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Trends, Issues, and Forms in Contemporary Fiction: A Comparative Reading
of Recent Award Winners.
English 392 -- Summer, 2002
Time: M/T/Th/F, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Classroom: Taylor Hall, Rm. TBA
Instructor: Dr.
Aiping Zhang
Office: Taylor Hall, Rm. 216; Phone: 898-5289
Office hours: M/T/Th/F, 11:30-12:30; or by appointment.
Email: azhang@csuchico.edu
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Texts:
Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
Michael Cunningham, The Hours
Ha Jin, Waiting
Jhumpa Lahiri, Interpreter of Maladies
Alice McDermott, Charming Billy
Philip Roth, American Pastoral
Susan Sontag, In America ______________________________________________________
A few critical essays (available online):
1. Emily Eakin, "Harvard's
Prize Catch, a Delphic Postcolonialist," The NYTimes.com. November
17, 2001
2. B. R. Myers, "A
Reader's Manifesto: An Attack on the Growing Pretentiousness of American
Literary Prose," The Atlantic Monthly (July/August 2001),
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2001/07/myers.htm
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Recommended
Texts
J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace (the Booker Prize winner in 1999)
Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain (the National Book Award winter
in 1997)
Stephen Millhauser, Martin Dresser (the Pulitzer winner in 1997)
Kenneth Millard, Contemporary American Fiction (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2000.
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The
Course
Is prose in contemporary fiction growing increasingly "pretentious"
as critics like B.R. Myers lamented? Is David Lodge right when he defined
the trend in contemporary literature as "Everything is in and nothing
is out"? Who and what are the trendsetters in contemporary fiction?
What makes a novel a "literary masterpiece" or a pop-culture
"page turner"? What does an elite award committee look for?
This course attempts to address these issues and others by reading comparatively
the last three Pulitzer Prize winners (Philip Roth's American Pastoral,
1998, Michael Cunningham's The Hours, 1999, and Jhumpa Lahiri's
Interpreter of Maladies, 2000), the last three National Book
Award winners (Alice McDermott's Charming Billy, 1998, Ha Jin's
Waiting, 1999, and Susan Sontag's In America, 2000), and
the Booker Prize winner in 2000, Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin.
Recent criticism literature on these texts and contemporary fiction
writing will be included in our discussion.
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Assignments
1. Your "attack" or "defense" on Myers' essay and/or
contemporary American literary prose (a 4-page essay)
2. A 4-page essay (the topic will be announced later)
3. A 12-page essay (suggested topics will be available in class)
4. Presentation (20 minutes)
Given the short length of the summer session, students are advised to
have all the books and essays read before the class meets. This is the
only way to ensure that our discussion of the texts and exchange of
our views on the latest trends, issues, and forms in contemporary fiction
would be substantive and fruitful. Make sure you get your first assignment
ready for sharing on the first day of our class.
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Grading
The course grade is accumulative. Your grade will be based on all the
assignments, your attendance, and your contributions to the class discussions.
1. The 4-page "Attack/Defense" essay ---------- 15%
2. The 4-page essay ---------------------------- 15%
3. The 12-page essay --------------------------- 40%
4. Presentation ---------------------------------- 10%
5. Attendance/Participation ---------------------- 20%
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Tenative
Schedule of Readings and Discussions
Week 1.
July 15
8:30 Introduction
9:30 Student presentations I: "Attacks/Defenses" on Myers
and/or contemporary literary prose.
10:30 Student presentations II
The 4-page "attack/defense" essay due in class.
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July 16
8:30 Philip Roth, American Pastoral
9:30 Philip Roth, American Pastoral
10:30 Philip Roth, American Pastoral ______________________________________________________
Regular classes do not meet on Wed., but attendance of Master Class
is mandatory.
Book Preparation, Wednesday 7/17, 12 - 3.
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July 18
8:30 Philip Roth, American Pastoral
9:30 Philip Roth, American Pastoral
10:30 "Philip Roth and I": comparison and reflection
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July 19
8:30 Alice McDermott, Charming Billy
9:30 Alice McDermott, Charming Billy
10:30 Alice McDermott, Charming Billy
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Week 2
July 22
8:30 Alice McDermott, Charming Billy
9:30 Alice McDermott, Charming Billy
10:30 "Alice McDermott and I": comparison and reflection.
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July 23
8:30 Michael Cunningham, The Hours
9:30 Michael Cunningham, The Hours
10:30 Michael Cunningham, The Hours _____________________________________________________
Regular classes do not meet on Wed., but attendance of Master Class
is mandatory.
Topic To Be Announced, Wednesday 7/24, 12 - 3.
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July 25
8:30 Michael Cunningham, The Hours
9:30 "Michael Cunningham and I": comparison and reflection
10:30 Ha Jin, Waiting
The 4-page essay due in class.
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July 26
8:30 Ha Jin, Waiting
9:30 Ha Jin, Waiting
10:30 "Ha Jin and I": comparison and reflection
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Week 3
July 29
8:30 Jhumpa Lahiri, Interpreter of Maladies
9:30 Jhumpa Lahiri, Interpreter of Maladies
10:30 "Jhumpa Lahiri and I": comparison and reflection
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July 30
8:30 Susan Sontag, In America
9:30 Susan Sontag, In America
10:30 Susan Sontag, In America _____________________________________________________
Regular classes do not meet on Wed.
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Aug. 1
8:30 Susan Sontag, In America
9:30 "Susan Sontag and I": comparison andreflection
10:30 Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
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Aug. 2
8:30 Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
9:30 Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
10:30 "Susan Sontag and I": comparison andreflection
The 12-page essay due in class --- a firm deadline!
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