WHITE NOISE
CH 1-10 (pp 3-46)

BAUDRILLARD ON JOGGING (HO)


WEEK 4

9/11
WHITE NOISE
CH 11-21 (pp 47-163)

SHORT PAPER #1 DUE

9/13
WHITE NOISE
CH 22-28 (pp 167-219)

"SUPERSATURATION, PART I" - GITLIN (HO)

VERMEER - THE CONCERT (c 1665)


WEEK 5

9/18
WHITE NOISE
CH 29-40 (pp 220-326)

"SUPERSATURATION, PART II " - GITLIN (HO)

9/20
IN PERSUASION NATION
SECT i (pp 1-61)


WEEK 6

9/25
IN PERSUASION NATION
SECT ii + iii through "BRAD CARRIGAN" (pp 63-154)

"TRAVELS IN HYPERREALITY, PART I" - ECO (HO)

DISCUSSION LEADER - JOSH

9/27
IN PERSUASION NATION
SECT iii + iv (pp 155-228)

"TRAVELS IN HYPERREALITY, PART II" - ECO (HO)

DISCUSSION LEADER - VANESSA

 
 
UNIT TWO - WORD PLAY

 



WEEK 7

10/2
THE TICKET THAT EXPLODED
pp 1 - 151 (up to "SHUFFLE CUT")

"CUT-UPS SELF-EXPLAINED" - BRION GYSIN (P)

LISTEN TO THE FOLLOWING AUDIO CLIP:

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“ORIGIN AND THEORY OF THE TAPE CUT-UPS," FROM A LECTURE GIVEN BY WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS AT THE JACK KEROUAC SCHOOL OF DISEMBODIED POETICS AT NAROPA INSTITUTE, APRIL 20, 1976.

DISCUSSION LEADER - BRENT

WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

10/4
THE TICKET THAT EXPLODED
pp 152 - 217

"DEATH OF THE AUTHOR" - BARTHES (HO)

DISCUSSION LEADER - JUSTIN V.


WEEK 8

10/9
ALPHABETICAL AFRICA
pp 1 - 101 (up to the second "R")

OPTIONAL:
"SENTIMENTAL RE-EDUCATION" - UPDIKE ON ABISH

DISCUSSION LEADER - JOE

10/11
ALPHABETICAL AFRICA
pp 102 - 152

DISCUSSION LEADER - JASON

 
 
UNIT THREE - METAFICTION

 



WEEK 9

10/16
LOST IN THE FUNHOUSE
pp 1 - 100 (through the story "ECHO")

SHORT PAPER #2 DUE

10/18
LOST IN THE FUNHOUSE
pp 101 - 194 (from "TWO MEDITATIONS" through end)

"THE LITERATURE OF EXHAUSTION" - BARTH (HO)

DISCUSSION LEADER - EMILY


WEEK 10

10/23
"IS IT SEXUAL HARRASMENT YET" - MAZZA (HO)
"THE WRITERS' MODEL" - GILES (HO)

OPTIONAL:
DUMB AND DUMBLEDORE

DISCUSSION LEADER - HOLLY

10/25
"WILD DESIRE" - BRENNAN (HO)
"SCISSORS KICK" - HUSS (HO)
"FIVE ON FICTION" - KAUFFMAN (HO)

DISCUSSION LEADER - SARAH

DIANE ARBUS - PUERTO RICAN WOMAN WITH A BEAUTY MARK, N.Y.C. 1965

 
 
UNIT FOUR - HISTORIOGRAPHIC METAFICTION

 



WEEK 11

10/30
RAGTIME
pp 1 - 105 (section I)

SHORT PAPER #3 DUE

DISCUSSION LEADER - CANDICE

11/1
RAGTIME
pp 109 - 212 (section II)

"THE CULTURAL LOGIC OF LATE CAPITALISM" -
FREDRIC JAMESON (excerpt, HO)

OPTIONAL: ON PAGE 110, BRIGIT IS LISTENING TO A RECORD OF JOHN McCORMICK SINGING "I HEAR YOU CALLING ME." I'VE ADDED A VIDEO OF McCORMICK DOING THE SAME SONG (ALBEIT IN 1929) TO THE PLAYER AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.

DISCUSSION LEADER - LAURA

EVELYN NESBIT

EVELYN NESBIT

CHARLES DANA GIBSON - "THE ETERNAL QUESTION" (1905)


WEEK 12

11/6
RAGTIME
pp 215 - 320 (sections III + IV)

"FALSE DOCUMENTS" - DOCTOROW (HO)

DISCUSSION LEADER - JAMIE

11/8
MUMBO JUMBO
pp 1 - 57 (chapters 1 through 15)

DISCUSSION LEADER - RACHEL H.


WEEK 13

11/13
MUMBO JUMBO
pp 58 - 156 (chapters 16 through 50)

DISCUSSION LEADER - RACHEL W.

11/15
MUMBO JUMBO
pp 156 - 223 (chapter 51 through bibliography)

THERE WEREN'T AS MANY MUSICAL REFERENCES FROM THE 20TH CENTURY IN THE 3RD SECTION, SO I'VE ONLY ADDED ONE TRACK TO THE MUMBO JUMBO AUDIO COMPANION:

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DISCUSSION LEADER - PHILIP


WEEK 14

11/20
MIDDLE PASSAGE
pp 1 - 43 ("Entry, the first" + "Entry, the second")

"HISTORIOGRAPHIC METAFICTION" - HUTCHEON (HO)

11/22
NO CLASS - THANKSGIVING BREAK


WEEK 15

11/27
MIDDLE PASSAGE
pp 44 - 141 ("Entry, the third" through "Entry, the sixth")

11/29
MIDDLE PASSAGE
pp 142 - 209 ("Entry, the seventh" through end)

SHORT PAPER #4 DUE


WEEK 16

12/4
WRAP-UP SESSION

12/6
FINAL EXAM, 1.00 to 3.00 pm

 

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COURSE INFO

EH 476 - STUDIES IN 20TH CENT LIT
FALL 2007 - TR, 2.00 to 3.15
HUMANITIES 208

JUSTIN ST.CLAIR

HUMANITIES 254
W, 11.00 to 5.00
 
 
REQUIRED TEXTS

 


THE DAY OF THE LOCUST (1939)
NATHANAEL WEST
half.com | amazon.com

THE CRYING OF LOT 49 (1966)
THOMAS PYNCHON
half.com | amazon.com

WHITE NOISE (1985)
DON DELILLO
half.com | amazon.com

IN PERSUASION NATION (2006)
GEORGE SAUNDERS
half.com | amazon.com

THE TICKET THAT EXPLODED (1962)
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS
half.com | amazon.com

ALPHABETICAL AFRICA (1974)
WALTER ABISH
half.com | amazon.com

LOST IN THE FUNHOUSE (1968)
JOHN BARTH
half.com | amazon.com

RAGTIME (1975)
E.L. DOCTOROW
half.com | amazon.com

MUMBO JUMBO (1972)
ISHMAEL REED
half.com | amazon.com

MIDDLE PASSAGE (1990)
CHARLES JOHNSON
half.com | amazon.com

   
 
LINK DUMP

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
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USA DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
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USA LIBRARY
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OWL - MLA STYLE GUIDE
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SIMULACRA AND SIMULATION (1981)
JEAN BAUDRILLARD

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OuLiPo OFFICIAL SITE (IN FRENCH)
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DIANE ARBUS PORTFOLIO
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BURROUGHS AUDIO ON UBUWEB
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BURROUGHS FILM ON UBUWEB
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BRION GYSIN ON UBUWEB
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VOICE OF THE SHUTTLE
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INPERSUASIONNATION.COM
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GEORGESAUNDERSLAND.COM
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REIGNOFPHIL.COM
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MEAT MILESTONES (SANDY HUSS)
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THE WRITERS' MODEL (THE FILM)
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WWW.PEN.ORG
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DOCTOROW READS RAGTIME CHAP 1
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HOUDINI FLYING IN AUSTRALIA
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MASCOT FAUST NOT WANTED
(NYT 31 JAN 1912)

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VICTORY FAUST (BOOK REVIEW)
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SCOTT JOPLIN
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WWW.RAGTIMEPIANO.CA
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JAZZ ANTHOLOGY
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"PREFACE" - JAMES WELDON JOHNSON BOOK OF AMER. NEGRO POETRY (1922)
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ADDITIONAL AUDIO

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E.L. DOCTOROW - "LITERATURE & RELIGION"

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CHICAGO PUBLIC RADIO WRITERS SERIES
19 OCT 2006 @ CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY

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