English 495: Summer 2010

Dr. Jacqueline Thursby, "Women's Culture, Women's Folklore"

A directed study of folklore, folkways, and culture based on women's expressed social behaviors both in the United States and abroad. Class time will be spent in lecture and discussion augmented by film clips, fiction and non-fiction book talks, and possibly a few guest speakers on contemporary foods, fashion, and other cultural /social aspects. Required reading will include four books with settings over time and place: A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove, Laura Schenone; Mormon Healer & Folk Poet, Margaret K. Brady; I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou; Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi. Reading responses and a researched term paper will be required.