ENG 236 008 ASIAN AMERICAN LIT
MWF 2:30—3:20 p.m. CAND 2395 Reg#0405
[updated 04/04/2006]
Dr. Jeffrey Ethan Lee
Office: Ross 1170A
Hrs: MWF 10:45—12:15 p.m and MW 6:45—7:15 p.m. and by arrangement.
Phone: (970) 351-1476 / e-mail: jeffrey.lee@unco.edu
website: www.unco.edu/poetry/jeffrey.lee
Required Books:
Charlie Chan Is Dead 2: At Home in the World (An Anthology of Contemporary Asian American Fiction—Revised and Updated) (Paperback) ISBN: 0142003905
The Gangster of Love by Jessica Hagedorn Paperback | ISBN 0140159703
Tetched by Thaddeus Rutkowski ISBN 1-933016-16-7
M Butterfly by David Henry Hwang ISBN: 0452272599
Book of My Nights by Li-Young Lee ISBN 1-929918-08-9
(Still on order as of 1/9/06)
(Some readings may be assigned on the web.)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
We will explore prose and poetry by some of the finest (and funniest) Asian-American and Asian writers today. Some ongoing themes will be:
(i) issues of / struggles toward identity in terms of race and gender
(ii) the political-historical context of stereotypes, images and icons
(iii) the sex / sexuality of Asians as activists &/or commodities in pop-culture subculture and society at large.
(iv) the diversity of the Asian/Asian American writings.
One short oral report and one research paper are required (7-10 pages; 5+ sources). There will be a special guest, author Thaddeus Rutkowski, in class in April 17th.
GRADES: 1 oral report on a topic we agree upon = 10%
1 formal paper on a topic we agree upon = 20%
(this can be a deeper, longer version of the oral)
Reading response logs & Quizzes = 25%
Attendance & participation = 25%
Final exam = 20%
NOTE: more than 5 unexcused absences may lower overall your grade. Excessive lateness(es) may also count as absence. Further, late papers drop a whole grade for each class missed, and papers are due at the beginning of class. Lastly, make-up HW logs, quizzes, and oral reports are only possible if an absence is excused by a prior agreement in writing. Quizzes may be given at any time.
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SCHEDULE:
(Note that some assignments may be added or subtracted and that some elements of the schedule may change as the term progresses.)
Week 1: 01/09—13/2006
M Intro to course. First readings assigned for Wednesday: Preface to Charlie Chain Is Dead and Gangster pages 1-36.
W Discuss readings & some literary terms.
F Gangster pages pp. 37-78. Discuss readings & more terms.
Quiz #1: 5 easy questions about the first 36 pages of Gangster (if you were paying attention while you were reading).
Week 2: 01/16—20
M UNC closed!
W Gangster pages pp. 79-144
F Gangster pages pp. 145-97. HW Log #1 due (1-2 double-spaced typed pages on a question from class discussion or from a handout).
Week 3: 01/23—27
M Gangster pages pp. 198-253.
W Finish Gangster.
F Last discussion of Gangster.
quiz #2: 5 easy questions (if you were paying attention while you were reading)
Week 4: 01/30—02/03
M Hagedorn’s Intro to CCID & Peter Bacho’s “RICO” (18-27).
W [Theory] reading on reserve. Ask at the Circulation Desk or go to Library Catalogue ask for Anne Annlin Cheng's book and read pages 3-29. Or read the electronic version.
How to get readings on reserve online.
F Discussion of theory.
HW Log #2 due (1-2 double-spaced typed pages on a question from class discussion or from a handout).
Week 5: 02/06—10
M In CCID: Bulosan, Chin, & Dinh.
W In CCID: Gamalinda & Lahiri.
F In CCID: Gamalinda & Lahiri.
Week 6: 02/13—17
Extra Credit reading by Shankar Vedantam.
W Quiz #3: 5 easy questions (if you were paying attention while you were reading)
In CCID: Leong, Lin & Louie
F In CCID: Greenfeld & Keller
Week 7: 02/20—24
M In CCID: Mukherjee & Nair
HW Log #3 due (1-2 double-spaced typed pages on a question from class discussion or from a handout).
W In CCID: Truong & Wong
F In CCID: readings TBA...
quiz #4: 5 easy questions (if you were paying attention while you were reading)
[ORAL REPORT TOPICS DUE 02/24]
Week 8 02/27—03/03
M Butterfly
& Oral reports start.
HW Log #4 due (1-2 double-spaced typed pages on a question from class discussion or from a handout).
[UNC Writers Conference week]
Week 9 03/06—10
M Butterfly (the film)
& Oral reports
Monday Quiz #5: 5 easy questions (if you were paying attention while you were reading)
[AWP Writers Conference]
Spring Break March 13-17
Week 10 03/20—24
Li-Young Lee
& Oral reports
HW Log #5 due (1-2 double-spaced typed pages on a question from class discussion or from a handout).
Week 11 03/27—31
Li-Young Lee
& Oral reports
Over the weekend read the first 10 chapters of Tetched.
Optional EC poems due based on in-class writing. Send via e-mail before Monday for EC points.
Read the EC Poems here. Or click for a PDF here.
Here are the last EC poems. Thanks, everyone!
Week 12 04/03—07
& Oral reports all week...
M Discuss Chapters 1-10
W Discuss Chapters 11-19
F Discuss Chapters 20-29
HW Log #6 due (1-2 double-spaced typed pages on a question from class discussion or from a handout).
Finish novel over the weekend.
Week 13 04/10-14
Thad Rutkowski’s Tetched
& Oral reports
Last Quiz #6.
Week 14 04/17—19
& Oral reports
April 17 Author Thad Rutkowski visits class and does an Evening Reading: attendance required Monday night! (Friday class 04/21 canceled.)
Week 15 04/24—28
Last Oral reports!
Papers due the 28th!
Finals Week May 1-5