ENGL469 Magic and Myth in Contemporary Literature

"Myths and fairytales have always been used to make sense of a terrifying, unexplainable world, and in this course, we'll look at how those same ""once upon a times"" stories operate when the time in question is now. Together, we will explore how those age-old stories and motifs are still being articulated in contemporary literature as a means to express both our deepest anxieties and our highest hopes; subjects of discussion will include race, gender, sexuality, and colonialism. Required readings in the course will feature work by Anne Carson, Carmen Machado, Helen Oyeyemi, Donald Barthelme, and others, and students will read and write across the genres. The final component of the class will be a portfolio with a student-directed element. Required texts:

In the Dream House, Carmen Machado

White Magic, Elissa Washuta

My Mother She Killed Me; My Father He Ate Me, ed. Kate Bernheimer and Carmen Giménez Smith

Snow White, Donald Barthelme

Boy, Snow Bird, Helen Oyeyemi

Autobiography of Red, Anne Carson

Bestiary, Donika Kelly"

Section(s):
0101 - Alysia Sawchyn

Schedule of Classes
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