Download Report

Introduction to Asian American Literature
ENGL 233/AAST 233, Section SB21 (Summer II 2015)
“Food and Intimacy in Contemporary Asian American Literature”
Instructor: Emily Perez
Email: [email protected]
Online Office Hours: Tuesdays 1-2pm and by appointment
“[F]ood and eating occupy a significant place in the formation of Asian American subjectivity.
First, the racialization of Asian Americans has been achieved prominently through the
mainstream’s representation and appropriation of Asian foodways. Second, in Asian American
history, food and eating do not simply fulfill necessities; rather they serve as an index to a
material history of survival, adaptation, ingenuity, and hybridization—a triumphant history of
overcoming adversities.”
-Wenying Xu, Eating Identities: Reading Food in Asian American Literature
Food and Intimacy in Contemporary Asian American Literature
This course is an introduction to Asian American literature through the lens of food—its
production, consumption, and circulation—and its role in forging, fostering, and subverting
various intimacies. It treats foodways as sites of racialization, subject formation, cultural
production/consumption, and resistance, and explores food’s various social, political, and
cultural implications. Through an examination of contemporary Asian American novels, short
stories, and essays, we will examine how the tropes of food and eating intersect with themes of
race, gender, sexuality, nationality immigration, colonialism, globalization, diaspora, family, and
community. Through the duration of the semester, we will attempt to tackle these issues using indepth analysis and close reading of the required texts, along with their significant historical and
cultural contexts.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Develop their own literary interpretations using close reading and analysis.
2. Demonstrate familiarity and facility with fundamental terminology and concepts
associated with the analysis of Asian American literature.
3. Analyze the changes and continuities seen in depictions of food and intimacy, as well as
other key themes, across the required texts.
4. Demonstrate the ability to formulate a thesis related to food and intimacy in
contemporary Asian American literature and to support the thesis with evidence and
argumentation.
Course Requirements
The formal requirements of this course are the following:
1. Complete the assigned reading.
2. “Attend” lecture: At the beginning of every week, I will post a prezi with important
information concerning that week’s text, its historical context, and relevant key terms/themes.
I will also include explanations of any assignments due that week along with any important
announcements and reminders.
1
3. Reading responses on Canvas Discussions: Every week, you will post one reading response
to the assigned texts by Wednesday at 5pm and one peer reply to a classmate’s response
by Sunday at 5pm. Posts should be roughly 75-150 words. Though you are only expected to
post twice a week, you are strongly encouraged to participate beyond the requirement as a
means of actively contributing to a collaborative learning community.
4. Review Podcast: Each week, there will be 4-5 students responsible for the course readings.
You will need to collaborate in order to map out a comprehensive review of the material for
your classmates and divide up that week’s readings among you. Then, you will
INDIVIDUALLY write a script before you move onto the recording phase of your podcast.
You must submit a draft of your script for my approval by Thursday at 5pm to allow
ample time for revisions. Finally, you will conclude with 2-3 study questions that frame the
reading within the larger concerns of the course. Podcasts should be no more than 5 minutes
(roughly 2.5 pages, double spaced). The complete assignment—voice recording and script
with study questions—will be due on Sunday at 5pm. I will draw heavily from these
podcasts to compose the final exam, which means that you, as the students, have an active role
in creating the content for your final.
5. Close Reading Assignments: You will have three 1-2 page weekly close reading assignments
on a passage (about a paragraph) of your choosing from the assigned readings. The
assignment will be due on Thursday by 5pm of the week that the reading is assigned. Texts
marked on the course calendar with an asterisk (*) indicate texts for which you may complete
this assignment (you pick three). These are designed for you to practice and improve your
critical analysis and writing skills in preparation for the critical analysis paper and the essay
portion of the final exam. You may only submit one close reading assignment per week.
You should NOT turn in a close reading assignment on the week that the reading material for
your Review Podcast is assigned. The close reading assignments and the review podcast are
meant to substitute for a second, more traditional critical analysis paper.
6. Critical analysis paper: You will write a 4-5 page typed, double spaced, critical essay that
examines the theme of food in the assigned texts through close reading of specific passages.
Specific topics will be handed out in advance of the due date.
7. Final Examination: The final for this course is a written exam. The format will include
identifications, an essay, and a brief reflection about your experience learning online.
**All formal written assignments must be double-spaced with one-inch margins, written in 12point Times New Roman font, and formatted in MLA style.
Grading
Final grades will be determined based on the instructor’s holistic assessment of students’ cumulative
performance in the course. This means that statistical percentages are only indicators, rather than
guarantors, of what final grades will be. Here, however, is a rough set of guidelines for how the
individual requirements of this course will be weighted in determining final grades:
Close Reading Assignments (3 total)
Participation in Canvas Discussions
Review Podcast, Script, and Study Questions
Critical Analysis Paper
Final Exam
15%
15%
20%
25%
25%
2
Logistics
All assignments, lectures, and office hours will be managed through Canvas
(www.elms.umd.edu). Reading responses and peer replies should be posted to the Discussion
section of Canvas. Formal writing assignments and the final exam should be uploaded through
the Assignments tool.
Texts (required editions)
Monique Truong, The Book of Salt (2003); ISBN: 978-0618446889
Chang-rae Lee, On Such A Full Sea (2014); ISBN: 978-1594486104
**All additional readings on ELMS/Canvas
Course Calendar (subject to change)
Because this is an online course, there is some flexibility to the schedule. You can complete the
work when it fits your schedule, as long as you meet the deadlines listed below. However,
because this is a summer session, and so is much shorter than a standard semester, the deadlines
will come quickly, so it is important for you to stay on schedule. I have alternated between short
stories/essays and novels; I highly recommend that you begin reading the novels at least one
week prior to allow ample time for completing all the reading and writing requirements.
Module for Week 1: July 13-July 19
Read:
Wenying Xu, Introduction to Eating Identities: Reading Food in Asian American
Literature (2008)
Jhumpa Lahiri from The Interpreter of Maladies (1999), “A Temporary Matter,”*
“When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine,”* and “Mrs. Sen’s”*
Gish Jen, from Who’s Irish?: Stories (1999), “Who’s Irish?,”* “Birthmates,”*
“Duncan in China,”* and “In the American Society”*
Watch:
Prezi 1
Write:
Post Reading Response by Wednesday, July 15 at 5pm
Submit Close Reading (if doing) by Thursday, July 16 at 5pm
Submit Review Podcast Script Draft (if assigned) by Thursday, July 16 at 5pm
Submit complete Review Podcast (if assigned) by Sunday, July 19 at 5pm
Post Peer Reply by Sunday, July 19 at 5pm
Module for Week 2: July 20-July 26
Read:
Ha Jin, from The Bridegroom: Stories (2001), “Saboteur,”* “Alive,”* “The
Bridegroom,”* and “After Cowboy Chicken Came to Town”*
Monique Truong, “The Homesick Diner” (2003), “My Cherry Amour” (2010),
and “A love letter to North Carolina’s Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge” (2012)
[Begin reading The Book of Salt for next week]
Watch:
Prezi 2
Write:
Post Reading Response by Wednesday, July 22 at 5pm
Submit Close Reading (if doing) by Thursday, July 23 at 5pm
3
Submit Review Podcast Script Draft (if assigned) by Thursday, July 23 at 5pm
Submit complete Review Podcast (if assigned) by Sunday, July 26 at 5pm
Post Peer Reply by Sunday, July 26 at 5pm
Module for Week 3: July 27-August 2
Read:
Monique Truong, The Book of Salt (2003)*
Watch:
Prezi 3
Write:
Post Reading Response by Wednesday, July 29 at 5pm
Submit Close Reading (if doing) by Thursday, July 30 at 5pm
Submit Review Podcast Script Draft (if assigned) by Thursday, July 30 at 5pm
Submit complete Review Podcast (if assigned) by Sunday, August 2 at 5pm
Post Peer Reply by Sunday, August 2 at 5pm
Module for Week 4: August 3-August 9
Read:
Krys Lee, from Drifting House (2012), “At the Edge of the World,”* “The Goose
Father,”* and “Beautiful Women”*
Chang-rae Lee, “Coming Home Again” (2006), “Magical Dinners” (2010), and
“Immoveable Feast” (2014)
[Begin reading On Such A Full Sea for next week]
Watch:
Prezi 4
Write:
Post Reading Response by Wednesday, August 5 at 5pm
Submit Close Reading (if doing) by Thursday, August 6 at 5pm
Submit Review Podcast Script Draft (if assigned) by Thursday, August 6 at 5pm
Submit complete Review Podcast (if assigned) by Sunday, August 9 at 5pm
Post Peer Reply by Sunday, August 9 at 5pm
Module for Week 5: August 10-August 16
Read:
Chang-rae Lee, On Such A Full Sea (2014)*
Watch:
Prezi 5
Write:
Post Reading Response by Wednesday, August 12 at 5pm
Submit Close Reading (if doing) by Thursday, August 13 at 5pm
Submit Review Podcast Script Draft (if assigned) by Thursday, August 13 at 5pm
Submit complete Review Podcast (if assigned) by Sunday, August 16 at 5pm
Post Peer Reply by Sunday, August 16 at 5pm
Module for Week 6: August 17-August 23
Watch:
Prezi 6
Write:
Critical Analysis Paper due Tuesday, August 18 by 5pm
Final Written Exam due Friday, August 21 by 5pm
4
Course Policies
Reading and Writing Assignments. This is an English class, which means it is reading and
writing intensive. Keeping up with the reading and setting aside ample time to complete your
assignments are crucial to your success in this course. I am always willing to discuss and aid you
in both these tasks, so please do not hesitate to contact me if you are struggling.
“Attendance.” You are required to watch the Prezis I post each week. These are essential for
helping you develop your ideas about the readings, as well as for learning about how to
strengthen your writing and keeping up-to-date with any key course announcements. All exam
material will come from class discussions, lectures, the readings, and Review Podcasts.
Participation. This course is a student-centered learning environment that depends on and thrives
with collaboration. You are expected to participate thoughtfully and substantively to the course.
Discussions may often include your reaction to a text—always a good way to begin—but class
discussion is meant to lead you to deeper ways of understanding texts; it is not meant to be
merely an exchange of personal opinions and reactions.
Courtesy. Please be respectful of everyone’s opinions, presence, and person in this course.
Please check your email and the Canvas site at least twice a day, as these are the two sole forms
of communication for this accelerated course.
Technology. Make sure you have access to a computer and the internet throughout this course.
You will need to post all of your work to Canvas (http://www.elms.umd.edu), so make sure you
can log in. You will also need to be able to watch lectures and use the conference feature to meet
with me virtually should you have any questions about the course or your work. If you do not
have a UMD account, please sign up for one within the first week of classes. If you need
assistance, contact OIT at 301.405.1500.
Late work/Rescheduling Exams. All work must be turned in on time. Please balance your
schedule accordingly. I do NOT accept any assignments that are turned in late except in the case
of an emergency. If the case should arise, you must contact me before the due date and provide
me with documentation. There will also be no make-up exams or re-scheduling of exams, unless
required by religious observance or genuine medical emergency verified and documented by a
health official. Given how brief the summer session is, extensions can only be given in case of
serious emergency.
Plagiarism and Academic Honesty. Plagiarism, whether it is submitting someone else’s work as
your own, submitting your own work completed for another class without my permission, or
otherwise violating the University’s code of Academic Integrity, will not be tolerated. You are
expected to understand the University’s policies regarding academic integrity. These can be
found at the website of the Office of Student Conduct, www.shc.umd.edu. Please visit this
website, click on the “students” link, and read the information carefully. A plagiarized
assignment—even if it is only one sentence or paragraph—will result in an ‘F’ for that
assignment and notification to the Academic Dean. A serious or repeated offense can result in
your failing the course. Any suspected case of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will be
reported to the Office of Student Conduct, as per University policy.
5
Learning Assistance Service. If you are experiencing difficulties in keeping up with the academic
demands of this course, contact the Learning Assistance Service, 2202 Shoemaker
Building, 301-314-7693. Their educational counselors can help with time management, reading,
math learning skills, note-taking and exam preparation skills. All their services are free to UM
students.
Disabilities and/or Special Needs. If you have a registered disability that will require
accommodation, please contact me immediately. If you have a disability and have not yet
registered it with Disability Support Services in the Shoemaker Building (4-7682 or 5-7683
TTY/TDD), you should do so immediately.
Religious observance. Please inform me of any necessary accommodations for religious
observance well in advance.
Other problems or questions. Please do not hesitate to consult me and please do so as soon as
possible.
6