L214 2057 HUNTSMAN
Literary Masterpieces

9:30a-10:45a TR (30) 3 CR.

TOPIC: “Anglophone World Literature exclusive of England and North America”

This offering of Literary Masterpieces will be somewhat different from the usual selection of post-Renaissance, acknowledged masterpieces such as Wuthering Heights, Don Juan, and Ulysses. Our aim here is to broaden the scope for judging excellence beyond the borders of Great Britain and the United States, to include works of great quality from other writers in English from Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, the West Indies, South America, Australia and New Zealand. The reading list has not been established yet, but some likely candidates include Ray's God of Small Things, Ondaatje's The English Patient, as well as works by such writers of international stature as Lessing, Borges, Naipul, Achebe, Bail, and White. Books by these writers have been awarded such international literary honors as the Nobel, Booker, and Commonwealth Writers prizes, so there is little chance that the reading list will be of lesser quality than the canonical "masterpieces" of the usual English and American literature courses. The course will be conducted as an extended discussion—as much like a seminar as the size allows. There will be two or three papers (4-5 pp. long), which you will be encouraged to revise and resubmit, a practice that will improve your writing, your understanding of the material and, not accidentally, your grade. There will also be a midterm and final. The reading list will be finalized sometime in November; if you want to get started over Christmas break, send me an email message (huntsman@indiana.edu) and I will send you the list as soon as it is available.