2005 Fall | TR 9.30-10.45
Byrd Seminar Room (Harrison Institute 318) [map]
Description
In this seminar we shall seek to address a simple but slippery question: how does our understanding of a literary work change when we read it not only as published, but also as written (and re-written) by the author's own hand? To this end, we shall rely heavily on the University's Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, which holds over twelve million manuscripts. Among its most highly regarded literary collections are The Clifton Waller Barrett Library of American Literature, The Papers of John Dos Passos and The William Faulkner Collections.
Intending to make best use of these valuable resources, our seminar will function as a reading and research survey in the literature of the United States, with a unique twist— nearly every primary text we shall study is held (partially or wholly) in original holograph manuscript at the Small Library. Among the few exceptions is the play by Tennessee Williams— by the time he 'wrote' Suddenly Last Summer in 1958 he used a typewriter, and only the play's revisions were made in his own hand.
Each week, then, we will explore works by exemplary authors, among them Emerson, Whitman, Twain, Frost and Faulkner— in each case looking not only at published versions, but also at the handwriting where it all began. On every occasion, we will consider matters textual, contextual and paratextual as we engage in the work of interpretation and analysis. In each instance we will examine drafts, revisions and publication histories to enrich our understandings of these literary works. At semester's end, we may have occasion to consider the implications for literature in an age of computing, when artifacts such as holograph manuscripts are becoming more evident even as they become more and more archaic.
This seminar will make ample use of internet and multimedia resources. The semester's activities will include engaging in class discussions, maintaining the course tiki, offering presentations and composing essays. At semester's end, there will be an essay-based final exam.
FERPA Waiver Regarding Collaboration
Adapted from Michael Byron:
This course may require contribution to weblogs, wikis, and other collaborative projects (via the course tiki). Collaborative projects by their very nature expose student work products to other students and possibly members of the public, although graded work and student grades will never be disclosed. Nonetheless, the nature of collaborative work makes it impossible to protect all of students' privacy rights under applicable provisions of FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). Students remaining in the class thus agree to waive their FERPA rights for any collaborative work for this course.
Grading Components
- 20% toward Class Participation [Seminar Discussions and Presentations]
- 20% toward Web Presence [via Course Tiki]
- 10% toward First Essay
- 10% toward Second Essay
- 20% toward Third Essay
- 20% toward Final Exam
Grading Rubric
Essays, presentations, and tiki work will be evaluated on the basis of clarity, originality, style and supporting evidence.
- To merit a grade in the A range, work must be outstanding in both form and content.
- To merit a grade in the B range, work must be distinguished in both form and content.
- To merit a grade in the C range, work must be satisfactory in both form and content.
Work that is less than satisfactory will be awarded a grade in the D range.
Work that does not meet the minimum standard will be assigned a grade of F.