ENG 395ST: Queer Memoir & Autotheory

Grinnell College · Credits vary by section · UGRD

Catalog

Advancd Special Topic: Queer Memoir and Autotheory. Also listed as GWS-395. This course examines how queer writers use memoir and autotheory to narrate and theorize queer life. How do queer writers challenge chrono-normativity in a genre that often seems to demand a linear beginning, middle, and end? Throughout the semester, we will ask what it means to tell a queer life story and to queer the conventions of memoir. We will also examine queer autotheory, a form of life writing that combines autobiography and critical theory.Prerequisite: GWS-111 and one 200-level GWS course or ENG-120 or 121 and one 200 level literature course in English.

Recent sections

Fall 2026 · 2 sections

Section	Days & time	Location	Instructor
01Class #98497-ENG-395-014 credits	Monday, Wednesday 10:00 AM - 11:50 AM Humanities and Social Studies S3321 (Lecture)Aug 27 – Dec 18	Humanities and Social Studies S3321	Leah Claire Allen
01 notes: Cross-list GWS-395-01. Writing intensive. Faculty will give substantial oral and/or written feedback to students on writing assignments and provide students with opportunities to apply that feedback to future assignments or revisions. At least 50% of the final grade is based on graded writing assignments.

02Class #98504-ENG-395-022 credits	Tuesday, Thursday 7:00 PM - 8:50 PM Humanities and Social Studies S2333 (Lecture)Sep 8 – Sep 24	Humanities and Social Studies S2333	Ralph Savarese
02 notes: Meets 09/08/26 to 09/24/26. Short course deadlines apply. Writing intensive. Faculty will give substantial oral and/or written feedback to students on writing assignments and provide students with opportunities to apply that feedback to future assignments or revisions. At least 50% of the final grade is based on graded writing assignments.