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EN 4230
3.0: CANADIAN SHORT STORY
TERM : Fall 2018
COURSE INSTRUCTOR :
Name:
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Allan Weiss
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Office:
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307 SC
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Phone:
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416-736-2100 x77318
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Email:
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aweiss@yorku.ca
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Office Hours:
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W 3:30-5:30
F 3:30-4:30
And by appointment
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TIME AND LOCATION :
Seminar
F
11:30-2:30 S R125
EXPANDED COURSE DESCRIPTION :
Canadian writers have gained
international acclaim for their work in the short story, a phenomenon
highlighted by Alice Munro’s winning of the Nobel Prize for Literature
for her work in the form. This course explores the Canadian short story
through study of authors and texts representing a variety of backgrounds,
regions, aesthetic philosophies, and genres. We will examine the texts in
their personal, social, historical, and generic contexts, and seek to
understand how various authors have both employed and challenged the conventions
of the short story.
ORGANIZATION OF THE COURSE:
We will meet for one three-hour
seminar each week. There will be a brief lecture during the first part
of the seminar that will set the broader context for understanding that
week's reading(s) and themes. After the lecture, students will conduct seminar
presentations and lead and participate in class discussion of the material,
focusing directly on the text or texts. All students will be expected
to come to class prepared to discuss the week’s reading(s).
COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Brief Statement of Purpose
The course deals with the development of the Canadian short story
from its beginnings in the nineteenth century, although the focus will
be on modern and postmodern fiction of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
At all times, we will seek to place that development in its historical
and cultural contexts. Students will be introduced to some of the major
literary movements, modes, and trends in the Canadian short story, including
but not limited to modernism, postmodernism, magic realism, surrealism, and
fantastic literature. We will also consider the history and nature of the
short story as a genre, exploring its particular generic qualities and
the material conditions of its writing, publishing, and reading.
2. Specific Learning Objectives:
It is hoped that students will gain an understanding of the key
modes and movements in the Canadian short story, and become familiar with
a number of major Canadian short-story authors. In addition, an objective
of the course is to introduce students to authors and kinds of short stories
they might not have read or even heard of before, so as to broaden their
understanding of the various types of fiction that comprise work in the
genre. Students will be expected to make use of secondary material, both
theoretical and critical, on the Canadian short story in particular and,
where appropriate, on the short story in general.
COURSE TEXTS :
Stephen Leacock, Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich
(NCL)
Alice Munro, The Moons of Jupiter (Penguin)
Dionne Brand, Sans Souci and Other Stories (Women’s
Press)
EVALUATION :
Essays should conform to
proper MLA style. They should be typewritten or
printed, double-spaced, on one side of the page only.ANY
USE OF ANOTHER PERSON’S WORK, WHETHER IT IS IN PRINT OR ELECTRONIC FORM,
WITHOUT PROPER CITATION CONSTITUTES PLAGIARISM AND WILL LEAD TO CHARGES
OF A BREACH OF ACADEMIC HONESTY. Please see the
Senate Policy on Academic Honesty at: http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/legislation/senate/acadhone.htm
NOTE:Any
changes to the marking scheme or reading list will be discussed in class
prior to implementation.
Grading,
Assignment Submission, Lateness Penalties, and Missed Tests
Grading: The grading scheme for the course conforms
to the 9-point grading system used in
undergraduate
programs at York
(e.g., A+ = 9, A = 8, B+ - 7, C+ = 5, etc.). Assignments and testswill
bear a letter grade designation and a corresponding number grade (e.g.
A+ = 90 to 100, A = 80 to 90, B+ = 75 to 79, etc.).
(For a
full description of York
grading system see the York University Undergraduate Calendar
- http://calendars.registrar.yorku.ca/pdfs/ug2004cal/calug04_5_acadinfo.pdf)
Students
may take a limited number of courses for degree credit on an ungraded
(pass/fail) basis. For full information on this option see Alternative
Grading Option in the Faculty of Artssection of the Undergraduate Calendar.
Assignment Submission : Proper academic performance depends
on students doing their work not only well, but on time. Accordingly,
assignments for this course must be received on the due date specified
for the assignment. Assignments are to be handed in to the instructor or
in the drop box ( StongCollege 3rd Floor).
Lateness Penalty :Assignments received later than the
due date will be penalized one-half letter grade per week or portion
thereof that it is late. Exceptions to the lateness
penalty
for valid
reasons such as illness, compassionate grounds, etc., may be entertained
by the instructor but will require supporting documentation (e.g., a
doctor’s letter).
Missed Tests :Students with a documented reason for
missing a course test, such as illness,
compassionate
grounds, etc., which is confirmed by supporting documentation (e.g.,
doctor’s letter), may request accommodation from the instructor. Further extensions or accommodation will require students
to submit a formal petition to the Faculty.
IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS
All students
are expected to familiarize themselves with the following information,
available on the Senate Committee on Curriculum & Academic Standards
webpage (see Reports, Initiatives, Documents): http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/senate_cte_main_pages/ccas.htm
- York’s
Academic Honesty Policy and Procedures/Academic Integrity Website
- Ethics
Review Process for research involving human participants
- Course
requirement accommodation for students with disabilities, including
physical, medical, systemic, learning and
psychiatric disabilities
- Student
Conduct Standards
- Religious
Observance Accommodation
Note: The final date to drop the course without
academic penalty is Nov 9, 2018 .
| Sept. 7: |
Introduction: The Short
Story: Social and Canadian Contexts
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Sept. 14:
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The Satirical
Short Story and Short Story Linking
Reading: Stephen Leacock: Arcadian
Adventures with the Idle Rich
For further reading:
Stephen Leacock, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town
Duncan Campbell Scott, In the Village of Viger
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Sept. 21:
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Modernism and the Canadian
Short Story
Reading: Mavis Gallant, “The Ice Wagon
Going Down the Street”
Clark Blaise, “How I Became
a Jew”
Clark Blaise, “Eyes”
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Sept. 28:
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The Story Collection and
the Mini-Cycle
Reading: Alice Munro,
The Moons of Jupiter
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Oct. 5:
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Caribbean-Canadian Voices
Reading: Austin Clarke, "Doing Right"
Olive Senior, "The Pain
Tree"
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Oct. 12:
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Reading Week: No Classes
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Oct. 19:
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The Fantastic Short Story:
Science Fiction, Surrealism, and Magic Realism
Reading: Phyllis Gotlieb, “The Military
Hospital”
Eric McCormack, “Twins”
Eric McCormack, “Inspecting the Vaults”
Short essay due
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Oct. 26:
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The Immigrant Experience
I
Reading: Madeleine Thien, "Simple Recipes"
David Bezmozgis, "Tapka"
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Nov. 2:
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Native-Canadian Voices
Reading: Thomas King, “A
Coyote Columbus Story”
Thomas King, “Borders”
Drew Hayden Taylor, “Take
Us to Your Chief”
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Nov. 9:
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The Postmodernist Short
Story
Reading: Margaret Atwood, “Death by
Landscape”
Leon Rooke, “Want to
Play House?”
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Nov. 16:
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Regional Voices
Reading: Alistair MacLeod, “The Boat”
Michael Crummey, “Roots”
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Nov. 23:
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The Immigrant Experience
II
Reading: Dionne Brand,
Sans Souci and Other Stories
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Nov. 30:
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Contemporary Voices
Reading: Lynn Coady, “Dogs in Clothes”
On-line periodicals;
flash fiction
Research Essay Due
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Important Resources
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