The Harlem Renaissance
ProfessorMerrillCole
M–Cole@wiu.edu
http://faculty.wiu.edu/M-Cole/
Office: Simpkins109
Hours: MW,2:00-3:00p.m.
TTh,3:30-4:30p.m.
English476Section001
SeniorSeminar
SpringSemester2016
TTh,3:00–4:15p.m.
Simpkins214
AaronDouglas,TheNegroSpeaksofRivers(forLangstonHughes),1941
Texts
TheCollectedPoemsofLangstonHughes.ISBN:0679764089
Fire!!Ed.WallaceThurman.IBSN:0912607009
Hurston,ZoraNeale.TheirEyesWereWatchingGod.ISBN:0061120065
Hurston,ZoraNealeandLangstonHughes.MuleBone.ISBN:0061651125
Larsen,Nella.QuicksandandPassing.ISBN:0813511704
McKay,Claude.HometoHarlem.ISBN:1555530249
TheNewNegro:VoicesoftheHarlemRenaissance.Ed.AlainLocke.ISBN:0684838311
Toomer,Jean.Cane.ISBN:0871402106
Thurman,Wallace.InfantsoftheSpring.ISBN:1555531288
VanVechten,Carl.NiggerHeaven.ISBN:0252068602
TherewillalsobealotofmaterialtodownloadfromWesternOnlineandonmywebsite.
2
Overview
Thisseminaroffersanin-depthinvestigationoftheHarlemRenaissance,attending
primarilytoliteraryworks,includingpoems,essays,shortstories,novellas,andnovels,
butalsoconsideringvisualart,film,andmusic.Theseminarwillfocusontheintersections
ofrace,gender,andsexuality,andhowartisticproductionrelatestotheseintersections.
Italsoaimstohelpstudentsdevelopandrefinecriticalskills,toworkcloselywith
challengingsecondarytexts,andtogeneratesophisticatedandwell-researched
arguments.
WhatistheHarlemRenaissance?Thisquestionwashotlycontestedbythewritersand
artistswhomweseetodayasitsmostimportantparticipants.Aconsensushasnever
beenreached,butthisisonlyoneofthesignsthattheHarlemRenaissanceisstillalive.
Whatwecansayisthatmorethananincrediblyvibrantmovement,theHarlem
RenaissanceisamajoreventinAmericanculturalandsocialhistory.LiketheParisofthe
Surrealists,theBerlinofDada,andtheLondonofBloomsbury,withHarlem,NewYork
becomesanepicenterofmodernity,animportantsitefortheproductionofartseekingto
breakartisticnormsandtoplacesocialconventionundercritique.Duringabriefperiodin
the20sand30s,HarlembecametheworldcapitalofBlackartisticlife.
Requirements
Prerequisites:ENG280,ENG299withagradeofCorbetter,andseniorstanding,or
consentofdepartmentchairperson.WritingInstructionintheDiscipline(WID)course.
Thisseminarcentersonthe12-pageresearchessay,dueattheendofthesemester.The
essaymustciteatleastfiveliteraryand/orculturalcriticismsources(openwebpages,
newspieces,historicaloverviews,andWikipediadon’tqualify,thoughyouarewelcome
tousethem),inmakinganargumentaboutoneormoreoftheliteraryworksunder
discussion.Inordertoprepareforthistask,therewillbeanannotatedbibliography,due
threeweeksbeforetheresearchessay.Thisbibliographymustinclude15criticalsources.
Inaddition,eachstudentwillgiveafive-minutepresentationonherorhisresearch.
Studentsmustwritearesearchproposalandhaveitapproved,beforethebibliography
andpresentationcanbegin.Thereisalsoafive-pageclosereadingmidtermessay.
Thisisaseminar,notalecture.Everyoneisacontributingscholar.Studentsmustbe
preparedtosaysomethingand/ortoaskquestionsaboutthetextathandduringevery
session.Myroleisnot“teacher”;Iamthefacilitator.Takeresponsibilityforyourlearning
andthatofyourclassmates,includingme.Shoulditprovenecessaryinordertofacilitate
discussion,Iwillassignregularwritingassignments.
Seehttp://www.wiu.edu/provost/students.phpforstudentrightsandresponsibilities.
3
Grading
Participation
30% (includespresentation&homework)
MidtermEssay
10% (mayberevised&resubmitted)
AnnotatedBibliography 10% (mayberevised&resubmitted)
ResearchEssay
50% Unlessexcused,lateworkreceivesaone-lettergradereduction.Iam,however,usually
willingtograntanextension,solongasthestudentcontactsmeatleast24hoursin
advance.Extensionsonthefinalessaywillonlybegivenunderexceptionalcircumstances.
PlagiarismwillresultinanFforthecourse,andIwillreportthestudentforacademic
discipline.Missingclasseswillaffecttheparticipationgrade.Astudentwithfour
unexcusedabsencesautomaticallyfailsthecourse.
SendallwrittenworktomethroughemailasMicrosoftWordattachments.IfIdon’thave
assignmentsatthebeginningofclass,theywillbecountedlate.Writingshouldbe
paginatedanddouble-spaced,inastandard-sizedfont.Handwrittenworkgetszero
credit,withnoopportunitytoredoit.
Students with Disabilities
InaccordancewithUniversityvaluesanddisabilitylaw,studentswithdisabilitiesmay
requestacademicaccommodationswherethereareaspectsofacoursethatresultin
barrierstoinclusionoraccurateassessmentofachievement.Tofileanofficialrequestfor
disability-relatedaccommodations,pleasecontacttheDisabilityResourceCenterat309298-2512,disability@wiu.eduorin143MemorialHall.Pleasenotifytheinstructoras
soonaspossibletoensurethatthiscourseisaccessibletoyouinatimelymanner.
Schedule
Week1:
January20
Introduction
Week2:
January25&27
Cane
Week3:
February1&3
Cane
TheNewNegro
4
Week4:
February8&10
TheNewNegro
NiggerHeaven
Week5:
February15&17
NiggerHeaven
Week6:
February22&24
FIRE!!
HometoHarlem
Week7:
February29&March2
HometoHarlem
Week8:
March7&9
MidtermEssaydueMarch9
Quicksand&Passing
Spring Break
Week9:
March21&23
TheCollectedPoemsofLangstonHughes
Week10:
March28&30
ResearchProposaldueMarch28
TheCollectedPoemsofLangstonHughes
Week11:
April4
MuleBone
NoclassonApril6.
Week12:
April11&13
InfantsoftheSpring
Week13:
April18&20
AnnotatedBibliographydueApril18
TheirEyesWereWatchingGod
Week14:
April25&27
TheirEyesWereWatchingGod
Week15:
May2&4
Tobedecided,basedonstudentinterest
ResearchEssaydueonMonday,May9at1:00p.m.,orThursday,May5at10:00a.m.for
comments.