Comparative Literature 290U - Imagining the City

The city has long been a source of inspiration for writers and artists. In this course, we will focus on artistic representations of the city during the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries. More specifically, we will study how cities and their texts have responded to significant moments of transformation by examining topics such as immigration, conflict, natural disaster, interior space and public sphere, and technology. European and American cities like Havana, Madrid, Mexico City, New York, as well as unnamed cities will be among the subjects of this course. In addition, we will integrate cinema, photography, painting, and architecture among other media to enhance our study of the city's image. This course i s designed to introduce students to the ways the city has entered the imagination of writers and artists while at the same time familiarizing them with a sampling of texts that belong to Hispanic literary traditions. Students will participate in class discussion, complete writing assignments, make an in-class presentation, and take midterm and final exams.

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