• Ransom, John Crowe.  http://personal.centenary.edu/~dhavird/Ransom.html.
• Hurston, Zora Neale.  Their Eyes Were Watching God.  HarperPerennial.  ISBN: 0060931418.
• Welty, Eudora.  The Ponder Heart.  Harcourt (Harvest).  ISBN: 0156729156.
• Faulkner, William.  The Sound and the Fury.  Norton.  ISBN: 0393964817.
• Spencer, Elizabeth.  The Southern Woman.  Modern Library.  ISBN: 0679642188.
• Taylor, Peter.  The Old Forest and Other Stories.  Picador.  ISBN: 0312146957.
• Gaines, Ernest J.  A Gathering of Old Men.  Vintage.  ISBN: 0679738908.
• Dickey, James.  Buckdancer's Choice.  Wesleyan UP.  ISBN: 0819510289. 

Since the 1920s, when the so-called Southern Renascence began, the region has produced a distinctive body of literature that warrants special study.  The immediate goal of this course is to acquaint you with distinguished examples of poetry and prose fiction by two generations of Southern writers.  Like other literature courses, this one aims to provide a formal context for the further development of both your creative imagination and your analytical intelligence and your ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity and style.

• Two brief (500-word) essays, topics to be announced, due Friday, February 1, and Monday, March 18 (25%)
• An imitation/emulation of Faulkner (2-3 pages, 750 words), due Friday, February 22 (20%)
• An analytical/interpretive essay of at least 1000 words due Monday, April 8 (25%)
• Comprehensive final exam, Tuesday, April 30, 1-4 PM (20%)
• Attendance (10%)--To be present, you must be on time and have the text for the day's assignment.  Occasional, unannounced reading quizzes may affect your percentage.  You may miss the class four times and still receive a perfect score.  Each additional absence for whatever reason--including illness and injury--will cost you two points.  Miss nine classes--three full weeks of class--and receive no points.

Week 1 (January 7-11)

Ransom, Poems online

Week 2 (January 14-18)

Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God

Week 3 (January 21-25)

Welty, The Ponder Heart

Week 4 (January 28-February 1)

Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury Essay 1 due F

Week 5 (February 4-8)

Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury

Week 6 (February 11-15)

Mardi Gras Break

Week 7 (February 18-22)

Spencer, "First Dark" (21) and "A Southern Landscape" (39) M "Indian Summer" (129) W "The Finder" (95) F Faulkner Imitation/Emulation due F

Week 8 (February 25-March 1)

Spencer, "The Fishing Lake" (77) and "The Bufords" (113) M "Ship Island" (51) W "The Girl Who Loved Horses" (149) F

Week 9 (March 4-8)

Spencer, "I, Maureen" (315) M The Light in the Piazza (258) WF

Week 10 (March 11-15)

Spencer, "The Cousins" (223) M Taylor, "The Old Forest" (31) WF

Week 11 (March 18-22)

Essay 2 due M Taylor, "The Promise of Rain" (90) M "The Scoutmaster" (266) W "The Little Cousins" (181) and "Two Ladies in Retirement" (296) F

Week 12 (March 25-29)

Taylor, "Bad Dreams" (116) M "A Friend and Protector" (142) W Spring Break F

Week 13 (April 1-5)

Spring Break M Gaines, A Gathering of Old Men

Week 14 (April 8-12)

Gaines, A Gathering of Old Men M Dickey, "Buckdancer's Choice" (21), "The Celebration" (34), "The Escape" (36) W "Reincarnation" (29) and "The Shark's Parlor" (39) F Analytical/interpretive essay due F (Note change of due date from M to F.)

Week 15 (April 15-19)

Dickey, "Pursuit from Under" (43), "Sled Burial, Dream Ceremony" (52) and "Gamecock" (54) M "Mangham" (60) and "Dust" (66) W "The Night Pool" (56) and "The Fiend" (68) F

Week 16 (April 22-26)--Preparation Week

Dickey, "Slave Quarters" (73) M Dickey, Deliverance (film) WF