EN338 W

Contemporary American Literature

TR 1 to 2:30 p.m.

INSTRUCTOR: Ursula McTaggart

This course will introduce you to truly contemporary literature—we will read novels written only in the last ten years. We will learn about how literature isn’t just a relic of the past but a lively dialogue with political ideas of today. Through fiction, our authors will examine political issues such as the HIV/AIDS crisis, drug addiction, immigration and refugee resettlement, and poverty; personal issues like Native American, Korean-American, and Appalachian identity; and universal human experiences like love, friendship, sexual identity, and family commitments. Authors will include Rebecca Makkai, Min Jin Lee, Tommy Orange, Jessmyn Ward, Kayla Rae Whitaker, and Ocean Vuong.

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