Policy Statement

Course Description:

Helene Cixous proposes that there is a feminine way of writing, "l'ecriture feminine," and Virginia Woolf writes of a "feminine sentence." Alternatively, Willa Cather and Gertrude Stein (among others) bristled at being called "women writers." This class will focus on US women writers to pose the question: what makes a woman writer? And is there a kind of women's writing? We will examine the definition of "literature" by including letters, plays, speeches, and diaries among our texts. We will focus on texts by women that address social justice issues, including class awareness, segregation and racial identity, union organizing, lesbian feminism, and disability discourse. Ultimately, we will explore how these historical and ongoing issues shape the identity of women writers. This class will familiarize students with a range of approaches to literary analysis as we discover whether or not those methods work for reading women writers.

Required Texts:

At BookWoman (Texas' only remaining feminist bookstore, now 30 years old)
The Mixquiahuala Letters by Ana Castillo : Anchor Books, '92
The Complete Fiction of Nella Larsen: Passing, Quicksand, and the Stories : Anchor Books '01
love conjure/blues by Sharon Bridgforth : Redbone Press '04
(Another text to be decided by the class)

The editions we will use for this class are available at BookWoman; if you choose not to purchase your texts at BookWoman, be sure that you secure the specified edition of each text.

At Jenn's Copies: Course Packet

Grade Distribution:

Close readings: 20%
Midterm paper (4 pages): 20%
Final paper (6 pages): 20%
Literary blog posts: 15%
Active participation/attendance: 10%
Organizing, attending/participating in, and discussing local author reading: 15%

Your final semester grade will be calculated according to the above percentages. Do not discard any drafts, notes, papers or research you produce this semester until you receive a final grade.

Letter grades on class projects correspond to numerical grades according to the following scale.
A+=100; A=96; A-=92; B+=89; B=86; B-=82; C+=79; C=76; C-=72; D=67; F=60

Tools:

You will need ...
*your copy of the text under discussion with you in class each day
*regular access to a computer and to Parlin 102 to turn in papers via the teacher folder
*the ability to check your email daily and the course website before each class
*a UT email address (this is necessary for the class forum and listserve)
*your UT EID, in order to access your webspace for document storage. If you don't know your UT EID, find it online (https://utdirect.utexas.edu/nlogon/eid_suite/general/index.WBX)
*a standard size cassette tape

You don't need any technological knowledge in order to take this course; part of the course will include learning how to use computers in a classroom environment and for course work. We will use computers, email, and the web regularly, both inside and outside of class. I'll explain each of our class computer procedures; if you run into difficulty, let me know and we'll work it out.

Technical difficulty does not excuse late assignments; start early, and take advantage of the many computer labs across campus (http://www.utexas.edu/computer/labs.html). Because you are enrolled in a computer classroom, you may use the CWRL's computer lab in Parlin 102. The hours will be posted on the CWRL home page (http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu).

Attendance & Punctuality:

To get the most out of this class, you will interact frequently and energetically with your peers. While some of this will happen online, much will happen in class discussion; in-class work cannot be made up. A student with nine absences fails this course; I will notify you and your college of your status after the seventh absence. Do not arrive late to class; consistent lateness will affect your grade. Officially sanctioned absences are religious holidays or UT business (like travel for athletics) with appropriate documentation. If an unavoidable problem prevents you from attending class, please discuss your absences and your plan of action with me.

Timely Assignments:
Assignments turned in up to one day late lose one letter grade. I do not accept assignments after one day past the due date.

Getting to BookWoman from UT:

By Bus:
Take the Red or Gold Dillo from the bus stop at the southwest corner of 21st St. and Guadalupe
(across Guadalupe from the Dobie)

Get off at Rio Grande and 12th St., by ACC's Rio Grande Campus (ask the bus driver to notify you of the stop)

Walk down 12th St. to your right, west, toward Lamar

BookWoman will be on your right just before The Tavern and before Lamar Blvd.

By Car:
Take Guadalupe St. south, toward downtown

Turn right on 12th St.

BookWoman will be on your right just before The Tavern and before Lamar Blvd.

BookWoman's Info:
918 W. 12th St. (you can enter this address at www.mapquest.com for a map)
472-2785
www.ebookwoman.com
Hours: M-Sa 10-9, Su 12-6