The "I" of the Beholder
LIT4386.01
Course Description
Summary
From James Baldwin's writing on Richard Wright, to Maggie Nelson's Argonauts, to Hanif Abdurraqib鈥檚 essays on pop music, many writers of nonfiction have taken up the task of looking at works of art, media, and literature by first looking inward. This 2-credit class will explore autotheory, first-person cultural criticism, and other critical writing that employs a distinctly personal bent. How do our personal histories inform our critical practice, and how are we (as writers and as people) shaped by the process of looking? We will read, analyze, and discuss 1-2 essays per week, and explore writing with this approach on our own.Prerequisites
Submit up to 3 pages of writing that relates in some way to the themes of the course (for example, a personal essay, a critical essay, an ekphrastic poem), as well as one paragraph about why you are interested in taking this course (500 words max) via this form. Submissions are due by May 15, 2023.
Please contact the faculty member : frannychoi@bennington.edu
Corequisites
Students are required to attend all Literature Evenings and Poetry at Bennington events this term, commonly held at 7pm on most Wednesday evenings.