Literature   

What tickled the theatrical fancies of our early American ancestors? Stories about George Washington and his soldiers, Pocahontas, the Salem witches, Indian chiefs, poor but honest yeoman farmers and social climbers aping the latest fashions from London and Paris were all grist for our playwrights in the early days of our republic. The two best-known plays of the era, “The Contrast” and “Fashion,” will be presented, along with others I’m sure you have never heard of. As part of the tale, you will learn how show business moved from London to the Colonies and how one of the bloodiest riots in our history was started by a performance of “Macbeth.” No text is required. No prior knowledge is assumed.

NOTE: Be aware that some of these plays would not be considered “politically correct.” They reflect the attitudes and language of the late-18th and early-19th centuries.

Many adults think of picture books as simple and simplistic, designed and suitable only for the limited minds of children. Untrue! We will read three picture books that will challenge such conventional ways of thinking about the genre: Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are,” Beatrix Potter’s “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” and Verna Aardema and Leo and Diane Dillon’s “Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears.” I will try to convince you in this course that these books are highly complex texts worth studying seriously, and we will work on developing a keen eye for details and consideration for how verbal and visual texts work together to create the book as an artistic whole. We will also consider what the texts imply about child readers and their overall views of childhood. Please come to class having read the books beforehand, including reading “Where the Wild Things Are” for the first week. No prior knowledge of the topic is needed, just a general interest.

NOTE: These books are all widely available in libraries and new and used book stores. Digital copies are fine for outside class reading, but in-class discussion will focus on the books as artistic artifacts deliberately and carefully designed by their artists.

Oregon has been the site of rich literary offerings by lesbians. Starting in the 1970s, lesbians here began to gather and record their lives, their spirituality, their erotic experiences and their politics. In WomanSpirit magazine, Ruth and Jean Mountaingrove offered years of meditations, rituals and spiritual insights that touched women around the world. A group called the Southern Oregon Women Writers’ Group, Gourmet Eating Society and Chorus helped writers create and publish dozens of lesbian books. The “We’Moon Calendar” has showcased global women’s art and writings annually for over 40 years. Tee Corrine made lesbian sex a literary and visible celebration from her home in Oregon. Come out and enjoy discovering lesbian writing, art and publication in Oregon. There will be books to read and art to view. The course will be taught from the perspective of preserving lesbian herstory as part of the LGB cultural mosaic. No background knowledge is needed.  

NOTE: Most materials will be excerpted, scanned and distributed to the class. Full versions may be available online.