The Johnston Center for Integrative Studies

Tues-Thurs 2:30-3:50pm

In spring 2009, I have one Johnston course to negotiate.  I’d like to revisit one of my old courses The Historian’s Craft, or Buffalo Literature: Women and Men Write the West.  Some students have also asked me about a course that would look at historical fiction and/or “classics” in American literature that they would like to read.  I’m waiting to see what students’ propose as I work through these old and new ideas.  I’m also teaching a History course, HIST 327:  Modern African American History, that you are welcome to join.

For the future, I plan to offer Jazz and Blues Literature next year, and possibly The Sixties.  And, when and if there is ever interest, I’d like to create a course on “The Book.” Some basic questions and texts are listed for each potential spring 2009 course below.

The Historian’s Craft:  This is a course that we could also call “Back in the Day:  Foundations of Historical Practice.” It explores three aspects of effective historical writing--analysis, narrative, and evidence.  We can select texts from any time and place, including historical monographs, memoir, biography, and fiction.  We’ll examine questions like how do historians test evidence?  Is it possible to be objective?  How does historical fiction compare to professional historical writing and research? What can we learn from debates about historical accuracy?  Texts I’ve used in the past included The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zeamon Davis, The Unredeemed Captive by John Demos, Up from the Plains by John McPhee, The Book of Daniel by E.L. Doctorow, and more! 

Buffalo Literature:  Women and Men Write the West:  This course examines the representation and narration of memory, place (and mobility), continuity and change, nature and the city in fiction, poetry, memoir/autobiography, and some non-fiction writing in Western American literature.  We’d read selected critics and writers like John Steinbeck, Wallace Stegner, Ivan Doig, Pam Houston, Willa Cather, Linda Hasselstrom, Barbara Kingslover, N. Scott Momaday, Cormac McCarthy, Paul Zarzyski, Rick Bass.   I’d like to include the narratives of musicians and photographers as well.