ENG 380KAsian American Lit & Culture

Catalog

ENG 380K Asian American Literature & Culture - This course explores contemporary Asian American literature and cultural production in the last two decades, some of which were produced in the wake of anti-immigrant extremism, hate crime, and the covid 19 pandemic. A common thread in many of these works is a reckoning with memory, loss, and generational divide, and at the same time, the desire to create a better and joyful future through diverse forms of knowing and remembering. We focus on works by acclaimed writers and artists who creatively explore belonging and identity in literary forms but also in popular culture and hybrid forms that live on the web, such as digital storytelling and podcasting. We especially examine how this new creative generation is innovating established genres to cross multiple divides (including divides of generation, language, gender, ethnicity, race, and nation). Alongside creative work, we will enrich our learning with critical concepts by scholars such as Lisa Nakamura, Sara Ahmed, Sianne Ngai, David Eng, Shilpa Dave, Crystal Anderson, among others. Requirements: Two oral presentations and a combination creative/critical final project.