American Studies 254 - American Literature in Conversation

(before 1800) This course starts with a simple premise: American Literature cannot be contained. Rather than a
subject to be mastered, it is an ongoing dialogue. Practicing a relational, intertextual and interdisciplinary method of reading across genres and time periods, we will read Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects (1773) alongside Allison Clarke’s Phillis (2020) and Erdrich’s Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country (2014) in dialogue with John Tanner’s captivity narrative (1830). Recognizing that democracy entails putting multiple perspectives and interpretations into dialogue, we will discuss a diverse range of texts that invite divergent interpretations, such as Apess’s “Eulogy on King Philip” (1836), which speaks back to Puritan narratives; Douglass’s “Fourth of July” speech (1852), juxtaposed with two drafts of the Declaration of Independence; and Abigail Adams’ correspondence with John Adams, in which she implored him to “remember the ladies.” We will also create literature through intergenerational storytelling with Ancestral Bridges, an organization engaged in the recovery of Afro-Indigenous history in Amherst. We will meet regularly with partners from Ancestral Bridges to develop projects that weave together oral
history, place-based learning, and document transcription. Scaffolded assignments will lead to the final collaborative project.

Fulfills the pre-1900 requirement in American Studies, the pre-1800 requirement in English and
the Community Based Learning requirement in American Studies.

Limited to 30 students. Spring semester. Professor Brooks.

How to handle overenrollment: Preference given to English and American Studies majors

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Close reading, group work, community based learning, discussion, archival research, local field trips