Jazz Fictions: Film, Literature, Music

3.0 credits · Undergraduate

This course will survey the influence of jazz across multiple forms, including literature, poetry, and film. This influence was often reciprocal; as writers, playwrights, filmmakers and poets sought to think with and through jazz, so too did jazz musicians engage with and take inspiration from other forms. Through our engagement with these multiple mediums, we will develop a broader understanding of the social and political context for this music and the unique affordances and challenges of cross-media scholarship. No prior knowledge of jazz is required; the course is designed to function as a novel (excuse the pun) way of introducing the genre. In addition to reading and watching various forms of media, we will be listening to music throughout.