English 220 @ SDSU, Fall 2013
Naked Mirrors //
Damaged Psyches
An Introduction
to Literature, [Film, Art, & Photography]
Tuesdays & Thursdays 11 to 12:15 | GMCS 333 (aka, the Imagination Lab)
Professor William Nericcio
his is not just an "introduction to literature"
class--that I can
guarantee. Our Fall 2013 experimental
literary/ cinematic festival will focus on the metaphor of "naked mirrors" as we
explore the deliciously and outrageously damaged
psyches, minds, and art of women and men in some of
the tastiest, most exotic and eye-opening literature, film, art,
photography, and
poetry this side of the planet.
But we have to be
careful! Eyes wide
open, so to speak: these naked mirrors, concealing
nothing, revealing
all, are not without their tricks, not without their
surprises, and the
fractured souls they flaunt before our eyes will test our
intellect,
imagination, and, most deeply, our emotions.
The
various works we
encounter this term will teach us to rethink, rewrite, and reimagine what it
is we call to mind
when we picture
the contours of the human mind--in the process, we will learn again
just how instrumental the seductive mirror of literature can be in
exposing the riches of these minds. Take BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS by Kurt
Vonnegut, where an on-the-surface social satire evolves into a
meditation on the disintegration of the American psyche, or ...Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN by Alfonso Cuarón, where an erotic wanderlusting love triangle morphs
before our eyes into an allegory on the psychological consequences of
desire. Or, look here, in the art of Joao Ruas
(left, click to enlarge or go here to access it via your class tumblr site), in 'Nymphs III,' where the painting mimics (and complicates) a
story of a woman confronting her image (her self-image?) in a mirror
(of sorts)--the fragmentation and disfigurement in Ruas's canvas
underscores something analagous going down in the mind of the featured
protagonist.
Or consider the dreamscape of this remixed/re-visioned version of
Disney's ALICE IN WONDERLAND, where a familiar enchanting story of
fantasy and discover is restored to its origins--an uncanny tale of
altered subjectivity via narcotics:
This
course is open to
ALL undergraduates without regard to your selected
major or minor and
assumes no expertise in literature, film, or fine art.
If you are
breathing, have an imagination, and are not easily
offended by adult
issues, themes and images then you should seriously
consider coming
along for the ride.
Upper
division undergraduates and graduate students interested in taking this
class for credit, should see me in office hours or write me at memo@sdsu.edu
Working List of Required Works
FILMS {Screened FREE in Class} LARS AND THE REAL GIRL craig gillespie, director | nancy oliver, screenwriter
...Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN alfonso cuarón, director | alfonso & carlos cuarón, screenwriter
TOUCH OF EVIL
orson welles, screenwriter & director
BOOKS {...in no meaningful order}
(REQ) PAQUET --MAGRITTE
(REQ) BERGER et al --WAYS OF SEEING
(REQ) MURAKAMI --AFTER DARK
{A
note about purchasing books in our special, outrageous, and
experimental introduction to literature class... You might be asking
yourself, should I go ebook or old school paper-book? For the
purposes of this section of English 220, I say 'go old school,' 'old
gangster,' and buy or rent the real thing--and, though i don't care
WHERE you purchase/rent this paper artifact, make sure it is the
edition they carry in the campus bookstore! Why? So that we will all be
on the same page during discussions, in-class writing assignments,
quizzes, etc. You may have heard we are living through the age of
the 'Death of the Book.' Don't buy the hype. Just as a Biology 101
professor might scoff at you if you walked into an anatomy lab wanting
to use your 'scalpel app', or an archeology prof on a dig would faint
if you wanted to use your 'shovel app,' it's the same thing here.
Literature is about books, paper, ink, paste, etc.
As to whether you should rent or buy--keep in mind that literature
books are NOT textbooks. They actually look good on your shelves
and tell the world a lot about yourself--basically, they are an
intellectual mirror of your tastes, range, and depth. That said, it is YOUR
call.}
his is not 
But we have to be
careful! Eyes wide
open, so to speak: these naked mirrors, concealing
nothing, revealing
all, are not without their tricks, not without their
surprises, and the
fractured souls they flaunt before our eyes will test our
intellect,
imagination, and, most deeply, our emotions. 
we will learn again
just how instrumental the seductive mirror of literature can be in
exposing the riches of these minds. Take BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS by Kurt
Vonnegut, where an on-the-surface social satire evolves into a
meditation on the disintegration of the American psyche, or 
