ENGLISH 157: Literature and the Internet
It is widely held that the term 'cyberspace' first appeared not in the giddy reports of business consultants or futurologists, but in a short story by science fiction author William Gibson. Literature has long functioned as a kind of incubator for some of the most important concepts and metaphors that we use to understand the massive transformations that digital technologies have effected within modern life. In this class, we will read novels, short stories, and poetry from the last fifty years that try to capture the new forms of experience that these technologies' considered broadly under the rubric of 'the internet' have brought into being. We will work together to develop a critical vocabulary for analyzing the two-way traffic between digital media and literary forms, from cyberpunk fiction to Instagram poetry.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-5
Instructors:
Therieau, M. (PI)
ENGLISH 157D: Literature of the Anthropocene
We are living in a time of expedient environmental change caused by human influence. How has the American literary imagination metabolized the science and psychology of the moment? How do recently published works of poetry and fiction reflect our evolving relationship to animals, natural resources, weather and the very concept of 'nature' itself? How can stories and poems as cultural products help raise or sustain an ecological awareness, individually and collectively? Can a story introduce research or present a future that might otherwise seem inaccessible? Can a poem advance our understanding of the link between social justice and climate justice? These are some of the questions we'll ask as we engage texts by aesthetically, experientially, and culturally diverse writers. This small, discussion-based seminar aims to foster interdisciplinary exchange - students from across campus disciplines are encouraged to enroll.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-EDP
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