Introductory Topics in Asian Languages and Cultures (290-0-21)
Topic
Introduction to Tibetan Literature
Instructors
Antonio Terrone
847/467-1636
1880 Campus Drive, Kresge Hall #4-439
Office Hours: times vary by quarter, please contact instructor
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-410: Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM
Overview of class
AY22-23 What are Tibetan literature's distinctive features? In what ways has Buddhism determined Tibetan literary genres? How have modern forms of Tibetan literature developed? Students in this course will read Tibetan literature in English translation along with secondary sources to learn and reflect upon the long history of Tibetan literature up to the present. Given the impact that religious concerns have had among Tibetans for centuries, in the first part of the course students will analyze the ways in which Buddhism and Tibetan literary forms are intertwined from the Tibetan imperial period forward. The second part of the course will survey modern and contemporary Tibetan literature and its myriad influences, such as Chinese literary and political theory. Students will gain familiarity with diverse genres of Tibetan literature in translation including fiction, poetry, biographies, and historical treatises.
Teaching Method
Lecture and Discussion
Evaluation Method
In-class presentation, weekly response papers, midterm and final term papers
Class Materials (Required)
Tsering Döndrup, "The Handsome Monk and Other Stories." Columbia University Press, 2019 - ISBN 978-0231190237
Tenzin Deckie. "Old Demons, New Deities. 21 Short Stories from Tibet." OR Books, 2017 - ISBN 978-1944869519
Class Materials (Suggested)
PDFs provided by instructor
Class Attributes
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area