Writers' Studies in Literature (403-0-20)

Instructors

Daisy Hernandez

Meeting Info

University Hall 018 English: Thurs 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

Many writers rely on archives in the crafting of their own books. These archives may be private: family photo albums, school report cards, or baking recipes. Of course, the archives may be public: the correspondence of community organizers, the lab notes of scientists, or the recorded minutes of city council meetings. Whether private or public, archives can become the starting point for producing a creative text or they can serve to confirm memory or to bolster imagination; other times archives offer unexpected layers to a creative project. Why and when then do we turn to archives? How do we navigate the ethical questions raised by this work? How do we negotiate with the line between what has been recorded and what we want to imagine? How do we know when it's time to leave the archive or to stay longer?

In this course, we will be reading creative texts across genre that engage with archives usually in explicit ways including the novel Sound Museum: A Theory Fiction by poupeh missaghi, the memoir Liliana's Invincible Summer by Cristina Rivera Garza; and the poetry book and online project West: A Translation by Paisley Rekdal. We will take field trips to traditional archives and also engage with our existing private records. Course work will consist of short reflections on the readings, responding to writing prompts, and facilitating discussions.