E179 Western American Literature: Contemporary Poets and the Shaping of the American Democracy | 3 credits | 08:00 - 09:15 AM | TR | Camille Dungy

We will read the work of recent U.S. poet laureates and public-facing poets who have ties to the American West to consider how poetry and literature shape our views of social justice, inclusive practices, public policy, political engagement, environmental engagement, and communal care. Poets studied this term include: Ada Limon, Tracy K. Smith, Joy Harjo, Juan Felipe Herrera, Robert Hass, Amanda Gorman, CMarie Furman, Natalie Diaz, TC Tolbert, Matthew Zapruder, Tommy Pico, and Brenda Hillman.

E466 – Interdisciplinary English Studies: Literature and Politics in the Contemporary US | 3 credits | 12:30 - 01:45 PM | TR | Andrew Altschul and Leif Sorensen

Is the pen still mightier than the sword? Was it ever? This capstone class invites students to identify strategies that writers adopt to address political subject matter, to assess the ability of literature to intervene in political issues, and to develop their own approaches to writing and reading politically in our current moment. Class readings will bring together important critical writings from Marxist, Critical Race, Queer, Trans*, and Feminist theories with an eclectic range of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and popular culture. Students will write both critically and creatively in response to assigned texts, and the closing weeks of the semester will be devoted to presentations and workshops of students’ projects on topics of their choosing.

E502 Politics of Literacy | 3 credits | 05:00 - 07:50 PM | W | Dr. Naitnaphit Limlamai

This course is driven by the key question, “In what ways are learning how to read and write the word and the world political?” We begin by developing complex understandings of literacy and literate practices through an examination of definitions, approaches, and contexts. Using these ideas, we'll examine contemporary debates in the field of literacy, including engagements with critical literacy, "reading wars," and banned books. Throughout the course we'll cultivate our own literacy skills as we investigate what forces and factors limit and expand our literacies and our access to it.