This course introduces Comic Art in North America, from the beginnings of the newspaper comic strip through comic books graphic novels, and electronic media including the history and aesthetics of the medium, comparison between developments in the United States, Mexico, and French Canada, and the social and cultural contexts in which comic art is created and consumed. (Gen.Ed. AT, U)

An introduction to the study of the folklore of various cultures and peoples--from the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe--in English. Examination of a variety of genres including proverbs, riddles, jokes, folk songs, and folk tales, and of different theories and approaches to folklore. No prerequisites, but students with proficiency in languages other than English will be offered the opportunity to work with material from those languages.

Our course begins with the premise that contemporary American comedy is informed by the histories of ethnic American groups -- African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and U.S. Latinos/Latinas -- along with issues of race, class, sexuality and citizenship. American comedians, independent filmmakers, feminists and transgendered comics deploy the language of comedy to invoke serious social matters in contemporary American life: racism, heterosexism, homophobia, class biases against the poor and the undocumented, misogyny, war and other burning issues of the day.

Our course begins with the premise that contemporary American comedy is informed by the histories of ethnic American groups -- African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and U.S. Latinos/Latinas -- along with issues of race, class, sexuality and citizenship. American comedians, independent filmmakers, feminists and transgendered comics deploy the language of comedy to invoke serious social matters in contemporary American life: racism, heterosexism, homophobia, class biases against the poor and the undocumented, misogyny, war and other burning issues of the day.

Beginning with Shakespeare's Tempest, an exploration of fantasies as escape into strange realms where time and space are not our own. Explorations of fantastic voyages to learn about human desires and dreams, and the history they are grounded in. Interdisciplinary approach; historical, psychological, and formal study of fantasy literature. (Gen.Ed. AL)

Russian, Czech, German, French, Italian, Spanish, English, American, and Latin-American stories from Romanticism to the present. Fantastic tales, character sketches, surprise endings; main types of the short story. (Gen.Ed. AL)

Major writers, works, themes, and critical issues comprising the literature of the Holocaust. Exploration of the narrative responses to the destruction of European Jewry and other peoples during World War II (including diaries, memoirs, fiction, poetry, drama, video testimonies, and memorials). (Gen.Ed.AL, G)

Major writers, works, themes, and critical issues comprising the literature of the Holocaust. Exploration of the narrative responses to the destruction of European Jewry and other peoples during World War II (including diaries, memoirs, fiction, poetry, drama, video testimonies, and memorials). (Gen.Ed.AL, G)

In this course we will read masterpieces of twentieth century Polish and Russian literary traditions. Although Polish and Russian belong to the same linguistic family of Slavic languages and hence share some cultural affinities, historically Poland and Russia have occupied two opposing ends on the geopolitical spectrum. Both countries experienced great historical upheavals and collective traumas: foreign invasions, loss of statehood, revolution, world wars, and the violence of Fascism and Stalinism.

Theoretical issues and practical problems raised by translation, in light of recent research. The role of translation and translated literature in cultural systems and in the history of literary development. Genre and form (poetry, dramatic literature), language register and tone, metaphor and imagery, word play. Readings in theory (Nida, Even-Zohar, Lefevere, Quine, Catford) combined with workshop practice.