Course Description

Humanities 9 focuses on autobiographies of several remarkable American artists. In each case, the art form is not only the work produced, but the life produced out of the art. In part the class addresses the question, how do we know who we are? How do we juggle personal and family history, cultural identity, sexual preference, race, class, gender, and personal experience as we figure out who we are or who we wish to be? Each of the authors we will read could be "labeled" if you had to find their book in a bookstore, but each of the authors weÕll read resist any single label. For example, at the end of his life, Malcolm is as much a Muslim as an African American; Cherie Moraga understands herself as a Latina only after she understood herself as a lesbian. Our time in class will be substantially focused on discussion, though I also hope to invite a number of guest speakers throughout the semester. You should note that Sherman Alexie will be on campus in April.

Prerequisite & Workload

While there is no prerequisite for this course, all formal requirements of this course require good writing skills, and eligibility for English 1A would be a distinct advantage--having completed English 1A would be better still. As you will see, there is also a fair amount of reading for this course. College courses assume that the student will spend two hours outside of class for each hour in class--thus students should expect to spend 7 hours preparing for class each week. I have organized the reading and writing requirements of the course so that you should be able to remain within these boundaries.

reader responses

For virtually all of the classes I teach, I give weekly quizzes. For this class I will substitute the following requirement. At the beginning of class each Tuesday, students should submit a short discussion of what they consider the most interesting passages and questions to discuss from that weekÕs reading (these may be handwritten or typed). These will be graded 0, 1, or 2 points; to pass the class, you must average one point for these submissions. I will use your comments to help guide our discussions.

Essays

Four 5-page essays will be required. Each essay should make explicit use of our reading to discuss the themes indicated. Essays are due on Thursdays.

the first essay: Drawing on Walter Benjamin's "The Storyteller," describe an experience that has shaped who you are at present and what someone else could learn from you. What did you learn? How will this experience continue to teach you? What could someone else learn from hearing your story? due Feb. 28

second essay: Why are we so affected by our parents' lives? Should we aspire to carry on our parents' stories, or is it "better" to sharply differentiate ourselves from our families? Use The Woman Warrior and Maus to discuss the ways that our parents' experienceÑeven experiences that took place before we were bornÑcontinue to mold us and what a healthy balance of heritage and individuality would look like. due March 21

third essay: Both Indian Killer and Mabel McKay reflect on the question of Indian identity. What makes a person an Indian (or any other specific identity)? Can a person simply decide that they "are" something by choice? Hoe do different parts our a personÕs identity--race, religion, class, sexual preference--interact to produce a personÕs sense of self? due April 25

final essay: Both Duke Ellington and Malcolm X are remarkably articulate both about the factors that led to their personal evolution and how and why they chose to evolve in the way they did. Use Music is My Mistress and The Autobiography of Malcolm X to discuss the factors that seem to empower individual to choose the ways in which they will respond to the circumstances of their lives. due June 6, 2-3, Quad 112C.

essays should be five (or more) numbered pages, typed (double-space), spell-checked, proofread. If you use quotations you must cite them properly (I am not fussy about which academic convention you use). Failure to number pages, cite quotes, or spell-check will result in the reduction of your grade by .3 points each. Cheating on any course requirement is grounds for your failing the course.