English Lit: LGBTIQ Teen Literature
Sample Texts:
Donovan, John. I’ll Get There. It Better Be Worth the Trip.
Block, Francesca Lia. Weetzie Bat
Bauer, Marion Dane. (ed.) “Am I Blue?” Coming Out From the Silence
Levithan, David. Boy Meets Boy
Garden, Nancy. Annie on My Mind
Lackey, Mercedes. Magic’s Pawn (Book 1: The Last Herald Mage Trilogy)
Kluger, Steve. My Most Excellent Year
Course Description:
This course is designed to introduce readers to a wide range of teen literature that deals in various ways with GLBTQ issues. Often banned and commonly contested, these texts offer insight into the challenges faced by GLBTQ young adults and those close to them. Many of these novels have been influential in providing positive portrayals of gay identity—something that was largely unheard of when the first novel depicting homosexual behavior among teens, Donovan’s I’ll Get There. It Better Be Worth the Trip, was published in 1969. This date coincided with the Stonewalls Riots earlier the same year, a conflict that sparked the beginning of the gay rights movement which is still of importance today, affecting people on both sides of the debate.
In order to understand what it means to be a part of the LGBTIQ community and how portrayals of this identity have changed over the years, the class will read eight novels as well as two short stories as well as a number of news articles and perhaps some film clips. In addition to reading and participating in class discussion and homework assignments, students will be required to complete two short papers—one paper will be a report on a novel read from an approved list and the second will be a cumulative paper near the end of the semester which focuses on at least one text that has been discussed in class.
Course Objectives:
-to read a wide range of literature with LGBTIQ content spanning from 1969-2016
-to read a wide range of “texts,” including novels, short stories, poetry, film, and graphic
novels as well as narrative styles
-to examine how these texts are contributing to a discourse about LGBTIQ issues through repeated themes
-to develop critical thinking skills that allow a reader to understand how a text is working in a larger social, cultural, and political context and determine its literary value
-to be able to discuss a controversial issue with sensitivity as well as personal conviction—both in writing and class discussion
-to look to the past as well as the future as a way of situating these texts into the category of “teen literature”—how far has it come and where is it going?
-to write a critical literary analysis of a text while drawing on prior knowledge as well as class discussion and activities
Course Policies:
Grades:
Participation and Attendance 15%
Homework and Quizzes 25 %
Paper 1: Book Report 25%
Final Project/Written Analysis 35%
Participation and Attendance:
Discussion is an important part of this class, so preparation before class and participation during it constituted a substantial portion of your grade. You and your classmates will drive the bulk of class discussions, therefore it is important that you come to class on time; having done the homework will give you a way to insert yourself into the conversation.
Participation means sharing your ideas and insight into the texts we read with your classmates in group or class discussions. You should do so in a way that is not disruptive to the class as a whole and with sensitivity to the subject matter and other student’s points of view. Failure to participate or to do so in a polite way will cause you to lose participation points.
Homework and Quizzes:
In order to assist you during your reading of each text, every reading will be accompanied with a form of assignment, usually some pre- or post-reading questions or quizzes during class time. These assignments and quizzes as well as keeping a “Reading Journal” (discussed below) will constitute 25% of your grade so it is in your best interest to keep up with the daily readings and come to class on time.
In addition to keeping up with the readings on the syllabus, each student will be required to keep a “Reading Journal” for each of the larger texts. This journal is to be filled out in addition to writing any comments in the book itself as a part of the close-reading techniques that we will practice. At least one entry per text is required and more in encouraged. The “Reading Journal” is to help you organize your thoughts soon after reading a text as well as to help you contribute to class discussions. It will be checked periodically throughout the year and points will be given according to diligence.
Book Report Paper and Final Project:
The first paper in this class will be a book report and analysis based on an outside reading book, to be read halfway through the semester. The book you read will be up to you; you will choose one book from a sheet to be passed out before the assignment is due or by speaking to the instructor if your chosen book is not on the self-selected book sheet. The paper will be 5-7 pages in length and will have the following three parts:
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A brief summary of the book you have chosen, highlighting the main plot points, characters, and class-related issues the books raises.
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Your personal response to the book, answering questions from the assignment sheet such as, “Did you like it?” “Why was this book interesting?” and “If you did not like it, what might have made it more enjoyable?”
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An analysis of how this book contributes to the discourse about GLBTQ teens. You could answer questions like, “How might this book might contribute to this class?” “Was there a book we read or a discussion that we had that this book might have been handy to talk about in conjunction with?” “Does it raise issues that we haven’t discussed yet and should talk about?”
In addition to the written paper, each student will give a brief, 5-10 minute presentation on how or her book. The presentation may to simply recount some of the main points of your paper or it may be accompanied by other means of sharing your information (such as a poster, etc.)
The final project will be presented at the end of the semester. It will have two components: the project itself and a writing portion. The project is up to you, but it must engage with either one (or more) of the texts we have read or to something we have discussed that interests you. An assignment sheet will be passed out with some preliminary ideas, but students are encouraged to use their imaginations. The project may take the form of a video, poster, interview, painting, story, poem, paper, or perhaps a song—it is your choice as long as some thoughtful effort is put into it (and it will fit through the classroom door).
The project will be accompanied with a written explanation of what you chose to present to the class. The paper should analyze your creative decisions, tell a little about the creative process, and, most importantly, discuss how your project contributes to the class discourse about GLBTQ teens and/or topics of discussion that relate to this issue.
Course Syllabus:
Week 1:
1. Introduction, Course Policies, intro writing exercise/discussion, Article or two
2. I’ll Get There. First half (pg 1-80)
3. I’ll Get There. Last half (pg 81-158)
Week 2:
1. I’ll Get There. Wrap-up, gay rights history up to 1969, article?
2. Weetzie Bat (pg 1-45) friend relationships, teen culture
3. Weetzie Bat (pg 46-109) loss, Hollywood endings (?)
Week 3:
1. Holiday
2. Weetzie Bat wrap-up, fairy tales, creative writing exercise
3. Poetry Day: Older poets: Sappho, Shakespeare, Douglas, Whitman
Week 4:
1. Poetry Cont.: Newer Poets: “What a Song Can Do” Levithan, Lowell, Ginsberg
2. Film (The Geopraphy Club or other)
3. Film
Week 5:
1. “Am I Blue?” homosexual visibility, the closet
2. “Am I Blue?” continued, perhaps some articles about teens, coming out,
3. Am I Blue additional short story group work
Week 6:
1. Movie/self-selected book
2. Movie/self-selected book
3. Movie/self-selected book
Week 7:
1. Book Reports
2. Book Reports
3. Book Reports
Week 8:
1. Sedgwick, Foucault, theory day
2. Boy Meets Boy (pg 1-59) lack of structure, utopian
3. Boy Meets Boy (pg 60-120)
Week 9:
1. Boy Meets Boy (pg 121-185)
2. Annie on My Mind (pg1-78)
3. Annie on My Mind (pg 79-151)
Week 10:
1. Annie on My Mind (pg 152-234)
2. Magic’s Pawn (pg 1-73)
3. Magic’s Pawn (pg 74-156)
Week 11:
1. Magic’s Pawn (pg 157-256)
2. Magic’s Pawn (pg 257-349)
3. My Most Excellent Year (pg 1-104)
Week 12:
1. My Most Excellent Year (pg 105-213)
2. My Most Excellent Year (pg 214-306)
3. My Most Excellent Year (pg 307-403)
Week 13:
1. My Most Excellent Year wrap-up, journal entry assignment
2. Final Project Presentations
3. Final Project Presentations/ Last Day of Classes
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