The Contemporary World of Women’s Novels

This course will look closely at a small selection of plays adapted from other works. At its core this is a dramaturgical practice and methods course. Students will investigate impulses and processes for re-envisioning, re-working, re-purposing another’s text. We will read and discuss some theories of adaptation (mostly, but not exclusively, as they pertain to collaborative art making practices) as well as a sampling of contemporary criticism. A central goal of the course will be to better understand how the term adaptation is understood across disciplines and to fuel a complex discussion about what might make a theatrical adaptation feel relevant or effective in a given context. We will also look closely at moments in history that have instigated a serious 'looking back', spurring a collective creative impulse to re-visit and re-invent previously established works. One could argue that we are currently living in such a cultural moment. Please note: this course requires a significant reading load. Students will be required to close read/view all adapted texts, all original source materials and a variety of supporting texts (as described above). We will also draw from film, visual art and music for this study. Evaluation will be based on a sequence of short practical assignments and demonstrated engagement with the course materials through live discussion and a shared class blog.

This course will look closely at a small selection of plays adapted from other works. At its core this is a dramaturgical practice and methods course. Students will investigate impulses and processes for re-envisioning, re-working, re-purposing another’s text. We will read and discuss some theories of adaptation (mostly, but not exclusively, as they pertain to collaborative art making practices) as well as a sampling of contemporary criticism. A central goal of the course will be to better understand how the term adaptation is understood across disciplines and to fuel a complex discussion about what might make a theatrical adaptation feel relevant or effective in a given context. We will also look closely at moments in history that have instigated a serious 'looking back', spurring a collective creative impulse to re-visit and re-invent previously established works. One could argue that we are currently living in such a cultural moment. Please note: this course requires a significant reading load. Students will be required to close read/view all adapted texts, all original source materials and a variety of supporting texts (as described above). We will also draw from film, visual art and music for this study. Evaluation will be based on a sequence of short practical assignments and demonstrated engagement with the course materials through live discussion and a shared class blog.

The Monster is real, and it’s calling. -Michelle Mcnamara

Grew up reading Nancy Drew and Miss Marple? Can’t let a day go by without listening to a murder mystery podcast like Serial or My Favorite Murder? Love binge-watching shows like Killing Eve and Big Little Lies? Consider watching true crime documentaries your hobby? Then this is the class for you.

This college seminar will allow you to delve into the world of murder, mysteries, and the mayhem caused by these through a woman’s eyes. Be it a woman sleuth, a femme fatale, or a damsel in distress, women have been inextricably related to the world of crime. It is no wonder that they make up almost 75% of the listeners of true-crime podcasts and 80% of CrimeCon attendees (Times.com). We will study this phenomenon by paying close attention to not only literary genres like novels, short stories, and non-fiction writing but also non-literary (and multimodal) genres that include pop-culture favorites like TV shows, documentaries, and podcasts, some of which are mentioned above. Other works that we might consider are Sharp Objects (fiction), Dial A for Aunties (fiction), I’ll be Gone in the Dark (non-fiction), Mommy Dead and Dearest (documentary), and The Keepers (documentary).

Since this class also meets the writing requirement, part of your focus will be understanding writing as a dynamic literate activity by composing varied works. For example, you’ll write short reflection posts responding to questions like “Why women kill”?, opinion or review pieces that could appear in The New York Times, conduct interviews, and work on a term-long genre evolution project. All these are different genres and might target a specific audience: me, online readers, fans, or your peers. You will be evaluated on class participation, written work, and a final project.

Students will be evaluated on class participation, written work, and a final project. Lots of attention will be paid to peer review and revision as well.

The Monster is real, and it’s calling. -Michelle Mcnamara

Grew up reading Nancy Drew and Miss Marple? Can’t let a day go by without listening to a murder mystery podcast like Serial or My Favorite Murder? Love binge-watching shows like Killing Eve and Big Little Lies? Consider watching true crime documentaries your hobby? Then this is the class for you.

This college seminar will allow you to delve into the world of murder, mysteries, and the mayhem caused by these through a woman’s eyes. Be it a woman sleuth, a femme fatale, or a damsel in distress, women have been inextricably related to the world of crime. It is no wonder that they make up almost 75% of the listeners of true-crime podcasts and 80% of CrimeCon attendees (Times.com). We will study this phenomenon by paying close attention to not only literary genres like novels, short stories, and non-fiction writing but also non-literary (and multimodal) genres that include pop-culture favorites like TV shows, documentaries, and podcasts, some of which are mentioned above. Other works that we might consider are Sharp Objects (fiction), Dial A for Aunties (fiction), I’ll be Gone in the Dark (non-fiction), Mommy Dead and Dearest (documentary), and The Keepers (documentary).

Since this class also meets the writing requirement, part of your focus will be understanding writing as a dynamic literate activity by composing varied works. For example, you’ll write short reflection posts responding to questions like “Why women kill”?, opinion or review pieces that could appear in The New York Times, conduct interviews, and work on a term-long genre evolution project. All these are different genres and might target a specific audience: me, online readers, fans, or your peers. You will be evaluated on class participation, written work, and a final project.

Students will be evaluated on class participation, written work, and a final project. Lots of attention will be paid to peer review and revision as well.

As a Pakistani-American teenager from New Jersey, Kamala Khan must contend with being a non-white female offspring of an immigrant family, a reality further complicated by her newfound superhero abilities. In this college seminar course, we will dive into the world of Kamala Khan as she follows in the footsteps of her role model and the first Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers, one of the few female superheroes in the universe. She’ll change your idea of a superhero and what it means to be one as she balances her personal and superhero identity and navigates questions of race, religion, culture, power, and teenage angst.

We will explore all the abovementioned ideas and more as we read three to four volumes of Ms. Marvel comics (2014 onwards), paying attention to storytelling through the genre of sequential art. We will also watch the recent TV adaptation (2022) and finally pair the two with theories of race, Islamophobia, gender, and current world politics. Since this class also meets the writing requirement, part of your focus will be on understanding the writing process by composing varied works. For example, you’ll write short blog posts responding to questions like, “Are comics literature?”, opinion pieces that could appear in The New York Times, and fan fiction. All these are different genres and targeted at a specific audience, me, online readers, fans, and your peers. You will be evaluated on class participation, written work, oral presentation, and a final project.

As a Pakistani-American teenager from New Jersey, Kamala Khan must contend with being a non-white female offspring of an immigrant family, a reality further complicated by her newfound superhero abilities. In this college seminar course, we will dive into the world of Kamala Khan as she follows in the footsteps of her role model and the first Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers, one of the few female superheroes in the universe. She’ll change your idea of a superhero and what it means to be one as she balances her personal and superhero identity and navigates questions of race, religion, culture, power, and teenage angst.

We will explore all the abovementioned ideas and more as we read three to four volumes of Ms. Marvel comics (2014 onwards), paying attention to storytelling through the genre of sequential art. We will also watch the recent TV adaptation (2022) and finally pair the two with theories of race, Islamophobia, gender, and current world politics. Since this class also meets the writing requirement, part of your focus will be on understanding the writing process by composing varied works. For example, you’ll write short blog posts responding to questions like, “Are comics literature?”, opinion pieces that could appear in The New York Times, and fan fiction. All these are different genres and targeted at a specific audience, me, online readers, fans, and your peers. You will be evaluated on class participation, written work, oral presentation, and a final project.