ASRC 4403 - Black Women Writers of the South

(LA-AS)

Spring. 4 credits.

Co-meets with ASRC ASRC 6403.

R. Richardson.

This course considers the new generation of writers of black women that has emerged in the U.S. South in more recent years, whose writings have increasingly impacted the development of contemporary African American literature. Genres that we will explore include the novel, poetry and essay and memoir. We will consider a range of authors, including Tayari Jones, Shay Youngblood, Honorée Jeffers, and Natasha Tretheway. Concomitantly, we will explore the visual art of Kara Walker. We will consider ways in which these writers build upon established themes and conventions in African American and black women’s writing and the implications of their work for black feminist theory. Furthermore, we will examine the impact of their work within the emergent field of twenty-first century African American literature and criticism.