Approaches to Comparative Literature

In this pro-seminar, we bring to the table those texts, whether literary or critical, that mean the most to us. The syllabus is set in conjunction with the students and this year will include the work of Gaston Bachelard, Jane Bennett, Sharon Cameron, Barbara Johnson, Susan Stewart, Elaine Freedgood, and Eve Sedgwick. The course aims not to introduce the history of the discipline so much as to foster the development of your own critical pantheon.   Topics may include eco-criticism, animal studies, the new materialism, affect studies, critical race theory.  Required of first-year graduate students in Comparative Literature; open to students from other departments.