Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Study of primarily 20th- and 21st-century literatures and cultures in a comparative transnational framework. Focus may be hemispheric American literatures, the literatures of ‘the global south’, historical colonial and/or contemporary postcolonial/decolonial literatures, global environmental literature, and contemporary avant garde poetry and poetics. This course may be repeated for credit if a different topic is taught.

COURSE DETAILS:

Transnational Black Oratures 

 

In "Oral Power and Europhone Glory," Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o discusses the difference between "orature" and "oral literature." Orature refers to a performance-based oral system that is closely tied to specific space and time, while oral literature incorporates and places orality within the literary realm. Thiong'o emphasizes the significance of distinguishing between orature and oral literature to preserve the unique qualities of performance that connect orature to embodiment, community, and the contexts in which it emerges. This course begins by examining Thiong'o's differentiation and further explores how the concept of orature relates to a range of performance traditions, poetry, and storytelling within diverse Black communities, geographical locations, and diasporas.

 

We will begin by examining the historical contexts and forms of orature, exploring several questions: Can orature be classified as a genre? How does the concept of orature challenge the classification logic inherent in the idea of genre itself? How do the formal elements, aesthetic repertoires, and ethical orientations of orature transform as they circulate transnationally? How can orature be preserved, archived, and disseminated for future audiences? What tensions arise between print literatures and orature? By engaging with these questions, we aim to comprehend how oratures function as vehicles for preserving cultural knowledge, fostering resistance, building community bonds, and facilitating transnational solidarities.

 

After establishing a historical and theoretical foundation in oratures, we will turn to exploring three forms of transnational Black oratures: Dub Poetry, Black Queer Oratures, and Black Digital Oratures.

 

Dub poetry, originating from Afro-Jamaican roots and influenced by dub music and reggae, is a powerful form of performance poetry. This course focuses on the significance of dub poetry in addressing social justice, identity, and resistance. We will explore the presence of orality in Caribbean literatures in English, specifically highlighting influential Caribbean dub poets, as well as Black British, and Black Canadian dub poets. Through critical analysis, we will examine the intersections of race, migration, (pre- and post-) colonial histories, and responses to surveillance, neocolonialism, and police discrimination that inform dub poetics.

 

Next, we delve into Black Queer Oratures, where we engage with the works of Black queer, trans, and non-binary storytellers, poets, and performers. We will aim to understand how their narratives actively challenge traditional gender norms, confront respectability poetics, and empower voices from intersectional and transnational marginalized communities. A specific focus is placed on the role of Black transnational oratures in addressing the ongoing global HIV/AIDS epidemic.

 

In our final unit, we explore Black Digital Oratures, specifically analyzing how digital platforms amplify Black voices, and foster transnational virtual communities. We will consider the opportunities and limitations associated with adapting oratures into digital formats. Lastly, we contemplate the prospects and challenges of cyber-oratures within Black transnational communities, exploring emerging forms of digital expression such as interactive storytelling and virtual reality. We critically evaluate the potential implications of these technologies on future oratures and their impact on Black cultural production.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

• Understand the cultural and historical contexts that shape transnational Black oratures and their significance within multiple communities.
• Analyze the key themes, techniques, and devices employed in orature.
• Situate transnational Black oratures within broader discussions of race, gender, sexuality, identity, power, and resistance.
• Investigate the social and political contexts influencing the emergence and persistence of transnational Black oratures.
• Develop a critical understanding of the role of language, rhythm, and sound in Black oratures.
• Engage with diverse Black poets and storytellers from various cultural backgrounds and regions.
• Critically assess the impact of dub poetics and transnational spoken word on social movements, activism, and cultural resistance.
• Enhance critical thinking, reading, and analytical skills through close examination of primary and secondary texts.
• Develop writing and communication skills for different mediums of knowledge transmission such as short essays, oral presentations, reflective writing, and research memos.

Grading

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Lillian Allen, Make the World New. WLU Press, 2021.

Linton Kwesi Johnson, Selected Poems. Penguin, 2006. 

Wayde Compton, Performance Bond. Arsenal Pulp Press, 2004

Button Poetry (YouTube, selected videos)

National Poetry Slam Trinidad and Tobago (YouTube, selected videos)

 

Access to all other course materials will be facilitated digitally through the Simon Fraser University Library and/or other free-to-access digital platforms.

REQUIRED READING NOTES: