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ARHU298L Special Topics in Literature: Critical Approaches to Traditional and Non-Traditional Literary Forms across
Different Cultures (Short Story, Flash Fiction, Comics, Zines, Poetry and Spoken Word)
Course Designation: General Education: Distributive Studies- Humanities; 3 credits
Room number & Meeting Times: CHM 0119; Tuesdays & Thursdays 4:30- 5:45pm.
Instructor: Vivianne A. Salgado
Office: Queen Anne’s Hall 0103
Email: ELMS/CANVAS
Phone (office): 301.405.0674
Office Hours: Thursdays 6-7 pm. or Mon-Tu-Thu. by appointment
REQUIERED TEXTS AND MEDIA
 Books (hard copy)
-Art Spiegelman, Maus I, A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History
ISBN 0-394-74723-1
 Films
-V for Vendetta. Dir. James McTeigue. Perf. Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2005.Film
 Zines (hard copies)
-2 Zines of your choice
 Selected Flash Fictions, short stories and other instructional course materials will be available on Elms/Canvas
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
 This course will look at the different types of literature produced by groups or individuals under diverse
circumstances (cultural, historical, political, geographical, economic, philosophical, etc.).
 The required texts will provide the students with opportunities to revaluate some commonly underestimated
literary forms, such as flash fiction, comics or spoken word poetry and to understand the function of these
manifestations in relationship to more traditional (canonical) expressions such as the novel.
 In reflecting upon the conditions under which these works are created, students will gain important insights as to
the role of literature and the arts in shaping and redefining power structures, influencing public policy, creating and
contesting discriminatory stereotypes, and fostering new ways to engage with the world in its multiple dimensions.
 This course is an introduction to the critical analysis of literature and will seek to deepen the student’s
understanding and appreciation of a variety of texts. Students will be expected to develop a critical vocabulary with
which to discuss the materials and respond to each other’s work.
 The class is not designed to teach students how to write academic papers—which would be covered in their
introductory English courses. Instead, it focuses on nurturing students’ creative intuition and helping them develop
a thoughtful critical stance for engaging and evaluating literature and art.
TEACHING METHODOLOGY:
This course emphasizes active learning on the part of the student.
Given that the role of Literature and the Arts in general is to communicate—to engage the audience’s attention in variety
of ways—, through short lectures and extensive class discussion, the instructor will encourage students to strategically
position themselves with respect to the texts, thus developing unique perspectives of the reality depicted in the readings.
One of the main objectives of the course is to enable students to successfully negotiate the obstacles presented by the
different types of literature and to foster their interest and ability to critically engage with increasingly complex
expressions in literature and art.
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Over the course of the semester, students will:
 Complete 6 short written assignments (one to two pages double-space or less). Additionally, the will respond to
peer-evaluation forms for all oral presentations given by other students in class. Peer evaluations will be
assessed by the instructor as assignments
 Create and publish a zine online which will replace the mid-term examination
 Deliver one 10 min.-long oral presentation based on the contents of their zine
 Submit a comprehensive take-home exam as a final examination
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. To provide students with a broad knowledge different types of literature produced by groups or individual under
diverse circumstances
2. To encourage an understanding of literature as a means of reflecting and commenting upon human experience
across culture and time
3. To acquaint students with major movements, genres, authors, and literary forms
4. To expose students to the use of literary terms and the questions raised by their use
5. To foster student creativity and intuition and to encourage students to produce creative work
6. To aid students in developing their ability to make critical judgments and to express them effectively
7. To teach students how to self-publish a zine online
COURSE POLICIES:
Absences: Events that justify an excused absence include: religious observances; mandatory military obligation; illness of
the student or illness of an immediate family member; participation in university activities at the request of university
authorities; and compelling circumstances beyond the student’s control (e.g., death in the family, required court
appearance). Absences stemming from work duties other than military obligation (e.g., unexpected changes in shift
assignments) and traffic/transit problems do not qualify for excused absence.
Students claiming excused absence must notify the course instructor in a timely manner and provide appropriate
documentation. The notification should be provided either prior to the absence or as soon afterwards as possible. In the
case of religious observances, athletic events, and planned absences known at the beginning of the semester, the student
must inform the instructor during the schedule adjustment period. All other absences must be reported as soon as is
practical. The student must provide appropriate documentation of the absence. The documentation must be provided in
writing to the instructor.
a. For medically necessitated absences: Students may, one time per course per semester, provide a self-signed
excuse as documentation of an absence from a single class (e.g., lecture, recitation, or laboratory session) that
does not coincide with a major assessment or assignment due date. For all other medically necessitated
absences, students must provide documentation from a physician or the University Health Center, upon request
of the course instructor.
b. For all other absences students must provide verifiable documentation upon request (e.g., religious calendar,
court summons, death announcement, etc.).
Prolonged absence or illness preventing attendance from class requires written documentation from the Health Center
and/or health care provider verifying dates of treatment when student was unable to meet academic responsibilities.
Absence due to religious observance will not be penalized, however, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the
instructor within the first 3 weeks of class regarding any religious observance absence(s) for the entire semester. The
calendar of religious holidays can be found at: http://faculty.umd.edu/teach/attend_student.html#religious
Unexcused Absences: It is the student’s responsibility to obtain (from his/her classmates) the lecture notes, class updates
and course contents that were covered during his/her absence. The instructor is not responsible for reviewing or emailing
any missed contents.
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Tardiness: If a student is more than 15 minutes tardy for a class, it will be counted as an absence. Being 10 minutes late
for class more than twice also will be counted as an absence.
Academic integrity: The student-administered Honor Code and Honor Pledge prohibit students from cheating on exams,
plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, buying papers, submitting
fraudulent documents and forging signatures. On every examination, paper or other academic exercise not specifically
exempted by the instructor, students must write by hand and sign the following pledge:
I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this examination (or assignment).
Allegations of academic dishonesty will be reported directly to the Student Honor Council: http://www.shc.umd.edu
Special Accommodations: The University of Maryland is committed to providing appropriate accommodations for
students with disabilities. Students with a documented disability should inform their instructors within the add-drop
period if academic accommodations are needed. To obtain an Accommodation Letter prepared by Disability Support
Service (DSS), a division of the University Counselling Center, please call 301-314-7682, e-mail [email protected], or visit
the Shoemaker Building for more information.
Copyright notice: Class lectures and other materials are copyrighted and they may not be reproduced for anything other
than personal use without written permission from the instructor.
Course evaluations are a part of the process by which the University of Maryland seeks to improve teaching and learning.
Your participation in this official system is critical to the success of the process, and all information submitted to
CourseEvalUM is confidential (instructors can only view group summaries of evaluations and cannot identify which
submissions belong to which students).
Diversity: The University of Maryland values the diversity of its student body. Along with the University, I am committed
to providing a classroom atmosphere that encourages the equitable participation of all students regardless of age,
disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Potential devaluation of students in the
classroom that can occur by reference to demeaning stereotypes of any group and/or overlooking the contributions of a
particular group to the topic under discussion is inappropriate. (See Statement on Classroom Climate,
http://www.umd.edu/catalog/index.cfm/show/content.section/c/27/ss/1584/s/1541).
Use of Mobile Technology: It is acceptable to occasionally use a laptop, tablet, or any other device for taking notes or
otherwise participating in class. However, indiscriminate use of personal technology during class interferes with the
primary goal of this course—to have students engage in a serious and dynamic discussion of the course contents. During
class time, please refrain from using mobile technology for purposes unrelated to this particular course.
COURSE EVALUATION:
PARTICIPATION AND QUIZZES
ASSIGNMENTS & PEER EVALUATIONS
ORAL PRESENTATION
ZINE PROJECT
FINAL EXAM
30%
20%
15%
20%
15%
IMPORTANT: See undergraduate catalogue for description of grades, e.g., A+, A, A-, etc.:
http://www.umd.edu/catalog/index.cfm/show/content.section/c/27/ss/1584/s/1534
Participation: Participation is a key component of the final grade. Students will be asked to discuss the assigned readings
and also to comment on the work presented by peers. Each student is expected to contribute to every class discussion.
Participation in this course is comprised of the following two components. Students who meet both of these
requirements will obtain 2 points per class period:
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1) IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES: Arriving on time and staying until the end of the class period, paying attention and
contributing to class discussions, participating in group work, using technology only the context of the class (e.g. to
look up a passage of an assigned reading or workshop piece) and not for other unrelated purposes
2) READING ACCOUNTABILITY: Through mindful participation in our class discussions students should demonstrate
during each class period that they have read and understood all the assigned readings and additional course
materials.
Reading Accountability: It is impossible to have a meaningful discussion about the readings without reading the assigned
material. A short unannounced quiz may be given at the beginning of some class periods to ensure that the required
course materials have been read.
LATE WORK
Assignments including Zine Project: Partial credit will be given for assignments submitted passed the due date/time. Late
assignments will receive a deduction of one letter grade or its equivalent for every day after the due date. Assignments
that are more than 3 days late will receive no credit.
Missed Quizzes: No make-up quizzes will be given to students who arrive late or are absent on the day of a quiz and do
not present the pertinent documentation to be excused. All quizzes will be given at the beginning of the class period.
Students who come in late on the day of a quiz, you will not be able to take it.
Missed Oral Presentation: The student will be responsible for exchanging his/her date with one of his/her classmates and
notifying the instructor of the change. Presentation dates will not be re-scheduled by the instructor.
Final Exam: UMD’s policy regarding final exams states the following: “A student may seek to reschedule final
examinations so that he or she has no more than three (3) examinations on any given day. It is the responsibility of the
student to initiate the rescheduling or be responsible for taking the examination as originally scheduled”.
SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS
All assignments must be uploaded onto Elms as Word documents unless otherwise
indicated by the instructor. Please do not submit assignments as Pages, Google docs or
in any other formats
Communication with instructor: I will do my best to respond to your emails within 24 hours except on weekends. If you
have any questions, please email me with enough anticipation. IMPORTANT: Write your name, course number and the
nature of your question on the subject-line of each of your emails.
ARHU 298L-FALL 2016 TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
IMPORTANT: A SMALL AMOUNT OF ASSIGNED READINGS COURSE-RELATED ACTIVITIES AND CONTENTS MAY BE ADDED
TO, OR REMOVED FROM, THIS SCHEDULE DURING THE SEMESTER (AS NEEDED). THIS COURSE SCHEDULE IS LIKELY TO
CHANGE DUE TO UNFORSEEING EVENTS SUCH AS CLASS CANCELLATIONS CAUSED BY INCLEMENT WEATHER. STUDENTS
WILL BE NOTIFIED IN ADVANCE OF ANY CHANGES THAT COULD AFFECT GRADING, ASSIGNMENTS, ETC.
CLASS TIME: STUDENTS WILL BE FREQUENTLY ASKED TO WORK IN GROUPS OR SIT IN A CIRCLE. THEY ARE EXPECTED TO
RESTORE THEIR SEATS TO THEIR ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION BEFORE LEAVING CLASS.
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WEEK
1
DATE
T-30
READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS
AUGUST
1. Instructor/students—introductions
2. Syllabus and Tentative Course Schedule
3. How to make a mini zine (in-class exercise, if time permits)
SEPTEMBER
2
TH-1
READINGS DUE:
 Syllabus
WATCH (in-class):
 $100 & a T-Shirt: A Documentary (segments)
ASSIGNMENT #1:
 Hand in your mini zine at the beginning of the period
T-6
READINGS DUE:
 Jorge Luis Borges: The Circular Ruins (Elms/Modules)
 Julio Cortázar: Axolotl (Elms/Modules)
WATCH (in-class):
 $100 & a T-Shirt: A Documentary (segments)
TH-8
READINGS DUE:
 Various authors: Arabian Nights (excerpts on Elms/Modules)
WATCH: (before class):
 Chimamanda Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story
Available at:
http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en
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4
T-13
READINGS DUE:
 Chinua Achebe: Tortoise Flies to the Sky
 Unknown: Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength
 Stephen Duncombe: Notes from the Underground (excerpt)
Available:
http://samples.sainsburysebooks.co.uk/9781621062912_sample_878537.pdf
WATCH (in-class):
 $100 & a T-Shirt: A Documentary (segments)
TH-15
READINGS DUE:
 Zora Neale Hurston: Sweat
 Alice Walker: In Search of Zora Neale Hurston
ASSIGNMENT # 2:
 What Are Zines (worksheet)
T-20
READINGS DUE:
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
Jack Z. Bratich and Heidi M. Brush: Fabricating Activism: Craft-Work, Popular
Culture, Gender
 Gloria Anzaldúa: Cervicide
 Carolyn Forché: The Colonel
WATCH (in-class):
• $100 & a T-Shirt: A Documentary (segments)
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6
T-22
READINGS DUE:
 Rebecca Onion: The Colorful Quilt Squares Chilean Women Used to Tell the Story of
Life Under Pinochet
 Larry Fondation: Deportation at Breakfast
 Roberto Fernandez: Wrong Channel
 Mark Kestetter: A Humument: Visual-Poetic Artist’s Book
T-27
READINGS DUE:
 Nella Larsen: Passing (pp. 1-35)
Available at:
https://archive.org/details/passing00lars
WATCH (in class)
 Pounder, C. C., et al. Race the Power of an Illusion (documentary, Part I)
ASSIGNMENT # 3:
 Zine Review
TH-29
READINGS DUE:
 Nella Larsen: Passing (pp. 36-70)
Available at:
https://archive.org/details/passing00lars
WATCH (in class)
 Pounder, C. C., et al. Race the Power of an Illusion (documentary, Part II)
ASSIGNMENT # 4:
 Purchase two zines
T-4
TH-6
OCTOBER
READINGS DUE:
 Nella Larsen: Passing (pp. 71-105)
Available at:
https://archive.org/details/passing00lars
WATCH (in class):
• Pounder, C. C., et al. Race the Power of an Illusion (documentary, Part III)
READINGS DUE:
 Nella Larsen: Passing (pp.106-end)
Available at:
https://archive.org/details/passing00lars
WATCH (in class):
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The Codes of Gender, Identity and Performance in Pop Culture (part I)
ASSIGNMENT #5:
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
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10
Race the Power of an Illusion (Worksheet)
T-11
READINGS DUE:
 Saul Bellow: Something to Remember Me By (continuation)
WATCH (in class):
 Jhally, Sut: The Codes of Gender, Identity and Performance in Pop Culture (part II)
TH-13
READINGS DUE:
 Saul Bellow: Something to Remember Me By (continuation)
 George Saunders: Sea Oak
WATCH (in class):
 Jhally, Sut: The Codes of Gender, Identity and Performance in Pop Culture (part III)
T-18
READINGS DUE:
 George Saunders: Sea Oak (continuation)
 Erving Goffman: The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (excerpts)
WATCH (in class):
 Peggy McIntosh: How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion
Th-20
READINGS DUE:
 Danielle Evans: Virgins
 Donna Kate Rushin: The Bridge Poem
WATCH (in class):
 Jhally, Sut: The Codes of Gender, Identity and Performance in Pop Culture (part IV)
T-25
READINGS DUE:
 Danielle Evans: Virgins (continuation)
 Sonya Renee: The Body Is Not an Apology
ASSIGNMENT # 6: The Codes of Gender (worksheet)
TH-27
READINGS DUE:
 Art Spiegelman: Maus I, A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History
 Douglas Wolk: Reading Comics, How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean
(Introduction)
ASSIGNMENT #8:
 Bring the 2 zines that you purchased to class
T-1
TH-3
NOVEMBER
READINGS DUE:
 Art Spiegelman: Maus I, A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History
 TBA
READINGS DUE:
•
Art Spiegelman: Maus I, A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History
•
TBA
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11
11
12
T-8
T-8
ALL ZINES DUE
READINGS DUE:
•
Art Spiegelman Maus I, A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History
•
Alan Moore & David Lloyd: V for Vendetta (graphic novel excerpts)
WATCH BEFORE CLASS:
•
V for Vendetta (film)
TH-10
READINGS DUE:
•
Alan Moore & David Lloyd: V for Vendetta (graphic novel excerpts)
•
TBA
WATCH BEFORE CLASS:
•
V for Vendetta (film)
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS START
READINGS DUE:
 TBA
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS: 1-5
ASSIGNMENTS:
 Peer grading student presentations
READINGS DUE:
 TBA
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS: 6-10
ASSIGNMENTS:
 Peer grading student presentations
T-15
TH-17
13
T-22
READINGS DUE:
 TBA
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS: 11-15
ASSIGNMENTS:
 Peer grading student presentations
TH-24
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T-29
THANKSGIVING
READINGS DUE:
 TBA
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS: 16-20
ASSIGNMENTS:
Peer grading student presentations
DECEMBER
TH-1
READINGS DUE:
 TBA
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS: 20-25
ASSIGNMENTS:
 Peer grading student presentations
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T-6
TH-8
TBD
REVIEW FOR THE FINAL EXAM
Selected spoken word pieces, poems and flash fiction pieces will be read/viewed in class