Special Topics in Literature & Culture

Catalog description

Topics vary by semester. Fall 2026: Despite its vastness, the Appalachian region remains a site of mystery for many. If one's only exposure to Appalachia was through the movies, they would assume that it was a place to be feared and #8212; full of monsters, cultism, and cannibalism. In part, this has to do with the region's inherently unsettling landscape, which spans thirteen states (including Pennsylvania) and nearly two hundred thousand square miles of vast mountains, dense forests, and shadowy "hollers." At the same time, this has everything to do with class. Many Appalachian horror films depict the rural poor as a threat to the middle-class outsiders who encounter them, reinforcing longstanding stereotypes about poverty, isolation, and violence. In this class we will watch and discuss a range of films set in Appalachia, including cult classics like The Evil Dead, The Blair Witch Project, and Night of the Living Dead. Through genres such as cabin-in-the-woods horror, "hillbilly horror," and "hicksploitation," we will analyze how Appalachia functions as both a physical landscape and a symbolic space—one that reflects broader anxieties about class, race, religion, and belonging.