Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 11:00-12:00, and by appointment.

Phone: x3235 (English Office); x3434 (my office; voice mail)

Office: Library 269

A greater awareness of different ethnic cultures within the United States; the continuing influence of—and backlash against—the Civil Rights Movement and feminist ideas; the relatively recent impact of individual Asian-American writers, such as David Hwang, Maxine Hong Kingston, Shawn Wong, and Amy Tan; a greater awareness of the several cultures and histories within "Asian-American culture": these are some of the reasons why Asian-American literature, over the last couple decades, has been recognized as a substantial presence in "American literature," has received some of the attention it has long deserved. Hence the appearance of English 481 here, and of courses like it at universities nationwide.

But what is "Asian-American literature"? One rudimentary answer is "literature written by persons who are considered to be and/or who consider themselves to be Asian-American." Additional answers might reflect a greater awareness of complexities lurking within the question. One aim of the course is to develop such answers while identifying such complexities. Another aim is quixotic: to "survey" Asian-American literature—in fourteen weeks. However, what we read we shall read with intensity, passion, and critical awareness, all in keeping with the expectations of an upper-level seminar. And, not least of all, we shall often use the literature to discuss perspectives on and constructions of language, literary form, history, society, gender, race, nationality, and so forth. Above all, we shall listen to the stories and the voices we encounter. What are they trying to tell us, these stories, these voices? What do we want to hear from them? How do they bear on our lives, our sense of language and literature, our sense of ourselves?

Other questions that will inform our study include the following: What tensions and connections exist between notions of ethnicity and notions of nationality? Are there themes that cut across the literatures of several Asian-American communities? How useful is the descriptor "Asian-American, what are its denotations and connotations, its appropriateness and limitations? To what extent do questions of literary form intersect with questions of ethnic identity? To what extent do issues of social-class and gender impinge on issues of ethnic identity?

Naturally I expect you to keep up with the reading, to come to class unless you’re ill, to contribute productively to discussions, and so forth. Because this is an upper-level seminar, I expect you to take even more care to share ideas, build discussion, and write well. In other words, active participation is part of the drill. I realize, however, that because this is the only course in Asian-American literature here, some of you may not be English majors.

Please come to class on time, and I prefer that you don’t eat in class, but I don’t mind the presence of coffee, water, or soft drinks, as long as cacophonous slurping and gurgling are kept in check. I’ll do my best to adhere to the same guidelines.

What are your expectations of the course? We’ll discuss them.

If something about the course structure, certain assignments, certain topics, or other issues is unclear, please see me sooner rather than later.

Chao, Patricia, The Monkey King (novel).

Hagedorn, Jessica. Charlie Chan Is Dead: An Anthology of Contemporary Asian American Fiction.

Ng, Fae Myenne, Bone (novel).

Tran, Barbara, et al, eds. Watermark:Vietnamese American Poetry and Prose

Yamanaka, Lois-Ann. Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers (novel).

Wong, Shawn, Homebase (novel)

Wong, Shawn, Asian-American Literature: An Anthology

Also, each student is required to select, read, and analyze one additional work of Asian-American literature—a volume or significant group of poems; a play; a novel; a nonfiction book (such as autobiography, memoir, book of essays, critical study); or a volume or significant group of short stories. You will need to make you selection about a month into the course. Please select a work you have not read or at least have not read recently: Make it something of a discovery or at least a rediscovery. The work may be by a Chinese-American, Filipino-American, Japanese-American, Asian-Indian-American, Pacific-Islander-American, Vietnamese-American, Cambodian-American, South-Asian-American (or some combination thereof) writer. We will discuss this in class, and I will point you toward bibliographies and other references should you desire such assistance. The two anthologies will be good sources, too. Naturally you may borrow the work from a library as opposed to purchasing it.

Each student is required to write two substantial critical essays. I shall provide a detailed assignment sheet as well as topics and topic areas, which you may of course alter. You will be required to bring rough drafts to class and get feedback on them.

Each student is required to keep a reader’s notebook, preferably in a hardback composition book—or in word-processed form. In the notebook, you will write analyses of each work. The analyses should run several pages but may be more informal and less tightly structured than an essay. However, the analyses should move well beyond and "I liked it/I didn’t like it" response, should bring some interpretive sophistication to bear on the works, should look to the text for evidence, but may also bring in "outside" perspectives and sources. You should write at least part of each analysis before we discuss the work in class; that is, your analyses—even if incomplete—will help you contribute to discussion. At the very least, write down three things to say about the text—"thing" as in questions, topic, issue, selected scene or passage, and so forth. In addition, you are to write responses to any works of cinema we view. And, speaking of which,….

We’ll probably see at least three films, on video. Right now the candidates include Come See TheParadise, Double Happiness, M. Butterfly, Yellow, and Mississippi Mandela. Do you have recommendations? We’ll discuss the logistics of viewing films.

Toward the end of the term, you will bring in some samples of contemporary Asian-American music.

Roughly, the grading will be based on the following breakdown:

Participation in discussions and other in class work: about 25%.

Two essays: about 55% (total).

Reader’s Notebook: about 20%.

Tuesday, Jan. 18. Introduction. Expectations and responsibilities. Some historical facts, key issues, tentative definitions, and brewing controversies.

Thursday, Jan. 20. For today, read the Preface and Introduction to Asian-American Literature, ed. Shawn Wong. Also read Elaine Kim’s Preface and Jessica Hagedorn’s introduction to Charlie Chan is Dead. Topics include…well, you tell me! What are the points of disagreement, what are the "hot" definitions and terms, what issues seem cloudy, how are these critics asking you to read? What of "real," "fake," "literary nationalism," etc. In Wong’s anthology, also read Kingston, "The Making of More Americans," Yamamoto, "Different Silences," and So, "The Color Yellow."

Tuesday, January 25. In the Fiction section of Wong’s anthology, read stories by Sui Sin Far, Toshio Mori, Hisaye Yamamoto, Lonny Koneko, Sylvia Watanabe, and Truong.

Thursday, January 27. Read the stories between pages 1 and 102 in Charlie Chan is Dead. What forms of short fiction do you find here? What problems of modern and contemporary existence does the fiction seem to embody?

Tuesday, February 1. Read Homebase, by Shawn Wong.

Thursday, February 3. Finish discussing Homebase. In Wong’s anthology, read the poetry by Inada, Woon Chin, Leong, and Gotera. Essay assigned.

Tuesday, February 8. In Wong’s anthology, read the poetry by Marilyn Chin, Hahn, Song, Kim, and Lee..

Thursday, Feb. 10. A break from poetry! And back to short fiction! In Hagedorn, read the stories by her ("Film Noir") and by Hahn, Jen, Kingston, Lee, Lew, Linmark, Louie, Lum, Meer, Mori, and Mukherjee. In Wong, read the story by Mukherjee.

Tuesday, Feb. 22. Read the stories by Nunez, Sakamoto, Song, Villa, and Wong. Also, a draft of the essay is due. We’ll "workshop" the drafts in class.

Thursday, Feb. 24. Film: Come See The Paradise.

Tuesday, Feb. 29. Finish film, discuss. Essay Due. Tell me what you have selected as your

required additional reading.

Thursday, March 2. Read about half of Bone.

Tuesday, March 7. In Hagedorn, stories by Ong. Rosca, Villanueva, Watanabe, Yamaguchi, Yamauchi, and Yau.

Thursday, March 9. Read the rest of Bone.

Tuesday, March 21. Read about half of The Monkey King.

Thursday, March 23. Finish The Monkey King.

Tuesday, March 28. Selections from Watermark.

Thursday, March 30. Selections from Watermark.

Tuesday, April 4. About half of Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers.

Thursday, April 6. The rest of Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers. Essay assigned.

Tuesday, April 11. Film.

Thursday, April 13. To be announced.

Tuesday, April 18. Discuss film. Draft of essay due: workshop. Food?

Thursday, April 20. Presentation on extra reading. Music?

Tuesday, April 25. For today, read The Music Lessons (play) in Wong’s anthology.

Thursday, April 27. Last things. Food? Reader’s notebook due today.

Tuesday, May 2. Essay due.