Spring 2013 University of Wisconsin, Madison English/Asian American Studies/Gender & Womens Studies 654:

Race and Sexuality in American Literature

Professor Leslie Bow T/TR 9:30-10:45 am, sec. 1 Ed L 185 Office: 7179 HC White Hall; mailbox 709, 7th fl. 890-2455 (office) lbow@wisc.edu OH: Thurs. 11am-1pm and by appointment

This course engages intersectional analysis by looking at race and sexuality in fiction, memoir, drama, poetry, and visual culture. How are race and gender mutually reinforcing social constructions? How does race inform desire? The course interrogates criteria for racial authenticity by examining how sexual transgression reveals the borders of communal belonging with a specific focus on Asian Americans. We will look at a variety of topics including how American acculturation comes to be expressed through shifts in sexuality and how political consciousness is constructed out of response to sexual alliance. We will analyze coming out stories, transgenderism, sexual trauma, interracial desire, the racial implications of Oedipal narratives, the policing of womens sexuality, and analogies between ethnic and sexual closeting. Throughout the course, we will examine the inscription of desire both within and in excess of the dichotomies between homosexual/heterosexual, male/female, white/black, and First World/Third World. Required Texts (available at the University Bookstore unless otherwise noted): Nella Larsen, Quicksand and Passing (use the Rutgers UP edition) Bharati Mukherjee, The Middleman and Other Stories Minnie Bruce Pratt, Identity: Skin, Blood, Heart [available in the electronic reader] Richard Rodriguez, Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez Cherre Moraga, Loving in the War Years: lo que nunca pas por sus labios Yi-Fu Tuan, Who Am I?: An Autobiography of Emotion, Mind, and Spirit David Henry Hwang, M. Butterfly Adrian Tomine, Shortcomings Films: Mais America; My German Boyfriend; Chinese Beauty Electronic Course reader (Access at Learn@UW) Requirements: Attendance, Preparation, and Participation: You are expected to attend every class meeting and participate in discussion activities during class, including informal writing assignments. You must finish the reading prior to coming to class. Attendance, preparation, and participation are 20% of the final grade. There will be no distinction between "excused" and unexcused" absences. Any absence compromises your participation grade. After three absences your course grade will be lowered according to the instructor's discretion. In-class presentation: Everyone will lead a discussion in groups on a text or set of stories once during the semester (See handout on Learn@UW). Everyone in the group receives the same grade (10%).

2 Midterm paper: (6 p. min.) Literary analysis based on issues developed out of lectures, readings, and discussion. Due Week 7, Thurs. 3/7 (25%). Final paper: (6 p. min.) Literary analysis based on issues developed out of lectures, readings, and discussion. Due Week 15: Thurs. 5/9 (25%). Final Exam: You will be asked to identify passages taken from the readings by title and author, to contextualize each passage in regard to the work as a whole, and to analyze its significance. The goal of the exam is to verify that students have done the reading, attended class, and can produce close readings of literary texts. You are responsible for all material discussed in class. Your class notes will constitute your study guide (20%).

Plagiarism policy: Cases of plagiarism will be reported to the university for disciplinary action.

Reading schedule Week 1 1/22; 1/24 Course Introduction: Intersectional Analysis For Thurs. from the reader: The Colors of Desire, David Mura; Woman in Print, Wong; A Chinese Banquet, Kitty Tsui Handout: for the white person who wants to know how to be my friend, Pat Parker Week 2 1/29; 1/31 Identification, Disavowal Finish Passing, Nella Larsen (note: Quicksand is not required) For Thurs: From Rutgers UP Edition: Introduction, Deborah E. McDowell Week 3 2/5; 2/7 Continue Passing For Tues. From the reader: Passing for White, Passing for Black, Arian Piper; Love Me or Leave Me, Bharati Mukherjee; and A Wifes Story, from Middleman and Other Stories For Thurs.: Finish The Middleman Film: Chinese Beauty Week 4 2/12, 2/14 National Desire Continue The Middleman and Other Stories For Thurs. from the reader: Identity: Skin, Blood, Heart, Minnie Bruce Pratt Week 5 2/19, 2/21 Coming to Consciousness Continue Pratt For Tues.: Feminist Politics: Whats Home Got to Do with It? Biddy Martin and Chandra Talpade Mohanty; White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, Peggy McIntosh Thurs: Finish Richard Rodriguez, Hunger of Memory Week 6 2/26, 2/28 Memoir and Public Policy Continue Hunger of Memory recommended from the reader: Late Victorians, Rodriguez; Metaphors We Write By: Desires (Dis)Orientation and the Border in Richard Rodriguezs Hunger of Memory, Yaakov Perry Week 7 3/5, 3/7 Transgenderism, Transracialism, Border Crossing Film: Mais America For Thurs. From the reader: Are You a Guy or What?, Leslie Feinberg; The Empire Strikes Back: A Posttransexual Manifesto, Sandy Stone Papers due Thurs. 3/7 in class

3 Week 8 3/12, 3/14 Oedipal Racialization Cherrie Moraga, Loving in the War Years
note: We will be reading the original edition or through p. 138 in the expanded edition. The section, A Flor de Labios: 1995-1999 is optional.

From the reader: The Oedipus Story

Week 9 3/19; 3/21 Erotic Nonconformity continue Moraga Thurs. from the reader: Thinking Sex: Notes for a Radical Theory of the Politics of Sexuality, Gayle Rubin Springbreak Week 10 4/2, 4/4 Geographies of Affiliation Yi-Fu Tuan, Who Am I: An Autobiography of Emotion, Mind, and Spirit For Tues: Lost in Place: Yi-Fu Tuan may be the most influential scholar you've never heard of, Peter Monaghan, March 16, 2001, Chronicle of Higher Education online: http://chronicle.com/article/Lost-in-Place/11412; transcript in electronic reader recommended from the reader for Thurs.: Strangers and Strangeness, Yi-Fu Tuan Week 11 4/9, 4/11 Orientalism and the Other continue Tuan For Thurs: finish David Henry Hwang, M. Butterfly Week 12 4/16, 4/18 Fantasy and Desire Continue M. Butterfly From the reader: "For the first time, the Real-life models for Broadway's M. Butterfly tell of their very strange romance," Wadler Film: My German Boyfriend Week 13 4/23, 4/25 Classes rescheduled for evening event, joint with Edgewood College, Monday 2/22: Social Justice and the Public Sphere: Race, Sexuality, and Politics in the Media Guest speakers: Andrea Potter and Amit Pal, editors, The Progressive; Christa Olson, Professor of English, UW Madison Monday 2/22; Time: 4:00pm-6:30pm; place, tba Week 14 4/30; 5/2 Racial Sexual Politics Adrian Tomine, Shortcomings Week 15 5/7, 5/9 The Racial Fetish in Visual Culture Final Papers Due Thurs. 5/9 in class (optional: include a Self-Addressed, Stamped, Manila Envelope if you would like your paper with comments, your exam, and final grade mailed to you). Final Exam: Sat. May 18, 7:45 am-9:45 am, place tba