Border-Crossings
This course investigates the multitude of borders crossed in and by literature. Reading literary works by ethnic, diasporic, and Indigenous writers, we will consider the divisions between different identities, cultures, histories, and nation-states that they transgress. Just as importantly, we will analyze how these literatures span the borders of different genres and media, in the form of poetry, plays, short stories, and novels. Texts include: poetry by Gwendolyn Brooks, Mitsuye Yamada, and Ocean Vuong; short stories by Toni Morrison, Sandra Cisneros, and Jhumpa Lahiri; plays by David Henry Hwang, Young Jean Lee, and Marie Clements; and novels by Nella Larsen, Louise Erdrich, and Karen Tei Yamashita. 3 hrs. lect./disc