Spring 2008 Courses

English 401-01: History of a Literary Genre: African-American Detective Fiction (English)

M/W/F 1:10-2:10pm, CARN 305

In this capstone course, we will investigate the rich history and the contemporary flourishing of African American detective fiction. Guided by the premise that genres emerge at certain times for identifiable reasons, we will assess the cultural work being performed by murder mysteries and crime novels by authors such as Walter Mosley, Barbara Neely, and Ishmael Reed. We will develop strongly historical contexts for our investigation, reading the earliest examples of African American detective fiction by Pauline Hopkins at the turn of the 20th century, novels and short stories by authors such as Rudolph Fisher and George Schuyler during the Harlem Renaissance, and novels and short stories written in the mid-20th century by authors such as Chester Himes and Richard Wright. We will also view several film adaptations, examining the aesthetic and political shifts that can occur when a literary work is transformed via a visual/auditory medium. We will read a great deal of relevant literary and filmic criticism and theory as well. Requirements for the course include: presenting extensively on one of the books and directing class discussion of that book, writing a 1-page response to each primary reading, and writing draft and final versions of about 20 pages.

*Prerequisite: one 100-level English course other than English 120.* This course fulfills the capstone and U.S. writers of color requirements for English majors.

Spring 2008 Course Listings