Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0298 - Material Traces: Working with Archives and Special Collections

What kinds of stories can we tell from archives? What stories do archives themselves tell? Cultural historians and literary critics often rely on archives and special collections, which contain materials like letters, journals, manuscripts, organizational records, oral histories, photographs, periodicals, and ephemera. Creative writers, artists, and filmmakers can draw upon archives to shape their work as well. In this research- and writing-intensive seminar, students will have the opportunity to develop independent projects in the humanities, arts, media and cultural studies, using archival materials as the foundation for their work. During the first half of the semester, we will visit local archives and special collections at Hampshire, Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Smith, UMass, and the Emily Dickinson Museum, using scholarly sources to develop critical and methodological tools for archival practice. The second half of the semester will focus on the process of developing a substantial independent research project in stages. Peer review workshops will be a key component of the course, complemented by library research sessions and instruction in effective argumentation. Students interested in creative final projects in writing, film and photography, media, and other areas relevant to research in humanities and cultural studies are welcome, as well as students pursuing divisional work in literary studies, film and visual culture, history, and related areas. While students need not have previous background in archival research, they should have a working knowledge of the field in which they will conduct independent research. This course meets the Division II Supported Projects Requirement and is an affiliated course for the Art & Politics Learning Collaborative Keywords:archives, research, library, project

Art and Politics Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time. P