ENGL479M Selected Topics in Literature after 1800; Roots, Music and Film

Roots, Music and Film focuses on the ways various forms of regional, community-based, and popular music forms have been represented in film. We will explore biopics, documentaries, genre histories, parodies, and cartoons dealing with such artists as Patsy Cline, Bill Monroe, Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, Hank Williams, and Elvis. Ranging from the naïve to the sophisticated, these films touch on issues of race, gender, youth culture, drugs, identity, and nationalism embodied in forms ranging from reggae to rockabilly, bluegrass to blues, gospel to polka. Assignments include a midterm and a fifteen-page research paper.

Section(s):
0101 -  Barry Pearson