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Class Schedule of Meetings, Readings, and Screenings

Please note: this syllabus is subject to change (with notice).

Important: You can access many of the assigned readings below online. Just click on the link for each reading. If a reading is not hyperlinked, it is available on paper reserve in the Library or in your textbooks.

   Note that most of the online readings are PDF files or MS Word documents, readable only via Adobe Acrobat Reader or MS Word, respectively. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, you may download it for free at http://www.adobe.com

Section 1: Histories, Bodies, & Feminine Expression in the Arts

Week 1    Introduction

Monday, January 10-Friday, January 14

CLASSES CANCELED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER

 

Week 2    Ways of Seeing Women in Art

Monday, January 17

No Class Monday in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

Wednesday, January 19

Introduction to the course
Reading: Linda Nochlin, “Why have there been no great women artists?”
Assignment: Writing assignment # 1; Quiz

 
Lecture on the artwork of Twentieth-Century female visual artists (Frida Kahlo, Sonia Delaunay, Tina Modotti, Hannah Hoch, et al.)
Readings: The Guerilla Girls, The Guerilla Girls’ Bedside Companion to the History of Art  (Introduction and Chapters 5 & 6)
Recommended: John Berger, Chapters 2 & 3 Ways of Seeing
Assignment: Quiz

Review slides of artists from Guerilla Girls History of Art

Friday, January 21
Lecture on the artwork of Judy Chicago, Georgia O’Keeffe, et al.
Readings: Judith Barry & Sandy Flitterman-Lewis, “Textual Strategies: the politics of artmaking”
  Judy Chicago & Miriam Shapiro, “Female Imagery”
  Anna Chave, “O’Keeffe and the Masculine Gaze” (yes, these poorly scanned images will be shown in class)
Assignment: Quiz

 

Week 3    The Politics of Women in Art

January 24-28

Lecture on the poetry and activism of Maya Angelou, Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde
Reading: bell hooks, “Talking Back” and “Women Artists and the Creative Process”
  Audre Lorde, “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House”
  Harmony Hammond, “Lesbian Artists”
Assignment: Quiz
Sign up for group presentation topic by Monday (email Dr. B your top three choices)

Wednesday, January 26

Guest Lecture by Dr. Brigitte Byrd, Associate Professor of Creative Writing, on the creative process, poetry, and identity (Dr. Byrd's bio)
Readings: a crown of sonnets: "craving for a new harness" from The Dazzling Land (2008)
  a series of prose poems: ("there was absence in their ballad") from Song of a Living Room (2009)
  Audio recording of Dr. Byrd reading the "Requiem Series" from Fence above the Sea (2005)
  Atlanta Forum Network reading http://forum-network.org/lecture/encounter-brigitte-byrd 

Friday, January 28
Exam 1

 

Section 2: Talking Stories & Artistic Adaptations

Week 4   Voice and Women's Community in Literature and Film  

Monday, January 31

Group presentation outlines due for Hurston and Walker (only one outline for each group)
  Begin reading Alice Walker, The Color Purple
In-class screening: Warrior Marks (Pratibha Parmar and Alice Walker, 1987; 55 min.) (study guide)

Wednesday, February 2

  Discussion of Warrior Marks (Pratibha Parmar and Alice Walker, 1987; 55 min.) (study guide)
Reading: Continue reading Alice Walker, The Color Purple

Friday, February 4

Group Presentation on Zora Neale Hurston, her influences, & her representations of women
Reading: Zora Neale Hurston, Chapters 1-3 of Their Eyes Were Watching God (handout)
Group presentation outlines due for remaining groups (only one outline for each group)

 

Week 5    Voice and Women's Community in Literature and Film

Monday, February 7

Group Presentation on Alice Walker, her influences, & her representations of women 
Reading: Alice Walker, The Color Purple

Wednesday, February 9

Reading: Alice Walker, The Color Purple
  Discussion of The Color Purple novel with TA Fallon Guess
Assignment: Quiz

Friday, February 11

Screen on your own before class: The Color Purple (Steven Spielberg, 1987; 154 min.)
  Discussion of The Color Purple film & novel (study guide)
Assignment: Quiz

 

Week 6    Gender, Community, and Murder in Opera

Monday, February 14

Guest Lecture by Dr. Christina Howell, Assistant Professor of Voice, on the fach system and gender in opera
Reading: La Bohème. Read the book’s introductions and summaries, skim through the libretto text, and listen to the two CDs.
Screen on your own before class: La Bohème (Study Questions)
    A DVD of La Bohème is on reserve in the library, or you can rent one of the versions available on DVD of the *original* opera.
DO NOT WATCH Baz Luhrman's newer film version, Luhrman's theatrical version, or theatrical or film versions of Rent for this assignment.
  Begin reading Virginia Woolf, Orlando
Assignment: Quiz

Wednesday, February 16-Friday, February 18

Reading: La Bohème. Re-read the book’s introductions and summaries, skim through the libretto text, and listen to the two CDs.
  Continue reading Virginia Woolf, Orlando
In-class screening: Thriller (Sally Potter, 1979; 34 min.)
Discussion of Thriller and La Bohème (Study Questions--same as above)

 

Week 7    Gender Trouble in Literature and Film

Monday, February 21

Group Presentation on Virginia Woolf, her influences, & her representations of women
Reading: Virginia Woolf, Orlando, pages 138-140, 153-160, and 208-262 (Recommended: read entire book)
Assignment: Quiz

Wednesday-Friday, February 23-25

Reading: Two Cinéaste Interviews: “Demystifying Traditional Notions of Gender: An Interview with Sally Potter”   and   “Achieving a State of Limitlessness: An Interview with Tilda Swinton”   (try "control + p" if the second article doesn't have a "print" option on the file menu)
Screen on your own before class: Orlando (Sally Potter, 1992; 90 min.)
  In-class discussion of Orlando film & novel (Study Guide)
Assignment: Quiz

 

Week 8    Gender Trouble in Theatre

Monday, February 28

Individual Research Presentation Outline due
Screen on your own before class: 1) A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan, 1951; 122 min.)
      **DO NOT WATCH any other version than the 1951 one starring Brando and Leigh.
2) All About Eve (Joseph Mankiewicz, 1950; 138 min.) (Study Guide)
Assignment: Quiz

Wednesday, March 2

Guest Lecture by Mr. Phillip DePoy, Assistant Professor of Theatre, on Tennessee Williams, Gender and Sexuality

Friday, March 4

  Discussion of gender and community in Streetcar and Eve

 

Week 9    Spring Break

March 7-11  Classes canceled for spring break

 

Week 10    Gender Trouble in Theatre and Film

Monday, March 14-Wednesday, March 16

Guest Lecture by Kevin Liles on Pedro Almodóvar, his influences, & his representations of women
Screen on your own before class: All About My Mother (Pedro Almodóvar, 1999; 101 min.) (Study Guide same as above)
Reading: Judith Butler, Excerpt from Gender Trouble. Focus especially on pages 117-123 and 126-127; you can skim the rest.
  In-class discussions of Butler, All About My Mother, A Streetcar Named Desire, & All About Eve
Assignment: Quiz

Friday, March 18

Exam 2
                      Begin reading Nella Larsen, Passing (read the novel first, then the "Introduction" essay after)

 

Section 3: Voice, Vision, Identity: Women’s Self-Expression through the Arts

Week 11    Identity and Voice in Photography 

March 21-25

Lecture on contemporary female photographers:
Lorna Simpson, Adrian Piper, Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman, Sophie Calle, Nan Goldin, Sarah Moon...
Readings: bell hooks, "Facing Difference: The Black Female Body"
  Judith Williamson, “Images of ‘Woman’: The Photography of Cindy Sherman”  
Assignment: Quiz
                      Continue reading Nella Larsen, Passing (read the novel first, then the "Introduction" essay after)

 

Week 12    Visions and Memories

March 28-April 1

Lecture on artworks that inspired Daughters: Faith Ringgold, James Van Der Zee, Alison Saar, and Doris Ulmann
Screen on your own before class: Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash, 1991; 113 min.) (Study Guide)
Reading: Toni Cade Bambara, Preface to Daughters of the Dust: The Making of an African American Woman's Film  &    "Dialogue" between bell hooks & Julie Dash on Daughters of the Dust
  In-class discussion of Daughters
Assignment: Quiz
                      Continue reading Nella Larsen, Passing (read the novel first, then the "Introduction" essay after)

 

Week 13  Passing Identities

Monday, April 4

Reading: Nella Larsen, Passing
In-class screening:  Illusions (Julie Dash, 1982; 34 min.)
Assignment: Quiz

Wednesday, April 6

Guest Presentation by TA Fallon Guess on Nella Larsen & the Harlem Renaissance
Reading: Nella Larsen, Passing (read novel first, then "Introduction" essay after you finish the text)

Friday, April 8
  Discussion of Passing and Illusions

 

Week 14    Silence and Voice

Monday, April 11

Guest Lecture by Dr. Kathryn Pratt Russell on the work of Emily Dickinson, the Brontë sisters, and Jane Austen
Reading: Selected poems by Emily Dickinson and the Brontë sisters
Assignment: Quiz
Individual Research Presentation Detailed Outline due

Wednesday, April 13-Friday, April 15

Reading: Feona Atwood, “Weird Lullaby: Jane Campion’s The Piano
Screen on your own before class: The Piano (Jane Campion, 1993; 121 min.) (Study Guide)
In-class screening: Excerpts from Peel (Jane Campion, 1982; 9 min.), Passionless Moments  (Jane Campion, 1983; 13 min.), and A Girl's Own Story (Jane Campion, 1984; 27 min.)
  Discussion of The Piano  (Study Guide) and Campion's short films
Assignment: Quiz
Exam 3 (take-home)

 

Week 15    Gleaning, Aging, and Art

Monday, April 18-Wednesday, April 20

Reading: Virginia Bonner, “The Gleaners and ‘Us’: The Radical Modesty of Agnès Varda's Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse,” From There She Goes: Feminist Filmmaking and Beyond, Chapter 8, pp. 119-131
In-class screening: Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse (The Gleaners & I) (Agnès Varda, 2000; 80 min.)
Exam 3 due at the beginning of class on Monday
Online course evaluations on the DUCK begin Wednesday

Friday, April 22

Lecture on Agnès Varda
Reading: Selected poems by Elaine Feinstein, Mary Oliver, Ruth Stone, and Linda Pastan
  Discussion of The Gleaners & I
Assignment: Quiz and bring your laptop to class on Friday
Email Dr. B your PowerPoint for your Individual Research Presentation by 6pm on Sunday

 

Week 16    Individual Research Presentations

April 25-27

POETRY:
Courtney on Nikki Giovanni

MUSIC:
Francine on Billie Holiday

 FICTION:
Rachel on Margaret Mitchell
 Chana on Harriet Beecher Stowe

VISUAL ARTS:
Cyndi on Francesca Woodman
Destiny on Louise Nevelson
Nafisah on Wangechi Mutu

THEATRE:
Taurean on Women in Theatre

Friday, April 29

Final Exam Review Session

 

Week 17       Final Exam Review

May 2

Final Exam Review Session Bring your questions, and food to share for a class party potluck.
In-class writing assignment # 2
Online course evaluations on the DUCK end   BRING YOUR LAPTOP TO CLASS

Final Exam: Wednesday, May 4, 10:15am-12:15pm in UC 272