English 321: 02 African-American Narratives: Baldwin, Morrison, and the Deep Democratic Tradition

Tuesdays and Fridays, 12:45-2:00pmRoom: C100 HN

Professor Frank RobertsDepartment of English

Hunter College, City University of New YorkOffice Hours: By Appointment

E: frankroberts@nyu.edu

Course Blog: frankroberts.wordpress.com/huntercollege1

Course Description: This seminar serves as an advanced introduction to various key moments in the oeuvre of two of the most influential African American novelists of the post-civil rights era: James Baldwin and Toni Morrison. We will pay particular attention to the various literary and rhetorical strategies Baldwin and Morrison deploy in their trenchant critiques of American liberalism and the failed promises of U.S. democracy. Central themes this semester will include: the artist as social critic (or, as Baldwin once put it, the artist as a “disturber of the peace”); the blues as metaphor and motif; the ongoing traumatic legacies of chattel slavery, Jim Crow, and American apartheid; double and triple consciousness; the black body as a shifting signifier; and literature as a site of the critical reconfiguration of history. In addition, we will be especially interested in thinking about the use-value of Baldwin's and Morrison's ideas for approaching the conundrum of race in the twentieth-first century. Finally, we will attempt to situate Baldwin and Morrison's work in relationship to philosopher Cornel West's notion of the “deep democratic tradition.”

Required Texts: (Available at the Hunter College Bookstore)

1. James Baldwin, Collected Essays (Includes: Notes of a Native Son, Nobody Knows My Name, The Fire Next Time, No Name in the Street, The Devil Finds Work and Other Essays) (1998)

2. James Baldwin, Go Tell it on the Mountain (1953)3. James Baldwin, Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone (1968)4. James Baldwin, Blues For Mister Charlie (1964) 5. Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye (1970)6. Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon (1977)7. Toni Morrison, Jazz (1992)8. Toni Morrison, Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination (1992)9. Toni Morrison, What Moves at the Margins: Selected Nonfiction (2008)

The following works of literary criticism will all be available on blackboard and/or the course-blog:

1. Tracey Sherard in “Sonny's Bebop: Baldwin's 'Blues Text' as Intracultural Critique” in African American Review, Vol. 32, No. 4 (Winter, 1998), pp. 691-705.

2. James Tackach, "The Biblical foundation of James Baldwin's 'Sonny's Blues'” in Renascence: 59.2 (2007): 109-118 3. Michael Cobb, “Pulpitic Publicity: James Baldwin and the Queer Uses of Religious Words” in GLQ: A Journal of

Lesbian and Gay Studies 7.2 (2001) 285-3124. E. Patrick Johnson, “Feeling the Spirit in the Dark: Expanding Notions of the Sacred in the African American Gay

Community” in Callaloo 21:2 (Spring 1998): 399-4165. Bryan R. Washington, “Wrestling with The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name: John, Elisha, and the Master” 6. Koritha Mitchell, “James Baldwin, Performance Theorist, Sings the Blues for Mister Charlie” in American

Quarterly, Volume 64, Number 1, March 2012, pp. 33-60 7. Lisa Williams, “The Bluest Eye” in The Artist as Outsider inthe Novels of Toni Morrison and Virginia Woolf,

Greenwood Press, 2000. 8. Marc C. Conner, “From the Sublime to the Beautiful: The Aesthetic Progression of Toni Morrison” in The

Aesthetics of Toni Morrison: Speaking the Unspeakable, University Press of Mississippi, 2000. 9. Evelyn Jaffe Schreiber, “Identity Formation: The Double-Voiced Text of The Bluest Eye” in Subversive Voices:

Eroticizing the Other in William Faulkner and Toni Morrison, University of Tennessee Press, 200110. Marie Anne Deyris Paquet, “Toni Morrison’s Jazz and the City” in African American Review 2, Summer 2001:

219–232.11. Caroline Rody, “Toni Morrison's Beloved: History, 'Rememory,' and a Clamor for a Kiss,” in American Literary

History 7.1 (Spring 1995): 92–11912. Linda Krumholz, "Dead Teachers: Rituals of Manhood and Rituals of Reading in Song of Solomon” in Modern

Fiction Studies, Volume 39, Number 3&4, Fall/Winter 1993, pp. 551-57413. Deborah Guth, “A Blessing and a Burden: The Relation to the Past in Sula, Song of Solomon and Beloved” in

Modern Fiction Studies, Volume 39, Number 3&4, Fall/Winter 1993, pp. 575-59614. Richard Hardack, “‘A Music Seeking Its Words’: Double-Timing and Double Consciousness in Toni Morrison’s

Jazz,” Black Warrior Review 19, no. 2 (Spring-Summer 1993): 151–171.15. Peter Bruck, “Returning to One’s Roots: The Motif of Searching and Flying in Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon

(1977).” In The Afro-American Novel since 1960, edited by Peter Bruck and Wolfgang Karrer, 289–305. Amsterdam: Gruner, 1982.

RequirementsI. Active Participation in every session II. In-class presentations (approximately 20-25 minutes each). One presentation must be a close reading of one of the following primary sources: James Baldwin, Collected Essays (1998)James Baldwin, Go Tell it on the Mountain (1953)James Baldwin, Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone (1968)James Baldwin, Blues For Mister Charlie (1964) Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye (1970)Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon (1977)Toni Morrison, Jazz (1992)Toni Morrison, Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination (1992)Toni Morrison, What Moves at the Margins: Selected Nonfiction (2008)

One presentation must be an engagement with one of the following works of literary criticism: Tracey Sherard in “Sonny's Bebop: Baldwin's 'Blues Text' as Intracultural Critique” in African American Review,

Vol. 32, No. 4 (Winter, 1998), pp. 691-705. James Tackach, "The Biblical foundation of James Baldwin's 'Sonny's Blues'" in Renascence: 59.2 (2007): 109-118 Michael Cobb, “Pulpitic Publicity: James Baldwin and the Queer Uses of Religious Words” in GLQ: A Journal of

Lesbian and Gay Studies 7.2 (2001) 285-312 E. Patrick Johnson, “Feeling the Spirit in the Dark: Expanding Notions of the Sacred in the African American Gay

Community” in Callaloo 21:2 (Spring 1998): 399-416 Bryan R. Washington, “Wrestling with The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name: John, Elisha, and the Master” Koritha Mitchell, “James Baldwin, Performance Theorist, Sings the Blues for Mister Charlie” in American

Quarterly, Volume 64, Number 1, March 2012, pp. 33-60 Lisa Williams, “The Bluest Eye” in The Artist as Outsider inthe Novels of Toni Morrison and Virginia Woolf,

Greenwood Press, 2000. Marc C. Conner, “From the Sublime to the Beautiful: The Aesthetic Progression of Toni Morrison” in The

Aesthetics of Toni Morrison: Speaking the Unspeakable, University Press of Mississippi, 2000. Evelyn Jaffe Schreiber, “Identity Formation: The Double-Voiced Text of The Bluest Eye” in Subversive Voices: Eroticizing the Other in William Faulkner and Toni Morrison , University of Tennessee Press, 2001 Caroline Rody, “Toni Morrison's Beloved: History, 'Rememory,' and a Clamor for a Kiss,” in American Literary

History 7.1 (Spring 1995): 92–119 Linda Krumholz, "Dead Teachers: Rituals of Manhood and Rituals of Reading in Song of Solomon” in Modern

Fiction Studies, Volume 39, Number 3&4, Fall/Winter 1993, pp. 551-574Deborah Guth, “A Blessing and a Burden: The Relation to the Past in Sula, Song of Solomon and Beloved” in Modern Fiction Studies, Volume 39, Number 3&4, Fall/Winter 1993, pp. 575-596

Richard Hardack, “‘A Music Seeking Its Words’: Double-Timing and Double Consciousness in Toni Morrison’s Jazz,” Black Warrior Review 19, no. 2 (Spring-Summer 1993): 151–171.

Peter Bruck, “Returning to One’s Roots: The Motif of Searching and Flying in Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon (1977).” In The Afro-American Novel since 1960, edited by Peter Bruck and Wolfgang Karrer, 289–305. Amsterdam: Gruner, 1982.

III. 3 Discussion questions per class (these questions must be printed and submitted at the beginning of each class)

Grading Breakdown:25%: Literary Analysis In-Class Presentation25%: Literary/Social Criticism In-Class Presentation 25%: Attendance and In-Class Participation25%: Quality of Weekly Discussion Questions

Classroom behavior: Student participation is required. Arrive to class prepared to work.  Students should be respectful of the professor and their classmates by talking when called upon, not disrupting classmates or the instructor, addressing issues and scholarship, and referring to readings and academic arguments to support their statements. The professor encourages students to think criti -cally and use scholarly analysis in their oral and written assessments. Students should come to class prepared, having read the readings and completed assignments on time. Students should be punctual and responsible.

Students are expected to stay awake in class. Do not use cell phones or laptops during class. All cell phones must be turned off and put away during quizzes and examinations. Other electronic devices should be switched off during class, un -less a specific exception is made by the professor.

Attendance:

Students are expected to be in attendance to every session. You can be granted up to one absence without having your grade effected. If you miss two of more classes you will be categorically incapable of scoring an “A” grade in this course:

2 or more absences = Your overall grade will be scored from an B+ (meaning the highest grade you can receive in this course is a B+).

3 or more absences= Your overall grade will be scored from a C+ (meaning the highest grade you can receive in

this course is a B+). 4 or more absences= Automatic failure (Your start-grade will begin at “D”).

Statement of College Policy on Plagiarism:Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words, or artistic, scientific, or technical work as one’s own creation.  Using the ideas or work of another is permissible only when the original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summariz-ing, as well as direct quotation, require the citation of original sources. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism. PLAGIARISM WILL INCURE AN F GRADE. It is the student’s responsibility to recognize the difference between statements that are common knowledge (which do not require documentation) and restatements of the ideas of others.  Paraphrasing, summaries, and direct quotations are accept-able forms of restatement, as long as the source is cited. Students who are unsure of how and when to provide documenta -tion are advised to consult with their instructors. The Library has free guides designed to help students with problems of documentation.

Meeting Schedule*= Reading Available on course-blog and/or blackboardCE = James Baldwin: Collected Essays

Week Date Activity /ReadingWeek 1 Tuesday:

8/28

Friday:8/31

Introductions

Cornel West, “The Socratic, The Prophetic, and the Democratic” (In-Class)

Week 2 Tuesday:9/4

Friday:9/7

Cornel West, “The Deep Democratic Tradition” and “Democracy Matters Are Frightening in Our Times” from Democracy Matters*

James Baldwin, “In Search of a Majority” in Collected Essays CE *Lani Guinier, “The Tyranny of the Majority” in The Tyranny of the Majority: Fundamental Fairness in a Representative Democracy *

Week 3 Tuesday:9/11

Friday:9/14

Cornel West, Race Matters (Chapters 1-3)

In-Class Screening:James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket

Week 4 Tuesday:9/18

Friday:9/21

Primary Text: James Baldwin, “Sonny's Blues” * and “Going To Meet the Man” *

Literary Criticism: Tracey Sherard in “Sonny's Bebop: Baldwin's "Blues Text" as Intracultural Critique” in African American Review, Vol. 32, No. 4 (Winter, 1998), pp. 691-705. *

James Tackach, "The Biblical foundation of James Baldwin's 'Sonny's Blues'" in Renascence: 59.2 (2007): 109-118 *

Primary Text: James Baldwin, Go Tell It on the Mountain (First Half)

Literary Criticism: Michael Cobb, “Pulpitic Publicity: James Baldwin and the Queer Uses of Religious Words” in GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies 7.2 (2001) 285-312 *

MWeek 5 Tuesday:9/25

Friday:9/28

Primary Text: James Baldwin, Go Tell It (Second Half)

Literary Criticism: E. Patrick Johnson, “Feeling the Spirit in the Dark: Expanding Notions of the Sacred in the African American Gay Community” in Callaloo 21:2 (Spring 1998): 399-416* Bryan R. Washington, “Wrestling with The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name: John, Elisha, and the Master” *

Primary Text: James Baldwin, Blues For Mister Charlie *

Literary Criticism: Koritha Mitchell, “James Baldwin, Performance Theorist, Sings the Blues for Mister Charlie” in American Quarterly, Volume 64, Number 1, March 2012, pp. 33-60 *

Week 6 Tuesday:

9/2

Friday:10/5

Primary Text(s): James Baldwin, Blues For Mister Charlie *James Baldwin, “The Uses of the Blues” in Uncollected Writings *

Primary Text: James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time in Collected Essays

Literary Criticism:TBA

Week 7 Tuesday:10/9

Friday:10/12

Primary Text: James Baldwin, Collected Essays (Selections TBA)

Primary Text: Toni Morrison, Playing in the Dark Herman Melville, Moby Dick (Excerpts)

Week 8 Tuesday:10/16

Friday:10/19

Primary Text: Toni Morrison, Playing in the Dark

Primary Text: Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye (first half)

Literary Criticism: Lisa Williams, “The Bluest Eye” in The Artist as Outsider inthe Novels of Toni Morrison and Virginia Woolf, Greenwood Press, 2000. *

Marc C. Conner, “From the Sublime to the Beautiful: TheAesthetic Progression of Toni Morrison” in The Aestheticsof Toni Morrison: Speaking the Unspeakable, University Press of Mississippi, 2000. *

Week 9 Tuesday:10/23

Friday:10/26

Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye (second half) Literary Criticism:

Evelyn Jaffe Schreiber, “Identity Formation: The Double-Voiced Text of The Bluest Eye” in Subversive Voices:Eroticizing the Other in William Faulkner and Toni Morrison, University of Tennessee Press, 2001. *

Primary Text: James Baldwin, Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone (first half) Literary Criticism: TBA

Week 10 Tuesday:10/30

Friday:11/2

Primary Text: James Baldwin, Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone(second half) Literary Criticism:

Primary Text: Toni Morrison, What Moves at the Margins

Week 11 Tuesday:

11/6

Friday:11/9

Primary Text: Toni Morrison, What Moves at the Margins

Primary Text: Toni Morrison, Jazz

Literary Criticism: Richard Hardack,“‘A Music Seeking Its Words’: Double-Timing and Double Consciousness in Toni Morrison’s Jazz,” Black Warrior Review 19, no. 2 (Spring-Summer 1993): 151–171.

Week 12 Tuesday:11/13

Friday:11/16

Primary Text: Toni Morrison, Jazz

Literary Criticism: Marie Anne Deyris Paquet, “Toni Morrison’s Jazz and the City” in African American Review 2, Summer 2001: 219–232.

Primary Text: Toni Morrison, Jazz Literary Criticism: TBA

Week 13 Tuesday:11/20

Friday:11/27

Film Screening: BelovedCriticism: (Optional)Caroline Rody, “Toni Morrison's Beloved: History, 'Rememory,' and a Clamor for a Kiss,” American Literary History 7.1 (Spring 1995): 92–119

Film Screening: Beloved

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Friday:11/28

Tuesday:12/4

Tuesday:12/7

Friday: 12/11

Primary Text: Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon

Literary Criticism: Peter Bruck, “Returning to One’s Roots: The Motif of Searching and Flying in Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon (1977).” In The Afro-American Novel since 1960, edited by Peter Bruck and Wolfgang Karrer, 289–305. Amsterdam: Gruner, 1982.

Primary Text: Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon

Literary Criticism: Deborah Guth, “A Blessing and a Burden: The Relation to the Past in Sula, Song of Solomon and Beloved” in Modern Fiction Studies, Volume 39, Number 3&4, Fall/Winter 1993, pp. 575-596 *

Primary Text: Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon

Literary Criticism: Linda Krumholz, "Dead Teachers: Rituals of Manhood and Rituals of Reading in Song of Solomon” in Modern Fiction Studies, Volume 39, Number 3&4, Fall/Winter 1993, pp. 551-574 *

Unfinished Business/Course Wrap Up