Professor Brett Kaplan

Wed, 3:00-5:00PM

Reading World Literatures is open to graduate students in all fields who want to expand their close reading practices. It's primarily a chance to read together, engage in close reading, and explore literature from some (alas not all) parts of the world. Throughout the semester we'll read a variety of texts and use diverse critical and theoretical skills to approach literary analysis. Polyglots can read in the original languages, but all books will be available in English and students will propose some of the readings. Everyone writes short essays throughout the semester that examine the "universe in a grain of sand." Each student chooses three books and writes three seven-page papers each based on one passage from the chosen book. In addition, everyone will present one of the books of your choosing. This will be excellent prepartion for the explication de texte section of Comparative and World Literature MA and Prelim exams. 

The course contributes to the Unit for Criticism requirement and the Holocaust, Genocide, Memory Studies certification.