Engl. 555/755
African Literatures
Spring Semester 2008
MWF 12:00-12:50, Grubbs 312
Instructor: Dr. K. Nichols
Course Syllabus
Course Description
This course will study African literature, Afro-Caribbean literature, and Afro-American literature in relation to the themes of African heritage, the Middle Passage and New World slavery, and the contemporary post-colonial experience. The genres covered include novels, short stories, plays, and poetry.
Required Texts
- Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali (2nd Ed., Longman, ISBN-10: 1405849428)
- Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart (Anchor, ISBN-10: 0385474547)
- Wole Soyinka, The Lion and the Jewel (Oxford U P, ISBN-10: 0199110832)
- Mariama Ba, So Long a Letter (Heinemann, ISBN-10: 0435905554)
- Ama Ata Aidoo, No Sweetness Here and Other Stories (Feminist Press, ISBN-10: 1558611193)
- Derek Walcott, Dream on Monkey Mountain and Other Plays (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, ISBN-10: 0374508607)
- Michelle Cliff, No Telephone to Heaven (Plume, ISBN-10: 0452275695)
- Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun (Vintage, ISBN-10: 0679755330)
- Charles Johnson, Middle Passage (Scribner, ISBN-10: 0684855887)
- Suzan-Lori Parks, Venus: A Play (Theatre Communications Group, ISBN-10: 1559361352)
There will also be several shorter online texts and hand-outs, as indicated on the Reading Schedule.
Grading
English 555:
- 3 exams (20% each)
- 2 shorter papers (10% each). Online directions.
- 1 longer paper (20%). Online directions.
English 755:
- 3 exams (16.5% each)
- 2 shorter papers (8.5% each). Online directions.
- 1 longer paper (16.5%). Online directions.
- Outside novel/paper (16.5%). Online directions.
NOTE: All major assignments must be completed to pass the course.
Absence Policy
Regular attendance is required. Everyone has four pre-excused absences for those difficult times in life that interfere with class attendance, so you do not need to clear absences with me, but it is a good idea to check with me (or a classmate) to make sure an assignment was not changed while you were gone.
Students who miss more than four classes may be dropped from the roster for "excessive absences."
Late Work Policy
Late papers will be graded down one letter grade for each day they are late.
Missed exams must be made up just as soon as possible. See me immediately when you return to class.
NOTE: You may e-mail papers to me at knichols11@cox.net, but make sure they are sent as an attached .doc file.
Plagiarism Policy
I strongly support the policies of the English Department and the University on plagiarism. Undocumented use of someone else's ideas and/or language will result in an F on the paper or for the course--or worse for the most egregious cases.
See me if you have questions about what is or is not plagiarism. I'm always happy to help students who make good-faith efforts to do things right.
Course Web Pages
You can quickly access our online syllabus by typing in one of the following addresses:
- Engl 555/755 Course Syllabus: http://arcadiasystems.org/academia/afrolits.html.
- Engl 555/755 Reading Schedule: http://arcadiasystems.org/academia/afrolits2.html.
- Dr. Nichols Home Page: http://arcadiasystems.org/academia/nichols.html.
NOTE: You can also access my home page (which links to all my web pages) by going to the PSU home page and then typing "Nichols Home Page" in the "PSU Search" box (top of page).
Instructor's Office Hours
My office is in Grubbs Hall, Room 450. I can be available at the following times to talk with you about our course or related matters. If that time does not fit your schedule, let me know. We can arrange a more convenient time.
- MWF 1:00-2:00; 3:00-4:00
- TTh 10:45-11:15; 2:00-3:30
- By appointment
The best ways to contact me are to leave a note on my office door or, even better, email me at the following address: knichols11@cox.net.
