English 215: Introduction to California Literature
Instructor: John C. Goshert
e-mail: goshert@purdue.edu
The Introduction to California Literature is a lower division survey course in which students will receive an overview of the historical and thematic movements, as well as a sense of the varied ethnic and cultural traditions in the diverse literature of our state. Class meetings will focus on discussion and analysis of assigned readings, so attendance and participation are essential to success in the course. Students will be expected to some in-depth presentations of individual works and/or authors, either individually or in groups; there will also be a midterm in the third week and a modest term paper due at the end of the course. We will see 2-3 films over the coming weeks and (depending on weather and everyone's schedules) have at least one field trip.
Required Texts
Haslam, ed. Many Californias. Second Edition. University of Nevada Press.
Didion, Joan. Play it as it Lays. Noonday.
Chin, Frank. Donald Duk. Coffeehouse Press.
Additional reading assignments will be available in the reserve room of the Reuben Salazar library.
Course Schedule
June
21 Course
introduction; film: Cadillac Desert
23 p. 1-30 (Haslam); Dunne, "Eureka," Lapham, "Lost Horizon," and Lennon, "Society Upon the Stanislaus" (reserve)
25 p. 31-39 (Haslam); selected California writing by Twain (reserve)
28 p. 43-68
(Haslam); Clapp, "The Shirley Letters," George, "What the Railroads Will
Bring Us," McWilliams, "Factories in the Fields,"
and Steinbeck, "Their Blood is Strong (reserve)
30 p. 74-79 (Haslam); Chavez, "The Organizer's Tale," and Haslam, "The Okies" (reserve)
July
2 p.
80-104 (Haslam); film: Chinatown
5 no class
7 p. 110-64 (Haslam); Muir, "Emerson at Yosemite" (reserve)
9 Midterm
12 Play it as it Lays (3-77); p. 187-92 (Haslam)
14 Play... (78-154)
16 complete Play...
19 Pynchon, "Journey into the Mind of Watts," Irwin, "Old Chinatown," and Haslam, "Sojourner" (reserve)
21 Donald Duk (1-60); film: My Family/Mi familia
23 Donald Duk (61-117); p. 198-214 (Haslam)
26 complete Donald Duk; 277-80, 325-28, 354-60 (Haslam)
28 Chin, "Rashomon Road" (reserve)
30 Shilts,
"The Mayor of Castro Street" and Shore, "Bouncing at the Whiskey"
(reserve)