AMST 1141 - FWS: Queer Identity and U.S. Popular Music

Spring. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

First-Year Writing Seminar.

L. Tyson.

Why did disco music emerge in gay, black communities? How did lesbians use punk music for political expression? From Dolly Parton to Prince, from Bikini Kill to Big Freedia, we will explore how individuals use musical performance and fandom to navigate and express non-normative gender and sexual identities and desires. A wide range of U.S. popular music from the 20th and 21st centuries will help us to understand facets of LGBTQ experience and the various, and even contradictory, meanings of “queer.” We will explore ways to think and write about musical sound by reading a variety of texts (music criticism, historical texts, blogs, zines, and scholarly articles), in developing personal narratives and essay projects, and through a hands-on podcast project.