Fall 2020 - ENGL 112W D900

Literature Now (3)

Class Number: 4219

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Mon, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Dec 9, 2020
    Wed, 11:59–11:59 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Michelle Levy
    mnl@sfu.ca
    1 778 782-5393

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduces students to contemporary works of literature in English and/or contemporary approaches to interpreting literature. May focus on one or multiple genres. Includes attention to writing skills. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

Reading Women Writing Now

In this course we will read four novels by women, all published in past three years, between 2017 and 2019. The novels we will read are international best-sellers and prize winners, and will take us across space and time, from ancient Greece to Northern Ireland during the troubles of the 1980s, from the Tiananmen Square protests to current-day London. Throughout, we find a preoccupation with womanhood and feminism, as the novels explore the many experiences of women with different gender, sexual, class, religious, racial and national identities. We will address the experimental nature of these novels, as well as think critically about what it means to read books by women now. Attention will also be paid to how we read; to the embodied practices of reading and to becoming readers. You will be asked to read to at least one book aurally, as an audiobook.

Grading

  • Participation (in tutorial, discussion board and activities) 20%
  • Reading Journals (3 @ 250-300 words) 20%
  • Reading Journals (3 @ 250-300 words) 20%
  • Short Essay (~1200 words) 20%
  • Take-home Exam 20%

NOTES:

Your enrollment in this course acknowledges that remote study will entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Lectures:
I will record lectures, which will be delivered asynchronously. However, there will also be a synchronous lecture component to the course, the precise details of which are to be determined. This synchronous component will probably involve me meeting with smaller groups during the period 12:30 - 2 pm.

Tutorials:
Tutorials will meet synchronously at the scheduled time. The expectation is that students will have their cameras on during tutorials in order to be present for and engaged in discussion. If you feel uncomfortable with that requirement, please contact me directly at mnl@sfu.ca.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class and/or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca, 778-782-3112) as soon as possible to ensure that they are eligible and that approved accommodations and services are implemented in a timely fashion. I am unable to grant accommodations for students unless they are deemed eligible by the Centre for Accessible Learning.

REQUIREMENTS:

You’ll need a computer or tablet, camera, and reliable internet access for this course. Headsets are helpful in blocking out distractions but certainly not necessary. 

Did you know that students have access to free Office 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud? This would be a good time to upgrade your software.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Anna Burns, Milkman (2018)

Bernardine Evaristo, Girl, Woman, Other (2019)

Madeline Miller, Circe (2018)

Madeleine Thien, Do Not Say We Have Nothing (2017)

All books should be published directly from local or online retailers. Any version (hardcover, softcover) is fine. Audible.ca offers a free 30-day trial, and you will be encouraged to sign up a the appropriate time.

Although we will have time during the term, reading each book over a period of three weeks, these are long novels and if you have time, you are encouraged to read one of them over the summer.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

IMPORTANT NOTE Re 300 and 400 level courses: 75% of spaces in 300 level English courses, and 100% of spaces in 400 level English courses, are reserved for declared English Major, Minor, Extended Minor, Joint Major, and Honours students only, until open enrollment begins.

For all On-Campus Courses, please note the following:
- To receive credit for the course, students must complete all requirements.
- Tutorials/Seminars WILL be held the first week of classes.
- When choosing your schedule, remember to check "Show lab/tutorial sections" to see all Lecture/Seminar/Tutorial times required.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020

Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).