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ENGL 200 E: Reading Literary Forms
American Novels in Translation: Twenty-first Century Mexican Novelists and Stories of What Might Have Been
Spring Quarter 2025 TTh 11:30-1:20 SAV 166
ERIN GILBERT eringil@uw.edu
Office: M 11:30-1:30 Padelford LL B 28 (or by appointment)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Historical events can feel inevitable, as if what happened in the past could not have happened any other way. But we cannot predict the future because what happens is never inevitable, and the course of history can be altered by relatively minor incidents. Imagining how things might have turned out differently can help us recognize the surprising choices open to us in the present and explore the unexpected possibilities our collective future may hold. This quarter, we will read three novels that touch on these choices and possibilities. Questions of language, identity, and historical narrative animate each of these novels written by contemporary Mexican novelists living in the United States: Tu sueño imperios han sido/You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue, La estación de pantano/Season of the Swamp by Yuri Herrera, and The Lost Children Archive/Desierto Sonoro by Valeria Luiselli. Each of these novels reimagines major events in the history of North America: the arrival of Spaniards in the Mexica city of Tenochtitlan, the nineteenth century exile of Mexican President Benito Juárez in New Orleans, and the Apache-US Wars in contested land in the southwest. Supplemental readings and lectures will provide context as students research key figures, learn about translation theory, and practice “imagining otherwise.” By the end of the quarter, students will have gained fluency in identifying, discussing, and analyzing counterfactual, alternate history, and autofiction as literary genres while developing a greater appreciation for literature in translation.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Students are able to contextualize and analyze the materials or topics covered, historically, politically, culturally. (Analytical; Writing; Disciplinary)
- Students gain and/or build on basic research traditions and skills. Students develop more familiarity with library resources and electronic or on-line media that may be critical to their improvement. (Analytical; Disciplinary; Writing)
- Students can appreciate the value and challenge of difference and disagreement. (Analytical)
- Students develop both an appreciation of literature and a lifelong habit of reading. (General Analytical; Disciplinary)
- Students are able to perform competent close readings of course texts and similar texts. (Analytical; Disciplinary; Writing)
- Students understand the investments, contexts, and effects of the kind of close/critical reading skills or approaches under study/use. (Analytical; Disciplinary; Writing)
- Students are acquainted with a range of texts useful to understanding the course topic and to doing future work in this area. (Disciplinary)
- Students have a fundamental knowledge of genres and/or arguments about genre. (Disciplinary)
- Students have an appreciation for and knowledge of literature’s relationship to related areas or disciplines. (Analytical; Disciplinary)
- Students develop more sophisticated discussion and presentation skills in the interest of being better able to construct and defend their own arguments or interpretations. (Analytical; Disciplinary; Writing)
- Students improve their writing skills generally, and with regard to writing about literature and culture. (Analytical; Disciplinary; Writing)
TEXTS:
Tu sueño imperios han sido/You Dreamed of Empires (2022/2024) Álvaro Enrigue translated from Spanish into English by Natasha Wimmer
La estación de pantano/Season of the Swamp (2022/2024) Yuri Herrera translated from Spanish into English by Lisa Dillman
The Lost Children Archive/Desierto Sonoro (2019) Valeria Luiselli translated from English into Spanish by Daniel Saldaña París
(Supplemental articles provided on Canvas)
ASSIGNMENTS
Writing Practice: These short, timed writing exercises support the development of a generative writing practice, supply material for early drafts, and focus thinking around salient questions for course discussions. The goal is to write as much as possible in the time allotted without stopping and without worrying too much about spelling, punctuation, or sentence structure. This is more challenging than it sounds! (Graded as complete or incomplete.) 25%
Service and Leadership (Course Readings, Quotes and Questions Posts, and In-Class Discussions, Peer Review Draft Posts and Feedback): Students earn credit by completing the readings, identifying and annotating passages that seem important, and contributing to the in-class discussions. Credit for the peer review process is assigned to everyone who submits both a draft and feedback during the peer review process. Each peer review session will be a little bit different, allowing students to model, practice, and revise skills that will lead to successful completion of the midterm and final writing assignment. (Graded as complete or incomplete.) 25%
Group Presentation: With your group, you will complete a collaborative research project on a subject drawn from one of the readings this quarter. Your presentation and bibliography will become resources for your classmates, supporting class discussions of the readings, and providing sources for further research for the midterm and final. (Graded according to rubric.) 10%
Midterm Project: The midterm will consist of a question about Each student will conduct research to prepare and then select and answer one question. (Graded according to rubric.) 15%
Final Project: The final writing assignment helps cement learning, render skills transferrable, and forge a narrative of accomplishments to finish the quarter. (Graded according to rubric.) 25%
COURSE READING CALENDAR
WEEK 1-3: Read Tu sueño imperios han sido/You Dreamed of Empires
WEEK 3-5: Read La estación de pantano/Season of the Swamp
WEEK 5: Midterm Project Due
WEEK 5-9: Read The Lost Children Archive/Desierto Sonoro
WEEK 10: Final Project Due
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(NO FINAL DURING FINALS WEEK—have a fabulous Summer Break!) |
COURSE POLICIES
PARTICIPATION: In this course, as in most courses about literature, much of the learning happens through a combination of reading and preparing questions at home and in-class discussion and activities, so preparation and in-class participation are equally and especially important! Service and Leadership assignments are generally graded as complete or incomplete and can’t be made up outside of class, so attendance is important. That said, illnesses and emergencies sometimes happen. If you need to miss a day of class, and you email me right away, you can have all in-class participation coursework for the day you missed excused on the day of your absence: and you can do this twice in the quarter. Since this course meets twice a week, if you miss more than two days, you’ll be missing more than 10% of the instruction and practice designed to support your success in this course, at which point it would be a good idea to set up a meeting with me to figure out how to proceed. See “Deadlines” below for how to handle coursework due outside of class in cases of illness or emergency.
DEADLINES: Assignments designed for the use of classmates (including discussion posts, in-class group activities, and peer review drafts and feedback) won’t be accepted late because they’re no longer useful to your classmates. If you are struggling to finish the midterm or final on time, reach out to me before the deadline to request a 1–2-day extension, and I will almost always grant your request. If you don’t reach out, I can’t grant an extension, and the assignment grade will drop 10% a day
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION: Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).
ACCESS AND ACCOMMODATION: Your experience in this class is important to me. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please activate your accommodations via myDRS so we can discuss how they will be implemented in this course. If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), contact DRS directly to set up an Access Plan. DRS facilitates the interactive process that establishes reasonable accommodations. Contact DRS at disability.uw.edu.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: The University takes academic integrity very seriously. Behaving with integrity is part of our responsibility to our shared learning community. If you’re uncertain about if something is academic misconduct, ask me. I am willing to discuss questions you might have.
Acts of academic misconduct may include but are not limited to:
- Cheating (working collaboratively on quizzes/exams and discussion submissions, sharing answers, and previewing quizzes/exams)
- Plagiarism (representing the work of others as your own without giving appropriate credit to the original author(s))
- Unauthorized collaboration (working with each other on assignments)
Concerns about these or other behaviors prohibited by the Student Conduct Code will be referred for investigation and adjudication by (include information for specific campus office). Students found to have engaged in academic misconduct may receive a zero on the assignment (or another possible outcome).
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND AI: The plagiarism policy (above in “Academic Integrity) prohibits “representing the work of others as your own without giving appropriate credit to the original author(s)” and consequently extends the use of AI for the creation, development, and completion of any part of the assignments and coursework in this class. Using Large Language Models (LLMs) can raise additional ethical consideration too, particularly in regard to citation practice, and I am happy to discuss these and support intentional decision-making. However, as LLMs become increasingly omnipresent, their role in knowledge production and communication is important for all readers and writers to consider. This course provides clearly marked opportunities for using—and thinking through the ethical implications of using—AI in the study of literature. AI is also beginning to shape history, memory, and self-perception in ways that we will explore as we study nostalgia.
RESOURCES
SAFETY: Call SafeCampus at 206-685-7233 anytime – no matter where you work or study – to anonymously discuss safety and well-being concerns for yourself or others. SafeCampus’s team of caring professionals will provide individualized support, while discussing short- and long-term solutions and connecting you with additional resources when requested.
THE UW FOOD PANTRY provides food to students, staff, and faculty who may be experiencing short-term food insecurity. It could be the result of a short-term disruption in finances, a food desert in the local community, or a lack of access to other financial assistance. Visitors are welcome to shop in person once per week and receive 2-3 days’ worth of food. The food pantry provides shelf stable products, UW Farm organic produce, ready-to-eat items from campus dining locations, and hygiene products at no cost to visitors.
HUSKY HELPLINE: If you are in crisis and need to talk to someone, Husky HelpLine operated by Telus (formally MySSP) to give students access to same-day, confidential mental health and crisis intervention support, 24/7 and in multiple languages. Husky HelpLine is available to support you to same-day access to a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
THE Q CENTER facilitates and enhances a brave, affirming, liberatory, and celebratory environment for students, faculty, staff, and alumni of all sexual and gender orientations, identities, and expressions.
THE CLUE WRITING CENTER in Mary Gates Hall (141 suite, CUADSS lobby) is open Sunday to Thursday from 7pm to midnight. The graduate tutors can help you with your claims, organization, and grammar. You do not need to make an appointment, so arrive early and be prepared to wait.
THE ODEGAARD WRITING AND RESEARCH CENTER is open in Odegaard Library Monday - Thursday 9am to 9pm, Friday 9am to 4:30pm, and Sunday 12pm to 9pm. This writing center provides a research-integrated approach to writing instruction. Find more information and/or make an appointment on the website: depts.washington.edu/owrc.