Freshman Seminar: Self & Identity in African American Literature

3 units

For whom should the black author write? In this seminar we will consider how African American literature examines the meaning of African American identity, the individual's relationship with the community, and the often vexed relationship of the black author to the American mainstream. We will read classic authors as well as some less familiar ones. W.E.B. Du Bois, Nella Larsen, James Baldwin and Octavia Butler are just some of the possibilities. Class participation and regular reading logs are required. FRESHMEN ONLY.