Sexuality Wmn's & Gndr Studies 118 - Queer Russian Literature and Culture

(Offered as RUSS 113 and SWAG 118) The Russian Federation officially designated the "LGBT movement" a terrorist organization in March 2024, capping off a long trajectory of denying, ignoring, and revising the rich legacy of queer participation in Russian culture and history. Often accused of foreign importation or constitutional incompatibility with Russian norms, queer authors and creators have long labored to find their space and voice in this artistic space. This course examines key works from the queer tradition within Russian literature, focusing both on works that are explicit about their sexual or gender thematics and on works that are perhaps less straightforward in their representations of queerness. This course will survey some works by Mikhail Kuzmin, Marina Tsvetaeva, Slava Mogutin, Dmitry Kuzmin, Oksana Vasiakina, and others. 

No knowledge of Russian or Russian literature is needed for this course. All works will be read in English translation, with additional optional sessions for students wishing to read all or some of the texts in the original Russian.

Offered Spring Semester. Visiting Assistant Professor Donohoe.

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Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: emphasis on written work, readings, independent research, oral presentations, visual analysis.