Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2020 - ENGL 208 D100

21st Century Literatures in English (3)

Class Number: 4759

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

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

  • Exam Times + Location:

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

  • Prerequisites:

    Two 100 division English courses OR formal declaration in the creative writing minor.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Explores twenty-first century and contemporary literatures in English. May Include late twentieth-century literature. The course may cover the role of new media, transnational perspectives, contemporary critical theory, and emerging and/or mixed genres such as the graphic novel. Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

Between Australian wildfires, the Wet’suwet’en resistance to the Coastal Gaslink pipeline, the arrival of murder hornets in North America, a global pandemic, and the Black Lives Matter protests, 2020 has been whirlwind—and, as I write this, we’re only halfway through. The events of this year feel historically significant, but their rapid onslaught raises questions about what it means to be living in this moment and how local, national, and global responses to it have been shaped by major events of the last twenty years, including 9/11 and its aftermath, the emergence of Black Lives Matter, the 2008 financial crash, the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Brexit, and the European migrant crisis.

In this class, we will read stories, poetry and essays that engaged with twenty-first-century events as they were unfolding, with an eye to the following questions: How can literature help us make sense of current events as they unfold? What kinds of formal and stylistic strategies allow writers to represent the immediate present? How do the writers in this course grapple with uncertain futures in the face of social, economic, and climate crisis? Can literature shape what comes next? And, how might we adopt their strategies to understand our current moment?

Grading

  • Tutorial Participation 15%
  • Weekly Reading Journals 10%
  • Short Essay (1200 Words) 20%
  • Final Essay (2000 words) 30%
  • Final Exam 25%

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

All of the required books should be readily available to purchase as print and digital texts. I strongly recommend acquiring print copies, but it is not mandatory.

I will not be ordering books via the bookstore this semester. If you aren't sure where to order books, Pulpfiction in Vancouver offers 30% the list price on special orders and free local delivery and Massy Books offers free delivery across the Lower Mainland on orders over $50. 

If cost is a concern, some books may have limited availability as ebooks through the Vancouver Public Library.

REQUIRED READING:

Mohsin Hamid, The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Claudia Rankine, Citizen: An American Lyric

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, This Accident of Being Lost


Ali Smith, Spring

Additional readings will be made available via Canvas

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).