Topics in the Literature of American Cultures

What is meant when we say someone or something “sounds American”? Can a person sound like a certain gender, social class, sexuality, or race? How would we possibly define that sound? And what might it mean to think of a culture by the ways it sounds and listens, instead of how it looks or sees? This course will explore these questions and others by studying podcasts, poems, songs, novels, and the changing forms of sonic technologies like microphones, radios, mp3s, turntables, and more. We will examine the social politics of “vocal fry,” the creation of sonic warfare, the techno-sonic inventions of hip hop, punk rock, and EDM, the secrets of Siri and Alexa, and literature’s role in helping us learn to listen. Authors and songwriters will include Richard Wright, Claudia Rankine, Bob Dylan, Gloria Anzaldúa, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, Harryette Mullen, Eudora Welty, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, David Sedaris, and others.

*This course does fulfill the American Cultures requirement.

Required books:
Valeria Luiselli, Lost Children Archive (2019) ISBN 978-0525436461
Cathy Park Hong, Dance Dance Revolution (2007) ISBN 978-0393333114

Major Assignments:
2-page Essay 10%
Midterm Exam 20%
Podcast Project 30%
Final Exam 30%