Fall 2024 - ENGL 360 D100
Popular Writing by Indigenous Authors (4)
Class Number: 4680
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 4 – Oct 11, 2024: Tue, Thu, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
BurnabyOct 16 – Dec 3, 2024: Tue, Thu, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Deanna Reder
dhr@sfu.ca
1 778 782-8192
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Prerequisites:
30 units or two 200-division English courses.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Examines works of popular fiction by Indigenous authors, and their use of specific genres (e.g. the mystery novel, vampire thriller, sci fi, comic book). This course may be repeated for credit if a different topic is taught. Students who have taken FNST 322 under this topic, or FNST 360 may not take this course for further credit.
COURSE DETAILS:
This course examines several examples of popular fiction, written by Indigenous authors, to ask several questions: How do works of Indigenous literature negotiate the discourses of authenticity that narrowly define how an Indigenous person ought to look and act? While Indigenous characters are usually present in Westerns, how does it change the expectations of the genre if the Private Investigator in a work of hard-boiled detective fiction is Cherokee or if the time traveler in a Science Fiction story is Anishinaabe? How does it affect our readings of Speculative Fiction if the writer considers the current moment to be post-apocalyptic? Can culturally understood ways of storytelling adopt the techniques of a mainstream genre and still reflect Indigenous traditions? How does our theoretical lens, as well as our knowledge (or lack of knowledge) of Indigenous histories and cultures, affect our interpretation of a text?
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
After successful completion of the course:
- students will be able to list the generic markers of various categories of popular fiction (e.g., the YA novel, detective fiction, the gothic novel, speculative fiction).
- students will be able to recognize and assess how Indigenous authors can use and/or subvert genre expectations as a way to critique and engage with specific Indigenous epistimologies.
- students will be able to recognize and analyze how stereotypes function, especially those about Indigenous peoples in lands claimed by Canada.
- students will be able to employ skills in pre-writing, drafting and revising strategies to improve academic essay-writing.
Grading
- Regular attendance and participation 10%
- 1st Paper (5-6 pages: 1800-2200 words) 30%
- 2nd Paper (5-6 pages: 1800-2200 words) 30%
- Final Exam 20%
- Presentation 10%
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
The Case of Windy Lake (2019) by Michael Hutchinson
ISBN: 978-1772600858
Dreadful Water (2003; 2017) by Thomas King
ISBN: 978-1443455374
Monkey Beach (2001) by Eden Robinson
ISBN: 978-0676973228
The Marrow Thieves (2017) by Cherie Dimaline
ISBN: 978-1770864863
Weird Rules to Follow (2022) by Kim Spencer
ISBN: 978-1459835580
Students will be introduced to a selection of short stories, book excerpts, and films by authors including Vera Manuel, Daniel Heath Justice, Harold Johnson, Kai Minosh Pyle, Chelsea Vowel and films by Danis Goulet and Helen Haig-Brown.
Also, sections of Catherine Parr Traill’s Canadian Crusoes (1852) will be provided in class and is available at: https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.26500/5
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
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 website 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
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.