ENGLISH 220: INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE
The Naked Eye/I
The Art of Madness in Literature, Film, Art, and the Web
The Naked Eye/I
The Art of Madness in Literature, Film, Art, and the Web
nclothed.
Revealed. Unadorned. Without cover. In a word, “naked.” A familiar
enough word--a welcome one at times. In this 2012 version of English
220, we will use the concept of nakedness to explore the minds, bodies
and art of women and men throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. We
will concern ourselves with individuals who are anything but normal and
by the end of the semester we may well decide that “normal” is the last
thing we want when we are looking at fiction, at storytelling. The various naked minds, bodies, and psyches we encounter this term will teach us to rethink what it is we think of when we imagine the dimensions of the human mind--in the process we will learn again just how instrumental literature can be in exposing the riches and excesses of this mind. We will not limit ourself to the written word in this seminar, as we will explore also naked eyes/I’s from the visual arts and cinema. Odds are your eyes and “I” will be moved by these encounters.
This course is open to all undergraduates without regard to your selected major and assumes no expertise in literature, film or fine art. If you are curious about naked artists, naked souls and naked eyes, then hold on to your hats. With your dynamic participation, our adventure promises to be one hell of a spectacle.
DISCLAIMER: the psychological, literary, and cinematic issues we will tackle during this course presume an open mind and a curious imagination; if the subject of human psychological conflict and adult sexuality annoy or offend, you best sign up for another fine section of this class.
WRITING AND EXAMINATIONS
You will be asked to write 2 (TWO) NAKED EYE/Imagination Festivals (aka 3- to 5-page critical essays) during the course of the term. Please note that you will never be compelled to write about something you absolutely loathe. Please see me or your amazing GTA during office hours as brainstormings essay topics is totally cool. There will also be 1(ONE) NAKED EYE/I FINAL CHALLENGE (aka, "the FINAL") on the last regularly scheduled day of class: THURSDAY, December 6, 2011. Your final is comprehensive; it assumes you have read all the books and screened all the movies that are part of our required work. If you do the work, the final is a breeze--even "fun" if you can believe it. If you slack off, you will find the final as enjoyable as a surprise guest appearance as a victim on Dexter.
QUIZZES AND ATTENDANCEThere will also be a couple of in-class Panic-Inducing Challenges© otherwise known as "check that you did the reading carefully and on time quizzes." You can expect these miserable quizzes from time to time, the number of quizzes depending on how many of you are nostalgic for high school. In other words, if everyone acts like a talented university undergraduate, we will enjoy FEW if any quizzes during our eye-popping semester. The whole point of this class is to work together, the idea being that we convert our boring, somewhat high-tech classroom into a chaotic, unpredictable and exciting intellectual laboratory. Missing class, you miss as well the whole point of the adventure. So please bypass no more than two classes during the term. Miss MORE than two classes during the term and your grade will decay in an ugly way: examples: your hard-earned A- will morph into a B; your "gentleman's C-" will appear on gradeline as a "D." Ditching this class too often will be as fun as a case of the flesh-eating virus.
OFFICE HOURSWhy 'office hours'? I expect you to visit me in office hours at least once during the semester. At SDSU, it's easy to fall through the cracks, to feel that you are nothing but a number or some warm pile of sentient flesh filling a seat. In order to underscore that the person teaching you is somewhat human, please make a point to take the time to introduce yourself in person. My office hours will be on TUESDAYS from 12:30 or so to around 4ish in Arts and Letters 273. If these hours are inconvenient, do not hesitate to call me at 594.1524 either to schedule an appointment or discuss your questions via telephone. My E-mail address is: memo@sdsu.edu
GRADING INFORMATION
33% In-class "Panic-Inducing Challenges"©, class participation/attendance, tumblr-postings, etc
33% Two NAKED EYE/Imagination Festivals ("Essays)
33% NAKED EYE/I FINAL CHALLENGE
1% Chutzpah, ganas, will, and drive.
