Syllabus

Dr. T. Caldwell, Fall 2013
Office: Langdale 969; 404-413-5837
Office hours: MW 10-11 & by appointment
tmcaldwell@gsu.edu

ENGL 8900
Memory and Writing: Autobiography, Biography, and Memoir

This cultural and literary studies course explores the origins and forms of life writing, looking at the ways in which individual and cultural memory shapes the individual sense of self and at the relationships between text and writer. 

Aug     26        Intro discussion/Haynes, dir., I’m Not There (Dylan biopic)
Se        2          LABOR DAY
            9          I’m Not There; Samuel Pepys, Diary selections
            16        Pepys; James Boswell, London Journal
            23        London Journal  (Lance)
            30        Olaudah Equiano, Interesting Narrative  (Karen)
Oct      7          Equiano, Interesting Narrative (virtual meeting)
            14        William Godwin, Memoirs  (Nancy)
            21        Mary Shelley, Matilda  (Angela)
            28        Kathryn Harrison, The Kiss  (Soniah)
Nov     4          Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace  (Brandi)
            11        Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace (virtual meeting)
            18        Jill Ker Conway, The Road from Coorain  (Anna)
            25        THANKSGIVING
Dec      2          Conway, The Road from Coorain  (Shari on An Angel at My Table)
            9          Jane Campion, dir., An Angel at My Table (film) 

Required Texts:
These are the books I ordered from the Georgia Bookstore ONLY.  You need to have a copy of each, but I’m not requiring the particular editions.  If you can get them from other sources like amazon, that is absolutely fine.  The Pepys and Matilda I will give you copies of.

Conway, Jill Ker.  The Road from Coorain.  Vintage Books.  0-679-72436-2

Equiano, Olaudah.  The Interesting Narrative.  Norton.  0-393-97494-4

Godwin, William.  Memoirs of the Author of a Vindication of the Rights of Women.  Broadview.  1-55111-259-0

Harrison, Kathryn.  The Kiss.  Random House.  0-679-44999-X
James Boswell, The London Journal.  Penguin.  978-0140436501
Kate Summerscale, Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace: The Private Diary of a Victorian Lady.  Bloomsbury.  9781408812419

Assessment:

20-min conference-style oral presentation:                 30%
Article report (c. 4-5pg):                                             10%
Research paper proposal:                                            10%
Research paper:                                                           50%

Plagiarism: You must acquaint yourself with the plagiarism policy in the College Catalog.  Instructors will take seriously any bona fide work you submit.  Plagiarism, however, is a major crime and can result in your expulsion from GSU.