This course introduces students to the study of different literary forms, specifically prose, poetry, and dramatic forms. Throughout the quarter we will read and write about these different forms and consider major works on the theory of the form. Secondarily, our class will focus on the works that address questions around environmental, ecological, and climate issues. How are different literary forms imaginative resources for thinking about ecological systems? What is the relationship between literary forms and our social and political worlds? While we will be tackling some of these bigger questions in the class, my hope is that we will also get to practice being more attentive, inquisitive, and joyful readers and writers.
Texts may include: Harrow by Joy Williams, How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue, What Happened Was by Katharine Haake, selected poems by Craig Santos Perez, Evil Does Not Exist by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, secondary materials by Samuel Delany, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Amitov Ghosh, Caroline Levine, and Mikhail Bakhtin.