English 329: U.S. Latin@ Poetry
Hunter College, Spring 2015
Professor Michael Dowdy
Syllabus and Course Policies
Class Number 6270, Section 01
Prerequisite: English 220
Meeting Times: Tue/Fri 12:45-2:00
Classroom: 408 Thomas Hunter
Office: 1249A Hunter West
Office Hours: Tue/Fri 2:15-3:15
Office Phone: 212-772-5165
Email: mdowdy@hunter.cuny.edu
First-Week Attendance Policy
Students who do not attend at least one of the first two days of class (either Friday, January 30, or
Tuesday, February 3) will be dropped from the course roster. There will be no exceptions to this rule.
Required Texts (Available at Shakespeare and Co.)
Lorna Dee Cervantes, Emplumada
Jimmy Santiago Baca, Martín and Meditations on the South Valley
J. Michael Martinez, Heredities
Urayoán Noel, In Visible Movement: Nuyorican Poetry from the Sixties to Slam
Maurice Kilwein Guevara, Poema
Carmen Giménez Smith, Odalisque in Pieces
Additional required readings will be available online, posted to Blackboard, or on our course blog.
Description
This discussion-based and writing-intensive course reads a variety of U.S. Latina/o poets, with a focus on
the development of three poetic strands: (1) the Chicana/o tradition as it developed in California and the
southwest, from the Chicano movement in the late Sixties to the present; (2) the Nuyorican tradition as it
developed in and around New York City, from the cultural ferment and political agitation of the late
Sixties to the present; and (3) the new directions in Latin@ poetry taken since the mid-1990s, with a
range of innovative forms and practices and unexpected locations of emergence. In addition to reading
critical and scholarly responses to Latina/o poetry, students will participate in creating a course blog,
called Poema Latin@, writing regular posts and comments about our readings.
Learning Outcomes
In completing this course, students will have honed skills of close reading of poetry and literary analysis,
and they will have acquired detailed knowledge of how Latina/o poets have created radically innovative
aesthetic traditions. Students will have also honed writing, research, speaking, and blogging skills.
Attendance
A student’s primary responsibility is to attend class. Attendance is mandatory, and college courses do not
differentiate between excused and unexcused absences. You should arrive on time to each class session
and you should not leave before the end of class. In other words, you should not leave in the middle of
class except in the case of an emergency. Being late three times will constitute an absence, and if you
have more than three absences, your final grade will be lowered as follows: 4 absences = reduction of
your final grade 1 increment (i.e., from a B to a B-); 5 to 6 absences = reduction of your final grade 1
letter grade (i.e., from a B to a C); 7 absences or more = an automatic F for the class.
Participation
This course requires each student’s active participation. The majority of class time will be devoted to
group and class discussions and to formal and informal writing assignments. These activities will be
supplemented with mini-lectures that illuminate the literary and historical contexts of the poems. You
must be prepared for each class by finishing reading on time, bringing your anthology, and participating
in group and class activities. Responding to discussion prompts, asking questions, listening carefully,
taking good notes, and speaking in group and class discussions are elements of excellent participation.
You should avoid making empty comments such as “I found this poem boring” or “I don’t get it.”
Electronic Devices and Other Distractions
No electronic devices are to be activated or used during class, including iPhones, iPads, PDAs, and cell
phones. Exceptions will be made for students who have registered with the Office of Accessibility and for
students who prefer to take notes on laptops. Please do not eat in class.
Grades and Assignments
All assignments must be completed to pass the course. Late work will be accepted with severe penalties
until the last day of class, with at least one grade deduction per class (i.e., from a B to a B- for each class
the assignment is late). No exceptions will be made to the final deadline.
Grade Distribution
Class and blog participation
Close reading response (on blog)
Gloss of a keyword (on blog)
Review of a book (on blog)
Recitation of a poem
Final project
15%
15%
15%
15%
15%
25%
Grade Percentages
93-100% = A 77-79 = C+
90-92 = A70-76 = C
87-89 = B+
60-70 = D
83-86 = B
Below 60 = F
80-82 = B-
Hunter College Policy on Plagiarism
Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g. plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining
unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the
values of intellectual honesty. The college is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic
Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Integrity
Procedures. If I suspect you of plagiarism, I will pursue a just resolution, which could entail failure of the
assignment, failure of the course, and/or academic suspension, but I will also ensure that you receive due
process in the Hunter College system. Please see me immediately if you do not understand what
constitutes plagiarism or if you are confused about how to cite sources properly.
Hunter College Reading/Writing Center
The Reading/Writing Center is an excellent resource for writers of all abilities. It offers skills workshops,
1-on-1 tutoring sessions, and numerous other resources that will help you improve your writing. It is
located in 416TH. Visit http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/ for more information.
Office of Accessibility
In compliance with the American Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) and with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational parity and
accommodations for all students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions. It is
recommended that all students with documented disabilities (Emotional, Medical, Physical and/or
Learning) consult the Office of Accessibility located in Room 1124 East to secure necessary academic
accommodations. For further information please call (212-772-4857) / TTY (212-650-3230).
Tools
*Assignments, supplemental materials, and links to useful resources will be posted to Blackboard.
*We will collectively build a WordPress course blog, Poema Latin@, over the course of the semester. It
will serve both as a platform for the exchange of ideas about our texts as well as an archive of materials.
*The Hunter College Library (http://library.hunter.cuny.edu/) is an ideal jumping-off point for research.
Schedule of Classes, Readings, and Assignments (Subject to change)
Fri 1/30
Introductions
Chicana/o Poetics from El Movimiento to Indocumentos
Tue 2/3
BB: Alurista; El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán; Gonzalez; Cutler
Fri 2/6
Emplumada
Tue 2/10
Emplumada; BB: Candelaria; Villa
Fri 2/13
BB: Herrera
Tue 2/17
BB: Herrera; Burt; Oliver-Rotger
Fri 2/20
Martín and Meditations
Tue 2/24
Martín and Meditations; BB: Cutler
Fri 2/27
Heredities
Tue 3/3
Heredities; BB: Colón; Martinez and Windholz
Fri 3/6
BB: Undocumentary poetics: Alcalá; Corral; Huerta; Soto
Due: Gloss of a keyword (Chicano group)
Nuyorican Poetics from Modernism to Slam and Hip Hop
Tue 3/10
BB: Cruz; Marzán; Williams; Young Lords
Fri 3/13
In Visible Movement (Intro, Ch. 1); BB: Cruz; Luciano; Meléndez; Pietri
Tue 3/17
In Visible Movement (Intro, Ch. 1) (continued)
Fri 3/20
In Visible Movement (Ch. 2); BB: Algarín; Esteves; Piñero
Tue 3/24
In Visible Movement (Ch. 3); BB: Cofer; Cruz; Kanellos; Laviera; Levins Morales
Fri 3/27
In Visible Movement (Ch. 3) (continued)
Tue 3/31
In Visible Movement (Ch. 4, Afterword); BB: Fernández; Girmay; Perdomo; Blog: videos
(del Valle; Lah Tere; Torres; Xavier)
Due: Gloss of a keyword (Nuyorican group)
Fri 4/3
Spring Break
Tue 4/7
Spring Break
Fri 4/10
Spring Break
The New Latin@ Poetries
Tue 4/14
Poema
Fri 4/17
Poema; BB: Rasula
Schedule of Classes, Readings, and Assignments (continued)
Tue 4/21
Odalisque in Pieces
Fri 4/24
Odalisque in Pieces; BB: Noel
Tue 4/28
Due: Poem recitation
Fri 5/1
BB: Toscano
Tue 5/5
BB: Aldama; Aragón; Campo
Fri 5/8
BB: Reyes
Tue 5/12
Due: Book review
Fri 5/15
Conclusions
Fri 5/22: Final project due
Assignments
Close reading response (blog post)
Due: Various dates
For this assignment you will choose a short passage (one to four lines), image, or figure from one of our
primary texts (Cervantes, Herrera, Baca, Martinez, Kilwein Guevara, Giménez Smith, or one of the texts
read in tandem with Noel’s In Visible Movement). After you’ve identified a particularly resonant passage
or figure, your task is to write a blog post analyzing its significance. Your post should focus on what we
literary studies types call “close reading”—careful attention not just to what is said, but to how it is
constructed (i.e., language, syntax, diction, form, tone). You may refer to class discussion but you should
not summarize it, and you should refer to textual evidence, keeping in mind that you cannot cite long
passages. If you cite long chunks of poems I will delete your post and ask you to rewrite it.
Although you do not need a formal introduction or conclusion, you should have coherent paragraphs,
complete sentences, and a narrow focus on your passage or figure. Posts should be carefully proofread,
free of typos and misspellings. You should aim for 500-750 words. Be sure to give your post an original
title and to tag it appropriately. You should feel empowered to create a multimedia posts with links.
Final notes: you should be prepared to discuss your post in class. We will use the day’s posts to initiate
our conversations about the poems. In this context, you should keep in mind that probing questions can be
a component of a strong blog post. Your post doesn’t need to be comprehensive; posts that provoke
discussion are equally useful. Lastly, you should keep in mind that blog posts are public so can be read by
anyone (though it’s unlikely too many interlopers will be interested in our conversations). Please do not
publish anything that is offensive. I reserve the right to edit or delete any post.
Gloss of a keyword (blog post)
Due: Friday, March 6 (for the Chicano group); Tuesday, March 31 (for the Nuyorican group)
For this assignment you will pick one keyword in the study of Chicano or Nuyorican poetry and poetics.
Over the course of our discussions we will generate keywords. By the end of each unit we will have a
long list from which to choose. You may also choose your own keyword but please consult me first.
After you’ve chosen a keyword, you will compose a blog post that defines, analyzes, and explores its
contexts and resonances. You may refer to class discussion but you should not summarize it, and you
should refer to textual evidence from both primary and secondary sources, keeping in mind that you
cannot cite long passages. If you cite long chunks of poems or critical texts I will delete your post and ask
you to rewrite it. You should feel empowered to create a multimedia posts with links.
Although you do not need a formal introduction or conclusion, you should have coherent paragraphs,
complete sentences, and a narrow focus on your keyword. Posts should be carefully proofread, free of
typos and misspellings. You should aim for 500-750 words. Be sure to give your post an original title and
to tag it appropriately.
Final notes: you should be prepared to discuss your post in class. We will use the day’s post to initiate our
conversations about the poems. In this context, you should keep in mind that probing questions can be a
component of a strong blog post. Your post doesn’t need to be comprehensive; posts that provoke
discussion are equally useful. Lastly, you should keep in mind that blog posts are public so can be read by
anyone (though it’s unlikely too many interlopers will be interested in our conversations). Please do not
publish anything that is offensive. I reserve the right to edit or delete any post.
Review of a book (blog post)
Due: Tuesday, May 12
For this assignment you will review a book/collection written by a Latina/o poet. I will supply a list of
possibilities, or you may choose one of your own, as long as you ask for my approval. Your task is to read
the book closely and to assess its value. Obviously, “value” is relative and subjective, but by the end of
the semester you will have a solid footing in Latin@ poetics and the capacity to evaluate a book relative
to other books and poems in the field. After reading your book I would recommend taking a look at some
reviews. I will supply a short list of reviews for your use.
In writing your post, you should keep in mind the ways in which reviews differ from close readings and
critical analyses. Your task isn’t to provide a deep reading of the text or to give it a simple thumbs up or
down. Instead, strive for nuance and breadth in identifying the collection’s primary themes, forms, and
ways of producing meaning. This process should facilitate an assessment of the book’s relative strengths
and weaknesses, and it might also allow you to place the book within the field of Latin@ poetry. You
should aim for 750-100 words. Be sure to give your review an original title and to tag it appropriately.
Final notes: you should be prepared to discuss your review and the book itself in class. You should also
keep in mind that blog posts are public so can be read by anyone, including the poet herself (assuming
you’ve chosen a book by a living poet). Please do not publish anything that is offensive. I reserve the
right to edit or delete any post.
Recitation of a poem (in class)
Due: Tuesday, April 28
Pick a poem written by a Latina/o poet to recite (or perform) from memory in class. The poem (or excerpt
from a longer poem) must be at least 14 lines long (the length of a sonnet). Your task is to internalize the
poem: to interpret and embody its tones, rhythms, pauses, and breaths. (Your task is also to relax and to
have fun, or at least to try to have fun.) That is, not only will you memorize the poem for recitation, you
will inhabit the poem’s subjectivity and voice(s). Throughout the semester we will listen to recordings of
poets reading their poems and discuss tips for approaching the assignment.