ENGLISH 523--FALL '06
W--7:35-10:05   EN 266D 

• Gayl Jones:  White Rat
• Gloria Naylor:  Bailey's Cafe
• Diane McKinney-Whetstone: Leaving Cecil Street
• Charles Johnson:  Soul Catcher
• Walter Mosley:  always outnumbered, always outgunned
• Bebe Moore Campbell:  72 Hour Hold
• James McBride: Miracle at St. Anna
• Edward P. Jones: The Known World

Course Objectives: By the end of this course, students will be familiar with the nature of the African-American novel today. They will know some of the major works of "traditional" writers such as Jones, Naylor, and Johnson as well as some of the novels of those writers classified as "popular," such as McKinney-Whetstone and Campbell.

Modes of Instruction: This course, as is the case with most literature classes, will consist of lecture and discussion. Students will also be required to report on their weekly response or reaction papers.

Office Number         EN 274D

Office Hours           T & Th  12:30-2:30, W 10-12, 5-7

Phone   (203)  392-6733--Please note.  I do have voice mail.  In the event that I am not in the office to receive your call, please leave your name and number (including area code), the time you called, and the time when you can be reached during the day.

E-mail   at floreyk1@southernct.edu  

Grading Policy            (1)  Class Participation     20%
                                     (2)  Mid-Term Exam       20%
                                     (3)  Paper                       30%
                                     (4)  Final                         30%

Attendance Policy        Please try to make it to class. Class participation counts 20% of your grade.     

Written Responses       Before each class, all graduate students will prepare a one-page typed response to that evening's reading.  

Papers:                          Paper topics will be assigned by me.  Length will be 10-12 pages.  

Students With Disabilities Policy:  If you have a documented disability, please contact me during the first week of the semester to discuss appropriate accommodations to ensure equity in grading, classroom experiences, and outside assignments.  If necessary, I will meet with you and staff members of the Student Services Center to formulate a written plan for appropriate accommodations.

Selected Bibliography: 

Donalson, Melvin, ed. Cornerstones: An Anthology of African American Literature. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996.

Gates, Henry Louis and McKay, Nellie Y., eds. Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York: Norton, 1996.

McMillan, Terry, ed. Breaking Ice: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Writers. New York: Penguin, 1990.

Rowell, Charles H. and Julien, Claude. "John Edgar Wideman: The European Response; Special Issue." Callaloo, Summer 1999, entire issue. For table of contents, see: http://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/callaloo/toc/cal22.3.html 

Smith, Rochelle and Jones, Sharon L., eds. The Prentice Hall Anthology of African American Literature. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1999.

Stepto, Robert B. Blue as the Lake: A Personal Geography. Boston: Beacon Press, 1998.

Stepto, Robert B. From Behind the Veil: A Study of Afro-American Narrative. 2nd ed. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1991.

Worley, Demetrice A. and Perry, Jesse, Jr., eds. African-American Literature: An Anthology. 2nd ed. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Publishing Group, 1998.

Young, Kevin, ed. Giant Steps: The New Generation of African American Writers. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.

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