Professor Carolyn Kinslow
Office Hours: M - F 9:00 - 10:00
Office Phone:  581-5524
E-Mail: carolynk@cameron.edu
           kinslow@swbell.net
 

1. Course Description:

English 3323 examines works of American Indian Literature with emphasis on selected contemporary novels and poetry that are representative of a broader range of works by American Indian authors.

2. Prerequisites:

Junior standing or permission of the English Department or acceptance to graduate studies.

3. Course Statement of Objectives:

Each student who completes English 3323 is expected
    a. To become familiar with a variety of writings by American Indian authors, with emphasis on contemporary novels and poetry.
    b. To become familiar with certain historical events, political and social problems, and cultural attitudes relevant to understanding American Indian Literature.

4. Texts:

Alexi, Sherman Reservation Blues
Deloria, Vine Custer Died for Your Sins
Momaday, N. Scott House Made of Dawn
Silko, Leslie Marmon Ceremony
Velie, Alan American Indian Literature: An Anthology    (Hereafter referred to as AIL)

5. Evaluation:

NOTE! Attendance is essential for this course. If you are unable to attend regularly, your grade will suffer accordingly.

The grading scale is A  90-100,  B 80-89, C 70-79,   D 60-69,  and  F 59 and below

The course grade for undergraduate students is based on quizzes and tests 40%, class participation 10%, a reading journal 20%, and an 8 -10 page research paper 30%.

The course grade for graduate students is based on quizzes and tests 20%, a supplementary report 10%, class participation 10%, a reading journal 20%, and a 15 -20 page research paper 40%. The supplementary report will address an historical event, a social or political problem, or a cultural attitude relevant to understanding American Indian literature and will be presented to the class early in the semester.

Class Participation:

In addition to contributing regularly to in-class discussions, each student will be expected to post a minimum of one comment a week to the on-line discussion list.
        Subscription information will be provided in class.

Reading Journal:

For each reading assignment, you will be expected to write a 1-2 page typed reaction. This assignment will be due at the beginning of the first class scheduled to discuss a particular work. After reading the material, you might wish to raise questions you have, comment on why you did or did not like the selection, discuss how good you think the work is (something completely different from whether you liked it), analyze a particular aspect or element of the work, make connections to other works in this or other courses, and so on. What you chose to do is up to you. However, your entries will be evaluated on the quality of the writing as well as on the thoughtfulness of your comments. In other words, this task should be undertaken with as much care given to the writing as to the content.

Research Paper:

Both undergraduates and graduates will have considerable leeway in choosing a topic for the research paper. You may want to explore how a specific political or social issue or cultural attitude is reflected in one or more of the novels required for the course, you may want to analyze how a literary element works in one or more of the novels, or you may prefer to compare or contrast some aspect of one or more of the works.

Papers will follow Modern Language Association (MLA) documentation and style. If you are not absolutely sure that you understand how to do this assignment, please refer to the MLA Handbook, 4^th Ed. Assistance is also available in the Writing Center, and of course I am available for consultation.

6. Class Attendance and Withdrawal:

Attendance
As noted above, regular class attendance is essential.

Withdrawal
To withdraw, you must obtain a drop/add form from the Office of Admissions and Records, have the instructor sign it, and return it to the Office of Admissions and Records. (NOTE: The last date to withdraw from a single class is April 20.)

7. Late Work:

I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK. Only in the case of extreme circumstances will I even consider accepting an assignment after the due date. Please keep this policy in mind and plan accordingly. If your compulsively clean mother (grandmother, roommate, sister, second cousin) disposes of your work because you leave it on the dining table(hall credenza, kitchen counter); if a curiously selective breeze or a thief with a strange predilection for literary essays plucks it from the back seat of your car; or if your ravenous and obstreperous pet ostrich (dog, goat, pot-bellied pig) who has a penchant for 8½ by 11 white paper consumes it for breakfast, you are simply out of luck. Thus, you will be well advised to make back-up copies of word processed papers on floppy disks. Since computers are unpredictable at best and outright malevolent at worst, you might even want to make two such copies on separate disks.

8. Disability Statement:

If you believe you have a disability and think you need special assistance, please advise me immediately. I will work with you and Cameron's Office of Multicultural and Disabled Service to provide reasonable accommodations.

9. Plagiarism:

Please make sure you understand what plagiarism entails and avoid it. Read section 38d in Hodges' Harbrace Handbook, pages 574 - 579 for a thorough discussion. A copy is available in the Writing Center.

10. Children in Class:

Because of liability problems, Cameron University policy prohibits children from being in classrooms. Please understand that exceptions to this policy cannot be made.
 
 

The following schedule is a tentative projection of the work for the course. Circumstances may require adjustments, and it is your responsibility to keep up with any changes.

Jan 11    Introduction,  Videotape - "Divided We Fall" (Iroquois Confederacy)

Jan 18    Custer Died for your Sins

Jan 25    Custer Died for your Sins

Jan 26    AIL "Intro" 3-9, "Tales" 11-l3, "Winnebago Trickster Cycle" 44-72,   "Trickster of Liberty"   339-47.

Feb 1    House Made of Dawn,  Videotape - Momaday, Voice of the West

Feb 8    House Made of Dawn

Feb 15    House Made of Dawn

Feb 22    Reservation Blues

Mar 1     Research Paper Topic and Approach Due,   Reservation Blues

Mar 8     MID-TERM EXAM,  Reservation Blues

Mar 15    SPRING BREAK

Mar 22    AIL "Poetry" 211
                    Momaday poetry - "Simile" 227, "The Bear" 227, "Angle of Geese" 229, "The Great Fillmore Street Buffalo Drive" 229
                    Revard poetry - "Support Your Local Police Dog" 223,  "Driving in Oklahoma" 224
                    Allen poetry - "Powwow 79, Durango" 231, "Crow Ambush (Song for '76)" 232
                    Ortiz poetry - "A Barroom Fragment" 243, "The Significance of a Veteran's Day" 244
                    Hobson poetry - "Deer Hunting" 246, "A Discussion about Indian Affairs" 249

Mar 29    Poetry to be assigned

Apr 5      First Draft of Research Paper Due for Peer Comment, writing workshop

Apr 12    Ceremony

Apr 19    Ceremony

Apr 26    Research Papers Due,  Ceremony

May 3    FINAL EXAM