GWS 395ST: Queer Memoir & Autotheory

Grinnell College · 4 credits · UGRD

Catalog

Advancd Special Topic: Queer Memoir and Autotheory. Also listed as ENG-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 · 1 section

Aug 27 – Dec 18

Section	Days & time	Location	Instructor
01Class #98494-GWS-395-01	Monday, Wednesday 10:00 AM - 11:50 AM Humanities and Social Studies S3321 (Lecture)	Humanities and Social Studies S3321	Leah Claire Allen
01 notes: Cross-list ENG-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.