First Year Literature Seminar

3 units

This course explores the transformational effects of estrangement by pairing modern English literary and popular musical figures famous for their roles in reflecting and effecting radical social shifts. Questions of performance, alienation, mass culture, and fame will thread through five units: Godot and Glam: Beckett / Bowie; Portrait and Punk: Joyce / The Clash; Aestheticism and Alternative: Wilde / Morrissey; Gender and GenX: Woolf / Lady Gaga; Romance and Rap: Keats / Kendrick. Students will then construct their own pairing for a class presentation and final essay. Course is for first-year, non-transfer students only.