Interdisciplinary Approaches to American Literature and Culture

Catalog description

Three hours lecture per week Explores American literature and culture through a focused interdisciplinary area of inquiry (e.g. nature and nation, identity and belonging, labor and justice, memory and imagination). Students analyze how writers engage with artistic, philosophical, and historical questions that shape American life, considering literature in dialogue with visual art, music, social movements, and critical theory. The specific theme may vary by instructor, but all versions of the course emphasize interpretive practice, cross-cultural perspectives, and the role of literature in shaping knowledge and experience. The course develops interpretive, analytical, and research skills foundational for upper-division study in English and related humanities fields.