Introduction to Latinx Literature (277-0-01)

Instructors

Mariajose Rodriguez Pliego

Meeting Info

University Hall 122: Mon, Wed 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

In the United States, we often talk about Latinx people using blurry labels. We discuss the Latino vote, the Hispanic population, and the Latinx community. This course explores the nuances of these labels through the stories that Latinx authors have been narrating for the past six decades. As we follow characters through conflicts and inhabit their quotidian lives, we will navigate between the specificity of a story and the complexity of a Latinx identity. Class discussions will study emotional ties to places and languages, feminist thought, and the racial and ethnic diversity within the Latinx community. We will read authors such as Gloria Anzaldúa, Justin Torres, Helena Maria Viramontes, and Yxta Maya Murray.

A one-quarter course cannot do justice to the rich genealogy of Latinx writing. This course follows an illustrative sample of authors from the 1970s onward and focuses on short stories, poetry, and essays. It aims to provide students with a historical, political, and literary foundation for further exploration of Latinx literature.

Teaching Method

Lecture with Discussion Section

Evaluation Method

Attendance and participation, papers, creative assignment.

Class Materials (Required)

We the Animals, Justin Torres, 9780547844190

God Went Like That, Yxta Maya Murray, 9780810146020

Class Attributes

Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
U.S. Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
SoC Humanities and Fine Arts Distro

Associated Classes

DIS - University Hall 018 English: Fri 12:00PM - 12:50PM

DIS - Kresge Centennial Hall 2-425: Fri 12:00PM - 12:50PM

DIS - University Hall 018 English: Fri 1:00PM - 1:50PM

DIS - Harris Hall L04: Fri 1:00PM - 1:50PM