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First-Year Writing Seminar (101-8-21)

Topic

Body Building

Instructors

Emma Rachel Cohen

Meeting Info

University Hall 418: Mon, Wed 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

Topic: Body Building

In Pumping Iron, a young Arnold Schwarzenegger describes his body as a living artwork: "good bodybuilders have the same mind in terms of sculpting that a sculptor has. You look in the mirror and say, ‘Okay, I need a little more deltoid to get the proportion right.' So you exercise and put those deltoids on, whereas an artist would just slap on some clay." In an age of Instagram Face and mail-order Ozempic, it's not unusual to think of our physical form as fundamentally malleable. But what are the stakes of understanding our bodies to be constructed and changeable objects? Should we celebrate what philosopher Paul Preciado calls "bioempowerment," using our bodies to derail familiar gender norms? Does embracing bodily flexibility align us uncomfortably with an economy that demands ever more energy, availability, and agility from its workers? And where do the bodily norms against which we sculpt ourselves come from, anyway? Roving from the Renaissance anatomy theater to drive-through plastic surgery clinics, this course will explore some of the discourses, political structures, and material practices that shape our bodies, both physically and figuratively. Alongside theoretical texts, such as writing by Michel Foucault and Judith Butler, we will look at poems that dissect the bodies of their beloved, fiction by authors ranging from Mary Shelley to Jamil Jan Kochai, journalistic investigations into fatphobia, and films, dances, and visual artworks that use prosthesis and collage to rearrange familiar forms. In doing so, you will get the chance to think through how these texts are constructed, and investigate the ways that literary, visual, and physical forms influence one another. You will also practice examining and developing the mechanics of your own writing, gaining facility in posing effective questions, amassing and wielding evidence, constructing compelling arguments, and crafting your writerly voice with greater clarity.

Evaluation Method

Writing assignments, participation, self-assessment

Class Materials (Required)

Two 3-4 page papers, one 6-7 page final paper, and intermittent short reflections.

Class Materials (Suggested)

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein; other readings and films will be available on Canvas.

Class Attributes

WCAS Writing Seminar