ENG 2423: Literature of Texas and the Southwest

“I’m sure I know more about the art of telling a tale, and I am not sure

that a good tale isn’t better for human beings than most of what passes

for social science. I don’t know; at the same time I am sure that The Rime

of the Ancient Mariner has done more good than all discourses on

omniscience that Samuel Taylor Coleridge ever uttered. ...And now,

listening ‘like a three years’ child,’ we are in the land of the blessed.

J. Frank Dobie

Dr. Linda Woodson

Office: MB 2.306B

Office Phone: 458-5344

Office Hours: TR11:00-12:30 p.m.

Others by appointment

E-mail:

Course Purpose: This course is a core curriculum course in literature. We will be reading a variety of genres. This course satisfies the literary studies component of the Core. In addition, it satisfies lower-divisionEnglish credit requirements or electives.

Texts:

Lone Star Literature: An Anthology, Don Graham. ed.

George Washington Gomez, Americo Paredes

Ceremony, Leslie Marmon Silko

All the Pretty Horses, Cormac McCarthy

Several other short readings will be provided as handouts.

Class Organization: The class will combine lecture, discussion, and some group activities.

Requirements: Your grade will be determined as follows:

Unannounced daily quizzes10%

Three short examinations20% each

Final examination (including essay) 30%

Policies: Class attendance is mandatory, as well as prompt arrival and no early departure. . Excessive absences (more than 3) may cause a lowering of your grade by one letter, and lack of participation (more than 6 absences) may cause you to fail the course. If you decide to stop coming to class, be sure to take care of a withdrawal online or by telephone. If you are still on my roster at the end of the semester, I am required to assign an F.

October 30 is the last day for Sophomores and above to withdraw from an individual course and receive an automatic grade of W. December 3 is the last day for Freshmen.

Support services, including registration assistance and equipment, are available to students with documented disabilities through the Office of Disabled Student Services (DSS), MS 2.03.18.

I will not report grades by telephone, fax, or email, nor will the ECP office staff.

University Academic Dishonesty Policy: Any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is subject to discipline. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.

I reserve the right to change assignments occasionally as the semester progresses.

Aug. 28 / Introduction to course
Sept. 2 / “The Origin Myth of Acoma”—a handout; “High Horse’s Courting”—a handout / Handouts
4 / Ceremony / 1-54
Sept. 9 / Ceremony / 55-108
11 / Ceremony / 108-160
16 / Ceremony; poems by Simon Ortiz and others / 161-213; poems, handout
18 / Ceremony / 214-end
23 / First Short Examination
25 / “The Last Running”—John Graves; “ “Bogged Shadows”—J. Frank Dobie / 143; 126
30 / All the Pretty Horses / 3-59
Oct. 2 / All the Pretty Horses / 59-137
Oct. 7 / All the Pretty Horses / 137-202
9 / All the Pretty Horses / 202-252
14 / All the Pretty Horses / 252-end
16 / Second Short Examination
21 / “The Grave”—Katherine Anne Porter; “Hold Autumn in Your Hand”—George Sessions Perry / 177; 185
23 / Poems by Teresa Palomo Acosta—a handout; “The Hammon and the Beans”—Américo Paredes; “Exile”--Benjamin Alire Sáenz; “The Portrait”--Tomás Rivera / Handout; 272; 278; 350
28 / “The Gulf Oil-Can Santa Claus”—Rolando Hinojosa-Smith; “La Fabulosa” A Texas Operetta”—Sandra Cisneros”; poetry of Pat Mora—handout / 355; 407; handout
30 / George Washington Gomez; Last Day for W, Sophomores and above / 9-63
Nov. 4 / George Washington Gomez / 63-118
Nov. 6 / George Washington Gomez / 118-175
11 / George Washington Gomez / 177-228
13 / George Washington Gomez / 228-end
18 / Third Short Examination
20 / “Tomorrow We Smile”—Naomi Shihab Nye; “The Battle of the Alamo”—Rafael Castillo; / 589; 505
25 / “A Train to Catch”—Clay Reynolds; “The Ballad of the Urban Cowboy”—Aaron Latham / 563; 645
27 / Thanksgiving
Dec. 2 / Readings from Larry McMurtry / handout
3 / Last Day for W, Freshmen
4 / Review Day
8-9 / Study Days
Dec. 10 / Final Examination, 10:30-1:00