Description

An alternative title for this course might be “What’s Literature Made Of?” This is not a course in literature about technology; it’s a course that explores the technologies of literature—the physical media and mechanisms that make imaginative writing possible. From the monks who illuminated manuscripts during the Dark Ages of Europe to today’s digital artists and writers coding hypertexts amid the luminous windows of the Web, literature has always depended on sophisticated technologies of writing and inscription. We’ll look at William Blake, for example, often called the first multimedia artist for his striking combinations of words and images (to achieve his unique effects, Blake drew and wrote backwards on copper plates which he then bathed in acid to create a relief surface for printing). We'll also read T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, but here we’ll encounter the famous poem in its manuscript version, the result of a turbulent collaboration with fellow poet Ezra Pound. We’ll then look at more contemporary works, including a graphic novel by comics artist Chris Ware, experimental poetry by Susan Howe, and Italo Calvino’s meta-fictional masterpiece If on a winter’s night a traveler. The course will end with several examples of electronic literature. Along the way we’ll think about writing as an information technology, about print as a medium, about the book as an interface, and about the computer as a literary machine.

Texts

All of the following are available for purchase at the University Book Center. If you get the texts elsewhere please ensure that they are the correct edition.

William Blake, Songs of Innocence and of Experience (Blake Trust/Princeton)
Italo Calvino, If on a winter’s night a traveler (Harvest)
T. S. Eliot, The Waste Land: Facsimile and Transcript (Harvest)
Susan Howe, The Europe of Trusts (New Directions)
Jerome Rothenberg and Stephen Clay, eds., A Book of the Book (Granary)
Michael Twyman, The British Library Guide to Printing (Toronto)
Chris Ware, Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth (Pantheon)

Requirements and Grading

Four papers, each three (3) full pages in length. I will actually assign five papers over the course of the semester. You will choose any four of them to write. Note that this is not the same as dropping the lowest paper grade: if you turn a paper in to me, it counts. 20% each, 80% total.

A comprehensive final exam, administered at the date and time scheduled by the Registrar. 20%.

Participation, in class and via email. This is not a lecture class—enthusiastic and informed participation is expected of everyone, (almost) every class. Participation will be taken into consideration when calculating borderline grades.

Any paper may be submitted electronically, as an HTML Web page—however if you do so, you should take advantage of the electronic format to expand the scope of the paper (by adding images, links, etc.). Moreover, if the Honors Program holds its Course Web Site Design Contest again <http://www.honors.umd.edu/contestwinners.htm>, students with the necessary skills (or a team of students) may elect to design a course Web page in lieu of one of the paper assignments.

Policies

Attendance is mandatory—if you’re not here, you’re not contributing to the group. I reserve the right to demote the final course grade by up to a full letter for any student with a conspicuous pattern of non-attendance (more than two unexcused absences). Missing more than 25% of the semester’s classes will result in a failing grade for the course. All written work is due on the date given on the course calendar, unless you have made a specific prior arrangement with me. In general, I will be sympathetic to a first request for an extension, but unsympathetic to further requests. Late work without prior arrangement will be demoted up to one full letter grade (or not accepted at all if more than a week overdue).

Students who require special accommodation for attendance or assignments due to religious or other obligations should inform me of the fact as far ahead of time as possible.

You are responsible for the material you miss if you are absent. Note that I will not respond to “what did I miss” queries via email (ask a friend in the class, or come see me during office hours).

Email

Subscription to the class’s electronic coursemail list is mandatory. All students who have a valid email address in Testudo should be automatically subscribed. I will use the list to post announcements, updates to the calendar, and other administrative items. You should get into the habit of checking your email at least once a day. You will be held responsible for the content of all email announcements 24 hours after they have been posted. We will also all use the list to continue and further our in class discussions. Your contributions to the list will be taken into account when I assess the level of your class participation.

Academic Integrity

All students are expected to abide by the University’s code of academic integrity: <http://www.inform.umd.edu/CampusInfo/Departments/JPO/code_acinteg.html>. Students are also requested to sign the Honor Pledge to all written work: “I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination.” Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty will be referred to the University Honor Council.

Course Calendar

(Abbreviations used: BB, A Book of the Book; BLGP, British Library Guide to Printing.)

Week One

W 9.4: Introduction.

F 9.6: Flaubert, “Bibliomania” (handout).

Week Two

M 9.9: “The Book as Physical Object” (BB 54-70); “Amazing Technology” (handout).

W 9.11: “What is Printing?” (BLGP 7-17); “The Poem as Icon” (BB 50-53); “Anatomy of a Book” (in class video).

F 9.13: “When a Book is Not a Book” (BB 448-466).

Week Three

M 9.16: William Blake, Songs of Innocence and of Experience.

W 9.18: “Hand Production” (BLGP 18-45); “The Illuminated Blake” (BB 107-111).

F 9.20: Blake, Songs (cont.)

Week Four

M 9.23: Blake, Songs (cont.)

W 9.25: Blake, Songs (cont.)

F 9.27: Blake, Songs (cont.); “Notes on A Humument” (BB 423-430).

Week Five

M 9.30: T. S. Eliot, The Waste Land; Paper Due.

W. 10.2: Waste Land (cont.)

F. 10.4: Waste Land (cont.)

Week Six

M 10.7: Waste Land (cont.); “These Flames and Generosities of the Heart” (BB 113-131).

W 10.9: Waste Land (cont.)

F 10.11: Waste Land (cont.)

Week Seven

M 10.14: Chris Ware, Jimmy Corrigan; Paper Due.

W 10.16: Jimmy Corrigan (cont.)

F 10.18: Jimmy Corrigan (cont.)

Week Eight

M 10.21: Jimmy Corrigan (cont.); “Novelty Books” (BB 319-333).

W 10.23: Jimmy Corrigan (cont.)

F 10.25: Jimmy Corrigan (cont.); “O!” (BB 403-422).

Week Nine

M 10.28: Susan Howe, The Europe of Trusts; Paper Due.

W 10.30: Europe of Trusts (cont.); “Composition as Explanation” (BB 228-245).

F 11.1: Europe of Trusts (cont.)

Week Ten

M 11.4: Howe, The Europe of Trusts; “The Material Page” (BB 71-79).

W 11.6: Europe of Trusts (cont.)

F 11.8: Europe of Trusts (cont.)

Week Eleven

M 11.11: Italo Calvio, If on a winter’s night a traveler; Paper Due.

W. 11.13: If on a winter’s night a traveler (cont.)

F. 11.15: If on a winter’s night a traveler (cont.)

Week Twelve

M 11.18: If on a winter’s night a traveler (cont.); “Writing (Under-)Sky” (BB 497-503).

W 11.20: If on a winter’s night a traveler (cont.)

F 11.22: If on a winter’s night a traveler (cont.)

Week Thirteen

M 11.25: Electronic Literature, selections TBA; Paper Due.

W 11.27: Electronic Literature (cont.)

F. 11.29: NO CLASS—THANKSGIVING

Week Fourteen

M 12.2: Electronic Literature (cont.); “The Art of Immerorability” (BB 504-517).

W 12.4: Electronic Literature (cont.)

F 12.6: Electronic Literature (cont.)

Week Fifteen

M 12.9: Electronic Literature (cont.)

W 12.11: Electronic Literature (cont.)

F 12.13: Conclusions: “From Analogue to Digital” (BLGP 76-82); “The Book as Machine” (BB 17-24).