Modern Palestinian Literature
In this course we will explore how modern Palestinian literature grapples with questions of belonging, nationalism, memory, and colonialism. Questions about what it means to have a Palestinian literature or be Palestinian, and the challenges of even asking the question will also be explored. We will examine different notions of being Palestinian by focusing on the literature, film, art, and music produced by three main axes of Palestinian society: Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinians within Israel, and the Palestinian Diaspora. We will read novels from a range of time periods by writers such as Fadwa Tuqan, Mahmoud Darwish, Adania Shibli, Suheir Hammad, among others and analyze a number of other cultural and artistic expressions from the early 20th century to the present. Secondary readings and discussions will set these works in contemporary historical, cultural, and political perspectives. Students will emerge with a deep understanding of Palestinian cultural production and will be prepared to engage more widely with questions of narrative, representation, and identity.