This course will explore the rich diversity of late 20th and 21st century literatures written in English and published internationally by award-winning writers of South Asian descent from Britain, the U.S., Canada, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. Writers range from established celebrities (Rushdie, Naipaul, Kureishi, Arundhati Roy, Jhumpa Lahiri, Ondaatje, Selvadurai, Ghosh) to promising new stars (Kiran Desai, Hari Kunzru, Tahmima Anam, Monica Ali, Daniyal Mueenuddin).

A study of the development of detective fiction in English, starting with gothic mysteries in the late 18th century and with the investigatory puzzles of Edgar Allan Poe in the 1830s Exploration of the ways in which the conventions of the genre reflect issues of class, gender, and social change, and how in the 20th century those conventions have been re-invented, stylized, parodied, and transformed. Writers discussed will include Poe, Wilkie Collings, Charles Dickens, Conan Doyle, G.K. Chesterton, E.C. Bentley, Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Jorge Luis Borges, and others.

A study of recent developments in British and American drama, emphasizing interconnectedness and cross-fertilization: theatre of passion; absurdism; language-oriented realism; talk drama; and postmodern, performance-oriented plays. Works by Williams, Miller, Beckett, Osborne, Pinter, Albee, Shepard, Mamet, Rabe, Shaffer, Churchill, Hwang. Occasional screenings of plays.

A study of American narratives, from a variety of ethnic traditions and historical eras, that explore the forms of movement--immigration, migration, boundary crossing--so characteristic of American life. Emphasis on each author's treatment of the complex encounter between new or marginalized Americans and an established culture, and on definitions or interrogations of what it might mean to be or become "American."

A survey of American writing after the Civil War, with an emphasis on writers who criticize or stand apart from their rapidly changing society. Fiction by Twain, James, Howells, Dreiser, Crane, Chopin, Chesnutt, Jewett, and Sui Sin Far, along with a selection of the poetry of the era.

Explores the significant contribution of Jewish writers and critics to the development of American literature, broadly defined. Topics include narratives of immigration; the American dream and its alternatives; ethnic satire and humor; literary multilingualism; crises of the left involving Communism, Black-Jewish relations, and '60s radicalism; after-effects of the Holocaust; and the aesthetic engagement with folklore. Authors may include Yiddish and Hebrew modernist poets, Mary Antin, Henry Roth, I.B. Singer, Saul Bellow, Philip Roth, E.L. Doctorow, Cynthia Ozick.

In this course we read as writers and write as readers, analyzing the poetic devices and strategies employed in a diverse range of contemporary poetry; gaining practical use of these elements to create a portfolio of original work; and developing the skills of critique and re-vision. In addition, students will read and write on craft issues, and attend Poetry Center readings / Q&A?s. Admission via writing sample emailed one week before the first day of classes to ewatson@smith.edu (E)

This course is a chance to read and think about works of science fiction and fantasy, considering the kinds of problems they address and the conventions they play with. In particular it will look at the relation between Fantasy and Science Fiction. We?ll read novels and stories by (among others) H.G. Wells, Ursula Le Guin, Octavia Butler, Maureen McHugh, Russell Hoban, and Michael Swanwick. Prerequisite: one college-level literature course or permission of the instructor. Recommended for non-majors.

Same as HSC 207. An introductory exploration of the physical forms that knowledge and communication have taken in the West, from ancient oral cultures to modern print-literate culture. Our main interest will be in discovering how what is said and thought in a culture reflects its available kinds of literacy and media of communication.

A writer's' workshop that will focus on sharpening and expanding each student's fiction writing skills, as well as broadening and deepening her understanding of the short story form. A series of exercises will build toward the creation of a sophisticated, complete short story by the end of the semester. In addition to analyzing and discussing one another's work, students will hone their craft by examining the work of established writers. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. To be offered once only.