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Course Description

Summary

We all know the literary generation that Bennington produced in the 1980s and early 90s: Donna Tartt, Bret Easton Ellis, Jonathan Lethem and Kiran Desai. But how seriously have we read their work? And what about the illustrious faculty who prepared the literary ground for those who came after: Bernard Malamud, Kenneth Burke, Stanley Edgar Hyman (and his wife the novelist Shirley Jackson), Edward Hoagland, Lucy Grealy. We'll read widely in the canon of Bennington's literary giants through the decades and rummage through the College archives for forgotten literary lore. In addition to regular critical writing, students will collaborate to produce a live blog, "Literary Bennington," that will feature author interviews, short pieces of journalism and reviews, and coverage of the literary events on campus. Regular posting on the blog will help students build their writing and editing skills.