University at Albany State University of New York Spring 1991 Literature of Feminism Seminar: Literature, Theory and Culture of Lesbians in Modern America Crosslisted: WSS 450 Undergraduate WSS 550 Graduate ENG 487Q Undergraduate Susan Shafarzek and Mary Galvin Office Hours: Susan Shafarzek- AD112, available by appointment. Mary Galvin- HU122, Mon. 4-5, Wed. & Fri. 1-2. Course Objectives: Through an exposure to literature (fiction, non-fiction and poetry) and other media as well, we will attempt to widen our understanding of the nature and dimensions of contemporary lesbian culture. Areas of exploration will include: literary styles and subjects; questions of identity valuation; political and philosophical issues regarding lesbian existence, and the relation of lesbianism to the feminist movement. We will be looking at how issues of race, class and age intersect with heterosexist oppression. We will be examining, through a feminist analysis, how the entire social structure can be susceptible to healing and strengthening when considering the richness and strength of its "marginal" peoples Required Texts: (in order of appearance) Jane Rule, Outlander Rita Mae Brown, Rubyfruit Jungle Sarah Lucia Hoagland, Lesbian Ethics Julia Penelope & Susan J. Wolfe, The Original Coming Out Stories Cheryl Clarke, Living As A Lesbian Joan Nestle, A Restricted Country Ann Bannon, Beebo Brinker Ann Allen Shockley, Loving Her Barbara MacDonald and Cynthia Rich, Look Me In the Eye Audre Lorde, The Cancer Journals Sheila Ortiz Taylor, Faultline Adrienne Rich, Dream of a Common Language Sara Schulman, Girls, Visions and Everything I am aware that it may be difficult for some students to afford all these books. For this reason, I have marked three of them with a #, to indicate texts which could be easily shared, since we will be reading them in sections sporadically throughout the semester. Of course, if you can work it out with someone, any of these texts can be shared. Also, I have ordered copies of the following books to be on two-day reserve: Rubyfruit Jungle Beebo Brinker Loving Her Look Me In the Eye The Cancer Journals Dream of a Common Language Recommended Text: Alison Bechdel, Dykes to Watch Out For Reserve Readings: Adrienne Rich, "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence", in Blood Bread and Poetry Barbara Smith, "Toward a Black Feminist Criticism", in This Bridge Called My Back, The New Feminist Criticism, ed. by Elaine Showalter, and ...Some of Us Are Brave. Radicalesbians, "The Woman Identified Woman" Revolutionary Lesbians, "How to Stop Choking to Death or: Separatism" K. Hess, Jean Langford, and Kathy Ross, "Lesbian Separatist Basics" Bev Jo, "Female Only" Anna Lee, "A Black Separatist" Marty with help from the dykes of S.E.P.S., "Popular Separatist-Baiting Quotes and Some Separatist Responses" Naomi Littlebear Morena,"Coming Out Queer and Brown" (all of the above are in For Lesbians Only: A Separatist Anthology, ed. by Sarah Hoagland and Julia Penelope) The Combahee River collective, "A Black Feminist Statement" (in This Bridge Called My Back, ...Some of Us Are Brave, and Feminist Frameworks) Cheryl Clarke, "Lesbianism: An Act of Resistance" (in This Bridge Called My Back) Elly Bulkin, "Introduction--A Look at Lesbian Poetry" "Lesbian Poetry in the Classroom" (in Lesbian Poetry, ed. by Ely Bulkin and Joan Larkin) Judy Grahn, "Butches, Bulldags, and the Queen of Bulldikery" (from Another Mother Tongue: Gay Words, Gay Worlds) Joanne Loulan, "The Erotic Dance", "Erotic Archetypes and Lesbianism", "The Androgynous Imperative", "Other Rhythms" (from the Lesbian Erotic Dance) Audre Lorde, "Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power" (in Sister Outsider) I've listed the sources for the reserve readings since many of you may already own the texts they're from. If not, there are two copies each on two-day reserve at the library, and one copy in the Women's Studies Resource Room (HU122). Also, I have a personal copy of everything, which you are welcome to borrow. I will also be placing a batch of poets and their poems on reserve very soon. Most of them are from Bulkin and Larkin's anthology Lesbian Poetry, except where indicated. One of these exceptions is Judy Grahn's "A Woman is Talking To Death", which appears in The Work of A Common Woman, as well as other places. Just make sure you get the complete text--not excerpts. So finally, here's a list of the poets and poems we'll be looking at. You may already have copies of some of these, and I hope you do. Elsa Gidlow: "For the Godess Too Well Known" "Cunts Have Faces: Dialogue Among Rumpled Sheets" Pat Parker "from cavities of bones" "A Small Contradiction" "For Willyce" "Movement in Black" "Where Will You Be? Judy Grahn from "The Common Woman Poems" "A History of Lesbianism" "I am the wall at the lip of the water" "the woman whose head is on fire" "She Who continues" "A Funeral Plainsong from a Younger Woman to an Older Woman" ****"A woman is Talking to Death" Irena Klepfisz: from the Work of a Common Woman "death camp" "they're always curious" "they did not build wings for them" from "The Monkey House and Other Cages" "Contexts" Audre Lorde "Equinox" "Love Poem" "Black Mother Woman" "To My Daughter the Junkie on a Train" "125th Street and Abomey" "Between Ourselves" "Power" "Need: A Choral of Black Women's Voices" ****"Coal" "On a Night of the Full Moon" "Now that I Am Forever with Child" "From the House of Yemanja" "Coniagui Women" "The Women of Dan Dance with Swords in Their Hands to Mark the Time When They Were Warriors" (taken from the Norton Anthology of Literature by Women) Paula Gunn Allen "Madonna of the Hills" "Wool Season" "Riding the Thunder" "Creation Story" "Powwow '79, Durango" "Beloved Women" Rita Mae Brown: "Sappho's Reply" Gloria Anzaldua: "Tres Mujeres en el Gabinete/ Three Women in the Closet" Michele Cliff: "Obsolete Geography" Olga Broumas: "the knife & the bread" "Amazon Twins" "Artemis" "Sometimes, as a child" "Sleeping Beauty" "with the clear/plastic speculum" Kitty Tsui: "the words of a woman who breathes fire: one" Cherrie Moraga: "Like I Am to No One" "You Upset thee Whole system of This Place" "For the color of My Mother" "For Amber" ****"Fear, A Love Poem" "What Does It Take?" (from Loving in the War Years) Assignments: 1. Weekly response papers, 1-2 pages of informal (but legible) writing on the week's readings, to be turned in each Wednesday. 2. Midterm: Using the material we have read in class, and drawing on your own response papers and any other sources you wish, compose a 4-6 page (typed, double-spaced) discussion paper on any topic raised in class or raised for you by this class. Due Monday, April 1. Topics due Monday, March 18. 3. Final: choose one of the authors covered in this class and read an additional full-length work by her. Write a 6-8 page paper (typed, double-spaced) discussing this work and connecting it to the material covered in this class. Read one of her major works and discuss its relevance to this curriculum. Due Monday, May 6. Topics due Monday, April 15. Rough draft, notes, or outline due Wednesday, April 24. Reading Schedule: Please note that the schedule lists the days we will discuss the readings in class. Mon. Jan.28 Introduction to the course Wed. Jan.30 Rich, "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence" Smith, "Toward a Black Feminst Criticism" (both on reserve) Rule, "Home Movie"; "Outlander"; "With All Due Respect"; "Homophobia and Romantic Love" Mon. Feb. 4 **Brown, RUBYFRUIT JUNGLE *Hoagland, "Introduction" Wed. Feb. 6 from The Coming Out Stories: Barbara Grier pp. 19-25 Elana/ Elaine Mikels pp. 25-33 Janet Cooper pp. 40-43 Margaret Cruikshank pp. 59-64 Mon. Feb.11 Essays on Resesrve: Radicalesbians, "The Woman Identified Woman" Revolutionary Lesbians, "How to Stop Choking to Death or: Separatism" K. Hess, Jean Langford, and Kathy Ross, "Lesbian Separatist Basics" Bev Jo, "Female Only" Anna Lee, "A Black Separatist" Marty with help from the dykes of S.E.P.S., "Popular Separatist-Baiting Quotes and Some Separatist Responses" Naomi Littlebear Morena, "coming Out Queer and Brown" The Combahee River Collective, "A Black Feminist Statement" Cheryl Clarke, "Lesbianism: An Act of Resistance" Rule, "The Killer Dyke and the Lady", "Stumps", "The Sex War", "Closet Burning", "Reflections" Wed. Feb.13 **Clarke, LIVING AS A LESBIAN Elly Bulkin, "Introduction--A Look at Lesbian Poetry" "Lesbian Poetry in the Classroom" (on reserve) from the Coming Out Stories: Delia Cunningham pp.88-92 Deidre McCalla pp.112-123 Maureen Brady pp.147-153 Martha Ficklen pp.169-171 BREAK Wed. Feb.20 Film: Before Stonewall Mon. Feb.25 **Nestle, A RESTRICTED COUNTRY *Hoagland, Chapter 1 Wed. Feb.27 Rule, "Pictures", "Sightseers in Death Valley", "Fucking Pariahs on the Schoolroom Shelf" more from the Coming Out Stories: Minnie Bruce Pratt pp.183-188 Judith McDaniel pp.188-195 Debbie Alicen pp.204-211 Donna Allegra pp.211-216 Mon. Mar. 4 **Bannon, BEEBO BRINKER Wed. Mar. 6 Some poets: Elsa Gidlow, Pat Parker, Judy Grahn, Irena Klepfisz Judy Grahn, "Butches, Bulldags, and the Queen of Bulldikery" (on reserve) more from the Coming Out Stories: Cherrie Moraga pp. 242-250 Vivienne Louise pp. 250-268 Rule, "Miss Wistan's Promise", "In the Attic of the House" Mon. Mar.11 *Hoagland, Chapter 2 Rule, "Letters" Wed. Mar.13 MIDTERM POINT Guest Speaker: Michelle Crone Bechdel, Dykes to Watch Out For Mon. Mar.18 **Shockley, LOVING HER MIDTERM Paper Topics Due Wed. Mar.20 Film: Lesbian Tongues Loulan, "The Erotic Dance", "Erotic Archetypes and Lesbianism", "The Androgynous Imperatiave", "Other Rhythms" (on reserve) BREAK Mon. Apr. 1 **MacDonald and Rich, LOOK ME IN THE EYE *Hoagland, Chapters 3 and 4 MIDTERM Papers Due Wed. Apr. 3 Grahn, "A Woman Is Talking To Death" (on reserve) Rule, "lilian", "First Love/Last Love", "Night Call", "Grandmothers" Mon. Apr. 8 **Lorde, THE CANCER JOURNALS "Uses of the Erotic: The ERotic as Power", Poetry (both on reserve) Wed. Apr.10 Rule, "Sexuality in Literature" and yet more from The Cming Out Stories: Cuca Hepburn pp.268-274 Linda Peterson pp.280-286 Judith Katz pp.291-299 Mon. Apr.15 **Taylor, FAULTLINE *Hoagland, Chapter 5 FINAL Paper Topic Due Wed. Apr.17 Rule, "The Puppet Show", "A Perfectly Nice Man" More Poets: Paula Gunn Allen, Olga Broumas, Gloria Anzaldua, Michelle Cliff, Cherrie Moraga, Kitty Tsui Mon. Apr.22 **Rich, DREAM OF A COMMON LANGUAGE Wed. Apr.24 *Hoagland, Chapter 6 Rough Draft of Final Paper Due Mon. Apr.29 **Schulman, GIRLS, VISIONS AND EVERYTHING Rule, "The Day I Don't Remember" Wed. May 1 *Hoagland, Conclusion Mon. May 6 Catch-up, Sum-up, etc. FINAL Paper Due