Sapphic Arts: From Poetry to TikTok

Catalog description

This course takes an intimate look at Sapphic culture from the late 19th century to present. Since its most recent renaissance in the mid-2010s, the Sapphic has emerged as an elusive disruptor; an umbrella term that welcomes lesbians, wlw, nonbinary and trans femmes and mascs. This seminar explores how the Sapphic functions not just as an identity category but a methodology (a way of reading, writing, looking, listening) and an aesthetic in art, design, fashion, and food. What are the ways in which the Sapphic works with/against lesbian and queer political identities? How does contemporary use of the Sapphic diverge from its past iterations in literature, literary criticism, and visual culture? How might we understand temporality in Sapphic expression (slow-burn, yearning)? Competency in Sapphic arts requires participation in seminar discussions, completion of 3 short essays, and a final essay/creative project.