Class Schedule
Week 1: What is speculative literature?
- Introduction to Scalar and navigating digital components of the course
- To read for next time: Excerpts from The Racial Imaginary; Derrick Bell’s “The Space Traders”
- Discussion of Derrick Bell’s “The Space Traders” and in-class viewing of TV adaptation
- Overview of revision portfolio
- For next time: 1) Read excerpt from André M. Carrington’s Speculative Blackness: The Future of Race in Science Fiction 2) Mini Writing Assignment #1: Write a flash fiction piece that explores a speculative premise that correlates with a social issue. Upload onto class drive.
- Discussion of André M. Carrington’s Speculative Blackness: The Future of Race in Science Fiction
- In-class sharing of Mini Writing Assignment #1
- For next time: 1) Read Junot Diaz’s “Monstro” and Lilliam Rivera’s “The H8TE”; “What is contagion: A Roundtable” with Candice Lin, Mel Y. Chen, and Jih-Fei Cheng 2) Provide feedback for members of your writing group for their Mini Writing Assignment #1
Week 4: Contagion as metaphor for racial fear
- Discussion of “What is contagion: A Roundtable”
- Discussion of Junot Diaz’s “Monstro” and Lilliam Rivera’s “The H8TE”
- Overview of illustrated narratives and comic book storytelling
- For next time: 1) Read Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection Vol. 1 2) Begin working on Mini Writing Assignment #2: Using the comic panel templates as a guide (see class drive), create an illustrated narrative over the span of at least ten panels. The drawings need not be elaborate or in full color but should help communicate the message of your narrative. If working with print, be sure to upload images online. If working with video, please provide a link.
Week 5: Tech tutorial
- Introduction to basic film editing using iMovie, Adobe Premiere (in-class work time)
- Reminder about revision portfolio and additional tips
- For next time: Finalize work on Mini Writing Assignment #2 and upload progress onto class drive.
- Introduction to Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) and Prezi (for interactive presentation of print comic book illustration) (in-class work time)
- For next time: 1) Watch Get Out (2017) 2) Provide feedback for members of your writing group for their Mini Writing Assignment #2
Week 7: Opacity vs. transparency
- Discussion of Get Out (2017)
- For next time: 1) Read “Opacity” from Poetics of Relation, Edouard Glissant and excerpts from M. NourbeSe Philip’s Zong (available on class Scalar page) 2) Make at least 1-3 annotations on Philip’s work in preparation for next class discussion.
- Discussion of Poetics of Relation and Zong!
- For next time: 1) Read Dance Dance Revolution by Cathy Park Hong
Week 9: Alternative timelines
- Discussion of Dance Dance Revolution
- In-class partnered writing activity in preparation of Mini Writing Assignment #3
- For next time: 1) Read Kindred by Octavia Butler 2) Mini Writing Assignment #3: In class, you and your partner worked together to create joint timelines centered on a central figure, character, or object. Continue to develop your portion of the timeline in communication with your partner.
- Discussion of Kindred by Octavia Butler
- For next time: 1) Provide feedback for members of your writing group for their Mini Writing Assignment #3
Week 11: Overview of revision strategies
- Introduction to Twine, a digital nonlinear storytelling platform where students will learn how to create paths and branching narratives.
- For next time: Read Kai Cheng Thom’s Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir and John Chu’s “The Water that Falls on You from Nowhere”
Week 12: Myths and cultural representations (subverting dominant expectations)
- Discussion of Kai Cheng Thom’s Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir and John Chu’s “The Water that Falls on You from Nowhere"
- In-class group writing exercise; group decides on at-home work for each member.
- For next time: 1) Read Daniel Jose Older’s Ghost Girl in the Corner and Hector Ramirez’s “Auténtico” 2) Develop your portion of in-class group writing exercise 3) Work on revision portfolio
- Discussion of Daniel Jose Older’s Ghost Girl in the Corner and Hector Ramirez’s “Auténtico”
- Presentation of group writing
- For next time: Work on revision portfolio
Week 14: Presentation (1/2) – Students will each present for 10 minutes any portion of their revision
portfolio in progress to showcase the work they have done over the semester.
Week 15: Presentation (2/2) – Students will each present for 10 minutes any portion of their revision
portfolio in progress to showcase the work they have done over the semester.
Submission of final revision portfolio due no later than end of semester