Reading the City: Literary Tourism in New York, Los Angeles, Santo Domingo and Manila

What shapes our conception of a city we haven't visited? Is it the novels we read or the films we watch? How do our ideas change when we tour or live there? This course investigates New York, Los Angeles, Santo Domingo, and Manila through the various social, political and sexual experiences portrayed in novels, creative nonfiction, poetry, and film. Mindful of our own role as reader-tourists, we will compare depictions of reading, visiting, touring, and living in cities especially with regards to issues of identity and its transformation. Enrollment limited to 17 first year students and sophomores.