Faculty First Year Seminars 197LLC9 - Finding Yourself in Literature

How does literature?both reading and writing it?help us to better understand ourselves? Through poetry, fiction, and essays, this course will consider literature as a mode of self-discovery. Along the way, we will discuss why?indeed, whether?literature and the arts are important, both to the individual and to society. Our readings will range from Sufi and Hindu mystical poetry to essays by the postcolonial activist and writer Ngugi wa Thiong?o, from Romantic-era poetry to twenty-first century autobiography. We will also dabble in some literary writing of our own, exploring how writing our lives changes how we think about them. No creative writing experience necessary.

Freshmen Only