January Topics Participation Terms, Ideas
WEEK 1
T 1/19
Introduction to the Course digital authorship (authority, language, subjectivity, and knowledge)
R 1/21 Roland Barthes, "The Death of the Author" and "From Work to Text"  
WEEK 2
T 1/26

Michel Foucault, "What is an Author?"

 
R 1/28 Mikhail Bakhtin, "Discourse in the Novel" pages 259 to break on 324.  
February Topics Participation Terms, Ideas
WEEK 3
T 2/2
Bennett, The Author, Introduction, Chapters 1-2  
R 2/4 Bennett, The Author, Chapters 3-4  
WEEK 4
T 2/9
Bennett, The Author, Chapters 5-6  
R 2/11

Sydney Smith: "Who Reads an American Book?" (1820)

Washington Irving: "The Author's Account of Himself," "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," "Stratford-on-Avon" and "Christmas" (1821)

Washington Irving and American authorship (Maxwell)

Literary Nationalism (Patrick)

 

 
WEEK 5
T 2/16
Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The American Scholar"

Ralph Waldo Emerson and American authorship (Maxwell)

The Lyceum Movement (Jes)

 
R 2/18 Edgar Allen Poe, "Philosophy of Composition," ""[Review:] Tale-Writing--Twice-Told Tales--Mosses from an Old Manse. By Nathaniel Hawthorne" (1842)

(One more week to arrange meeting about the seminar paper topic)

Discussion Leader: Maxwell

Edgar Allen Poe and American authorship (Beth)

Scottish Common Sense Philosophy (and American authorship) (Andrew)

 
WEEK 6
T 2/23
Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The Custom-House Sketch" and "Author's Preface to the Second Edition."

By Wednesday of this week, arrange to meet with me about your seminar paper topic

Discussion Leader: Patrick

American Romanticism and authorship (Katie)

Nathaniel Hawthrone and American authorship (Beth)

 
R 2/25 Fanny Fern, Ruth Hall

Discussion Leader: Laura

Gender and authorship (Andrew)

 
March Topics Participation Terms, Ideas
WEEK 7
T 3/2
Fanny Fern, Rulth Hall

Discussion Leader: Cheryl

Fanny Fern and American authorship (Laura)

 
R 3/4 Joan Hedrick's Harriet Beecher Stowe (selections) and Robert Forrest Wilson's Crusader in Crinoline (selections) New England and national authorship (Willy)  
WEEK 8
T 3/9
Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin (including preface, 45-194)

Sentimental Fiction and authorship (Laura)

 
R 3/11 Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin (195-337)

Discussion Leader: Jes

The Beechers (Lyman, Harriet, Henry Ward) (Jes)

 
WEEK 9
T 3/16
SPRING BREAK    
R 3/18 SPRING BREAK    
WEEK 10
T 3/23

Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin (337-485)

Discuss possible readings for 4/15

Discussion Leader:Sara

Domesticity and authorship (Sara)

 
R 3/25 Frederick Douglass
from Narrative of the Life (1845): Preface, Chapters 1, 2 6; from My Bondage and My Freedom (1855): Preface; from Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1892): Preface.

5-page prospectus, plan of research, and bibliography due by 2 p.m. tomorrow

Discussion Leader: Willy

Fredrick Douglass, Abolitionism, and Slave Narratives (Katie)

 
F 3/26

5-page Prospectus, Plan of Research, and Bibliography for Research Essay due

 

   
WEEK 11
T 3/30
Wayne Booth, The Rhetoric of Fiction: C2, C3, C7, C8. Wayne Booth and the rhetorical approach to literature (Daisy)  
R 3/31 William Charvat, The Profession of Authorship in America: C3, C4, C6, C7 The History of the Book approach and authorship (Cheryl)  
April Topics Participation Terms, Ideas
WEEK 12
T 4/6
William Charvat: The Profession of Authorship in America: C10, C13, C14, C15
   

R 4/8

Jane Tompkins, Sensational Designs: Intro, C1, C5, C7

Discussion Leader: Katie

New Historicism and American authorship (Daisy)

 
WEEK 13
T 4/13

Nina Baym: Feminism and American Lit. Theory C1 (Melodramas of Beset Manhood), C6 Early Histories of American Literature; Baym's chapter 9 "Authors" from Novels, Readers, and Reviewers

 

Discussion Leader: Daisy

Feminist Literary Criticism (Willy)

 
R 4/15 Reynolds, David. "The Open Text: American Writers and Their Environment." Introduction. Beneath the American Renaissance    
WEEK 14
T 4/20

Liu, Alan. “Digital Humanities and Academic Change" (handout)

John Guillory, "Literary Study and the Modern System of the Disciplines"

Disciplinarity, Canonicity, and Authorship (Cheryl)  
R 4/22

Liu, Alan. “Digital Humanities and Academic Change" (handout)

John Guillory, "Literary Study and the Modern System of the Disciplines

 

 
WEEK 15
T 4/27
Kate Chopin, The Awakening 3 - 80, 81-139

Discussion Leader: Beth

The New Woman and American authorship (Sara)

 
R 4/29 Essays from edition of The Awakening

Discussion Leader: Andrew

Regionalism and American authorship (Patrick)

 
May Topics Participation Terms, Ideas
WEEK 16
T 5/4
Essays from edition of The Awakening    
R 5/6 Conclusions
Essay Due  
Finals Week