WRIT/WGS 2000- Contemporary Queer Narratives

Professor: Seth E. Davis, Ph.D.

Location and Time: TTH 2:30-3:45PM
Office Hours: M 1-4 pm

(Faculty Building Room 212)

Email: Seth.Davis@Curry.edu

Course Description
In Contemporary Queer Narratives, students will read works that engage with life at the
intersections of queerness and various cultural identities, privileges, and oppressions. Students
will be challenged to reflect on their experiences, question their own knowledges, ways of
knowing, and truth in conversation with larger global and cultural narratives. Throughout the
semester, we engage queer in two ways. We will be thinking through themes such as coming of
age, coming out, identity formation, and family ties as parts of the larger queer experience. We
will also be queering traditional understanding of narrative by critically engaging with narratives
outside of book form, such as documentary, Tumblr posts, twitter rants, graphic memoir, and
YouTube “Coming Out Stories,” and using a variety of multimedia methods to compose our own
narratives. It is not necessary for students to identify as queer. However, the course is designed
for students to think through how gender and sexuality are constructed in the larger culture and
in their individual stories.

The Contemporary Queer Narratives Course learning objectives are as follows:

• Students will explore queer identity formation, culture, and literacies around sexuality
• Students will critically engage with narrative as a feminist method of analysis and genre.
• Students will engage with queerness and personal experience as a site of knowledge and
liberation.
• Students will critically engage with the relationship between narrative, mass media, and
capitalism
• Generate new memoirs and ongoing writing that engages with socioeconomic
dimensions, such as race, gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity, etc, as well as the
intersections between them.

RWE Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of an RWE course, students will be able to:
• Develop and complete an inquiry-based project within the disciplines through multiple
drafts and revisions
• Critically read a variety of texts in order to analyze rhetorical situations within the
discipline, including audience expectations and genre conventions
• Use writing as a form of thinking and problem-solving within the disciplines
• Demonstrate the appropriate use of resources in the field (including incorporation of
ideas and documentation)
• Identify and demonstrate written conventions within the discipline (structure, mechanics,
punctuation)
 • Respond to feedback through revision

Diversity Learning Outcomes Addressed in this Course:

Students will:
• Conceptualize and articulate the complexities of difference
• Describe historical, social, political, and economic processes producing diversity,
equality, and structured inequalities.
• Critically examine the intersections of race, ethnicity, religion, ability, class, gender
species and/or sexuality—from the local to the global—within the contexts of power
relationships that lead to systemic inequities.
• Apply knowledge of difference to analyze struggles of people, and address social issues
and political concerns that impact everyday lives.

Course Modes of Learning:

Informed by feminist and critical pedagogies, students will engage carry out the course
objectives through classroom discussion, weekly written reading responses, course texts,
including journal articles, books and pop culture texts. The students will also experiment with
genre and produce academic and researched writing and creative projects.

Course Specific Policies:

• Students are expected to attend every class section and arrive on time
• All works must be typed, stapled and double-spaced
• No late work will be accepted unless an arrangement was made before the due date.
• Phones and Laptops are allowed in class. However, they should not pose as a distraction
from the day’s lesson.
• Students are encouraged to bring additional texts and readings to classroom discussion
and assignments
•
Projects
• Group Book Presentation 20%: As a group you will present on the content and themes of
one of the shared memoirs.
• Annotative bibliography 20%: For your final memoir presentation, find five sources that
will help you historicize your story within this cultural moment. (6 pages).
• *Narrative Portfolio 20%: You will write and present a final personal narrative of home,
turn in the script, and a revised annotative bibliography. (10-12 pages)
• Doc Analysis 20%: Each of you will pick one of the shared documentaries to analyze for
two themes (2-3 pages)
• Reading Responses 20%: Each of you will write three reading responses where you
connect one of the readings with a contemporary pop culture conversation or happening.
(1 page)

Books Documentaries
Saeed Jones How We Fight for Our Lives Marlon Riggs Tongues Untied
 Janet Mock Redefining Realness Matt Tyrnauer Scotty and the Secret History
of Hollywood
Scottie Bowers Full Service Jennie Livingston Paris Is Burning

Robyn Crawford A Song for You Kevin MacDonald Whitney

Alison Bechdel Fun Home Johanna Demetrakas Feminism: What We

Were Thinking
Dorothy Alison Skin Michelle Parkerson & Ada Gay Griffin A
Litany For Survival

Gloria Anzuldua Borderlands Lan Frontera Cheryl Dunye The Watermelon Woman

Course Calendar

Week One (August 27th and 29th)

Tuesday, August 27th: Introduction to the course. How to critically read texts.
• Homework:
o Print Out the Syllabus
o Read excerpt from Miller and Paulo’s Tell It Slant
o “What is queer assignment?”

Thursday, August 29th: We will review Tell It Slant and the group presentation assignment.
• Homework:
o Read part one Saeed Jones How We Fight for Our Lives
Week Two (September 3rd and 5th)

Tuesday, September 3rd: Discuss part one of Saeed Jones How We Fight for Our Lives
.
Group Book Presentation
• Homework:
o Read part two of Saeed Jones How We Fight for Our Lives

Thursday, September 5th: We will discuss the part two of Saeed Jones How We Fight for Our
Lives.
READING RESPONSE DUE IN CLASS
• Homework:
o Read Dwight McBride “Can a Queen Speak?”

Week Three (September 10th and 12th):

Tuesday, September 10th: We will discuss the articles and the ongoing relationship between race
and sexuality.
• Homework
o Read part one of Robyn Crawford A Song For You
o Finish documentary analysis
Thursday, September 12th: We will discuss Robyn Crawford A Song For You.
DOCUMENTARY ANALYSIS DUE IN CLASS
• Homework
o Read part two Robyn Crawford A Song For You

Week Four (September 17th and 19th):

Tuesday, September 17th We will discuss part two Robyn Crawford A Song For You.
Group Book Presentation
• Homework
o Read June Jordan “New Politics of Sexuality”
Thursday, September 19th We will discuss Jordan’s essay in conversation with Crawford’s story.
• Homework
o Read Scottie Bowers Full Service Part one
o Finish reading response

Week Five (September 24th and 26th)

Tuesday, September 24th We will begin our discussion of Full Service. Group Book Presentation
READING RESPONSE DUE IN CLASS
• Homework:
o Read Scotty Bowers Full Service part two
Thursday, September 26th We will continue our discussion of the politics of queer identity in
Hollywood.
• Homework:
o Read John D’Emilio – “Capitalism and Queer Identity”
o

Week Six (October 1st and 3rd)

Tuesday, October 1st: Discuss John D’Emilio’s ideas.
• Homework:
o Read Bechnel’s Fun Home part one

Thursday, October 3rd: We will be discussing graphic memoirs and the role of illustration in the
telling of queer stories.
Group Book Presentation
• Homework:
o Read Fun Home part two

Week Seven (October 8th and October 10th)

Tuesday, October 8th: We will discuss African American rhetoric in digital spaces.
• Homework
o Read Anya M. Wallace’s “Sour Green Apple: A Queer Memoir of Black
Family”
Thursday, October 10th: We will discuss queerness and family
• Homework:
o Read Dorothy Allison Skin part one

Week Eight (October 15th and 17th):

Tuesday, October 15th: We will discuss Allison’s ideas in relation to place.
Group Book Presentation.
• Homework
o Read Dorothy Allison Skin part two
Thursday, October 17th We will continue our discussion of Allison in conversation with our
experiences
• Homework
o Read Lorde “The Uses of the Erotic”
Week Nine (October 22nd and 24th):
Tuesday, October 22nd We will think critically about Lorde’s ideas about the erotic in connection
with queerness.
• Homework
o Finish Annotative bibliography
o Read Anzaldúa Borderlands part one
Thursday, October 24th.: We will be discussing Anzaldúa and queering our understanding of
home, language, space, and nation.
Group Book Presentation
ANNOTATIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY/PROPOSAL DUE
• Homework
o Read Anzaldúa Borderlands part two
Week Ten (October 29th and 31st)
Tuesday, October 29th: We will continue our discussion of Anzaldúa.
• Homework:
o Read Royster “When the First Voice Your Hear Is Not Your Own”
Thursday, October 31st: We will be thinking through the politics of language in conversation
with queerness
READING RESPONSE DUE IN CLASS
• Homework:
o Read Mock Redefining Realness part one
o
Week Eleven (November 5th and 7th):
Tuesday, November 5th. We will be discussion gender identity in conversation with queerness
Group Book Presentation
• Homework
o “read redefining realness part two
Thursday, November 7th We will continue our discussion of gender identity, privilege, and
queerness.
• Homework
o Read Willis “A Vision of Liberation”
o Read Ocean “Untitled”

Week Twelve (November 12th and 14th):

Tuesday, November 12th We will continue our discussion of Black arts, camp, and aesthetics.
• Homework
o Read Lorde Zami part one
Thursday, November 14th: We will discuss the readings and how Black pain is engaged in
popular culture.
Group Book Presentation
• Homework
o Read Lorde Zami part two
Week Thirteen (November 19th and 21st)
Tuesday, November 19th: MONDAY SCHEDULE

• Homework
o Finish final outline
o Read Lorde “Transformation from Silence to Language and Action”
o
Thursday, November 21st We will discuss the readings and talk about rhetoric and action.
• Homework
o Read Rustin “The Time is Now”
Final Outline Due

Thanksgiving Break (November 25th and November 28th)

Week Fourteen (December 3rd and 5th): Conferences
Week Fifteen (December 10th and 12th): Presentations

Workshop Attendance Policy

The Writing Program Attendance Policy dictates that students who miss two weeks of class (six
classes for MWF schedule, four classes for TU/TH schedule) should expect to fail the course for
the semester.

Class Cancellation Policy:

Example: If class is cancelled there will be a make-up assignment posted on Blackboard.
The expectation is that all students are responsible for the material that was to be covered
during the cancelled class time.

Academic Early Alerts

Students who miss repeated classes or exhibit a pattern of tardiness, late or missing assignments,
or disruptive classroom behavior can expect to receive an Academic Early Alert sent to Curry’s
academic success team.

Writing Center
The Writing Center and the Academic Enrichment Center (AEC), both located on the 2nd floor
of Levin Library, offer free tutoring to Curry College students. For help with writing, sign up
online from any computer at http://curry.mywconline.com.

Attendance Policy Regarding Officially Sanctioned College Events

This policy is only applicable where students are representing the college in an official
capacity and does not include activities incidental, such as team practices, rehearsals,
planning meetings, or class trips, etc. When a student anticipates missing classes for an
officially sanctioned event, it is the student’s responsibility to: 1. work with his or her
academic advisor during course selection to develop a schedule that minimize absences
2. provide each instructor, during the first week of class, a written list, of anticipated
schedule conflicts. When a schedule conflict is not known during the first week of class,
it is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor, in writing, as soon as the
conflict is known. 3. discuss with the instructor an appropriate and satisfactory solution
that meets course requirements. 4. The student and instructor should come to an
agreement prior to the semester add/drop deadline. It is recommended this agreement
be put in writing, so all parties have a shared understanding of what was agreed upon.

Classroom Recording Policy:

Because recording devices have proliferated as part of everyday technology, the College
wishes to protect the privacy of faculty and students while maintaining the class in
some room as a place where ideas can be freely exchanged and explored. The Curry
College recording policies presume compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, as well as federal
and/or state copyright laws, including Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 272, § 99. Classroom
recordings for academic accommodations related to documented disabilities are
approved separately by the Office of Disability Services and the Program for
Advancement of Learning. Students who wish to use audio or video technology to
record classroom activities must request permission, in writing, from the professor by
completing the Classroom Recording Agreement. The professor has the discretion to allow
or disallow such recording. Both the Classroom Recording Agreement form and a
summary of the laws cited above may be obtained at the Academic Affairs office or on
the portal.

Disability Accommodations:
Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations are encouraged to
contact the Office of Disability Services (617)333-2182 to ensure that such
accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Students enrolled in The
Program for Advancement of Learning (PAL) should work with their PAL professor
(and in some cases the Coordinator of PAL) to determine appropriate accommodations
and outreach to classroom professors. (see College Catalog)

Academic Enrichment and the Writing Center

The Academic Enrichment Center (AEC) and the Writing Center are both
located on the first floor of the newly renovated Learning Commons (old
Science Building) and offer free academic support to Curry students. For
professional help with writing or math, students should sign up using the
Writing/Math Center quick launch icon on the portal (my.curry.edu). In addition to
professional math and writing tutors, peer/student tutors are also available for many
courses. If students contact the Academic Enrichment Center ataec@curry.edu, they will
be referred to an appropriate peer/student tutor. They can also contact the Academic
Enrichment Center by calling (617) 333-2248.
Levin Library (if applicable)
Get Help @Your Library! Levin librarians can help you with your research and
assignments:
• Levin Library website:
https://www.curry.edu/academics/academic-student-resources/levin-library
• Ask a librarian http://curry.libguides.com/libraryhelp
• Call: 617-333-2167

Academic Integrity Statement

In the academic community, the high value placed on truth implies a corresponding
intolerance of scholastic dishonesty. Written or other work students submit must be the
product of their own intellectual and/or creative efforts and must be consistent with
appropriate professional standards and ethics. Academic dishonesty, which includes
cheating, plagiarism and other forms of dishonest or unethical academic behavior, is
strictly prohibited. Students should refer to the Course Catalog for a description and
explanation of the adjudication process in the event an allegation of wrongdoing occurs.

Academic dishonesty includes (optional):

1. Cheating - is using or attempting to use any materials, information, notes, study
aids or other forms of assistance —human, digital or otherwise—during in-class
or take-home quizzes, examinations or assignments of any kind without the prior
consent of the course’s instructor.
2. Plagiarism - is intentionally or carelessly presenting the work, ideas,
representations and/or words of another person as one’s own, without proper
attribution and citations in accordance with academic and discipline-specific
standards. This would also include purchasing or using another person’s work.
3. Fabrication - is the use of invented, counterfeited, altered or forged information
in assignments of any type, without the prior consent of the instructor.
4. Multiple Submission - is the submission of the same or substantially the same
work for credit in two or more courses, without the prior written approval by the
instructor of the current course. Multiple submissions shall include the use of
any prior academic effort previously submitted for academic credit at this or a
different institution.
5. Complicity - is assisting or attempting to assist another person in any act of
academic dishonesty.
6. Misconduct in Research and Creative Endeavors - is any deviation from the
accepted professional and ethical practices within a discipline, or from the
policies of the College, in carrying out, reporting, publishing or exhibiting the
results of research. It includes the fabrication or falsification of data, plagiarism,
and scientific or creative misrepresentation.
7. Misuse of Intellectual Property - is the illegal use of copy-right materials,
trademarks, trade secrets or intellectual properties. Students are afforded a great
deal of discretion under the legal principle of fair use, to employ copyrighted
materials for academic purposes, but should consult with their instructor prior to
using such materials for coursework of any kind.