LAI 512LEC - Readings in Multicultural Literature

This is a literature reading course focusing on diverse voices often excluded in the literature curriculum in U.S. schools. The class will function as a reading group discussing short texts, some of which have become multicultural classics, including literature written by African American, Asian Americans, Latino/a, Native Americans (e.g., by Cisneros, Kinkaid, Walker, Wilson, Momaday, Tan, Petry, Alexie, and others). As we respond aesthetically to literary works and share those responses in writing and discussion, we will also examine the ways that individuals and groups make sense of these texts. The course is grounded in cultural, constructivist approaches to literature and will focus, too, on how authors construct texts out of their own sets of experiences in cultural contexts. Students will have some choice in selection of texts which suit their interests and needs.

Credits: 3