S Queer Autobiographical Writing

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COURSE OUTLINE

3.02.980: S Queer Autobiographical Writing

  • [Module] ang981, ang982, ang983 - The Canon and the Margins
  • [Credits] M.A. English Studies: 12 KP; M.Ed. Gym: 9 KP; M.Ed. WiPäd 6 KP
  • [Instructor] Dr. Christian Lassen
  • [Time] Wednesday, 08.15 am - 09.45 am, weekly session, consisting of the following two parts: plenary session, discussing the asynchronous presentation (8.15 am - 9.15 am); and prepararory session for presentation groups (9.15 am - 9.45 am); nota bene: presentations will not be given in class but they will be made available on Stud.IP the Friday before they are scheduled, i.e. watching the presentations prior to the relevant sessions constitues a mandatory course requirement.
  • [Room] A07 0-025
  • [Description] Queer lives demand queer forms of life writing; forms that account for the diverse byways often taken by an existence eschewing the telos of heteronormativity and its institutionalised path through life. In this seminar, we will look at the many stylistic, narratological, and medial means by which queer texts have questioned, parodied, and revised the time-honoured genre conventions of the autobiography. In terms of style, Quentin Crisp's The Naked Civil Servant shows us how camp notions of shamelessness, theatricality and dandyism serve as coping strategies in a time that is if not downright hostile, then at least inimical to the nurture of gender-fluid self-expressions. Christopher Isherwood's Christopher and His Kind challenges traditional genre expectations that call for a coherent self-narrative by splitting up identity into a number of different selves in what has, at the time, been considered the first 'out' autobiography – not least because its transatlantic scope, like no other, exposes the longstanding history of queerness in exile. Finally, Alison Bechdel's Fun Home brings the genre conventions of the autobiography face to face with a 'new' medium. Contrasting text and image, this graphic memoir opens up new layers of representing time, space, and identity in a text that serves as both a lesbian coming-of-age story and a tribute to the queer sense of belonging between herself and her late father. As such, Fun Home also acknowledges the various queer subtexts that lie, closeted, beneath the heteronormative narratives that inform traditional autobiographies.
  • [Office Hours] Monday, 09.00 am - 10.00 am


PRIMARY TEXTS (Mandatory Reading)

  • Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. London: Jonathan Cape, 2006. Print.
  • Crisp, Quentin. The Naked Civil Servant. 1968. New York and London: HarperCollins, 2007. Print. [or any other edition]
  • Isherwood, Christopher. Christopher and His Kind. 1976. London: Vintage, 2012. Print.


FURTHER TEXTS (Recommended Reading)

Primary Texts

  • Bechdel, Alison. Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama.. Boston and New York: Mariner, 2012. Print.
  • Isherwood, Christopher. Lions and Shadows. 1938. London: Vintage, 2013. Print.
  • Isherwood, Christopher. My Guru and His Disciple. 1980. London: Vintage, 2013. Print.
  • Stein, Gertrude. The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas. 1933. London: Penguin, 2020. Print.
  • Winterson, Jeanette. Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? London: Vintage, 2012. Print.


Secondary Texts

  • DiBattista, Maria and Emily O. Wittman, eds. The Cambridge Companion to Autobiography. Cambridge: CUP, 2014. Print.
  • Kilian, Eveline and Hope Wolf, eds. Life Writing and Space. London and New York, NY: Routledge, 2016. Print.
  • Lejeune, Philippe. On Autobiography. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1989. Print.
  • Rusk, Lauren. The Life Writing of Otherness. London and New York, NY: Routledge, 2002. Print.
  • Smith, Sidonie and Julia Watson. Reading Autobiography: A Guide for Interpreting Life Narratives. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 2010. Print.
  • Smyth, Adam. A History of English Autobiography. Ed. Adam Smyth. Cambridge: CUP, 2016. Print.
  • Walter-Egelhaaf, Martina, ed. Handbook of Autobiography/Autofiction. Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter, 2019. Print.


ASSIGNMENTS

  • [Prüfungsleistung]

M.A. English Studies: asynchrones (Gruppen-)Referat (max. 2 Personen; ca. 25 Folien) mit Schriftlicher Ausarbeitung (15 Seiten) [oder in Ausnahmefällen: Hausarbeit (20 Seiten)] (9 KP) + Project/ Essay (3 KP)

M.Ed. Gym.: asynchrones (Gruppen-)Referat (max. 2 Personen; ca. 25 Folien) mit Schriftlicher Ausarbeitung (15 Seiten) [oder in Ausnahmefällen: Hausarbeit (20 Seiten)] (9 KP)

M.Ed. WiPäd: asynchrones (Gruppen-)Referat (max. 2 Personen; ca. 25 Folien) mit Schriftlicher Ausarbeitung (10 Seiten) [oder in Ausnahmefällen: Hausarbeit (15 Seiten)] (6 KP)

  • [Aktive Teilnahme] Regular Attendance; Course Preparation (i.e. watching the asynchounous presentations); 3 Abstracts (1 page each)

Please note that written assignments (abstracts, short term papers, long term papers) need to be composed according to the style sheet ("Leitfaden") of the University of Oldenburg, which can be accessed via the 'Institutswiki'-page of the English department. The style sheet not only provides relevant information on how to write a correct bibliography but it may also help you to structure your work according to academic standards.

Please make sure to sign the "Erklärung zum 'Plagiat'" and to attach it to your research papers.

  • [Abgabefrist] 15. September 2022.




Session 01, April 20: Introduction

Organisational Matters

  • Assignments

Assignments are graded and mandatory.

M.A. English Studies: In order to obtain 12 credits (KP), you will have to give a (group) presentation (Referat, ca. 25 Folien) on one of the presentation topics specified in the syllabus. In addition to that, you will have to hand in a short term paper (Ausarbeitung, 10 Seiten) by the end of term (15. September). In exceptional cases, you may hand in a long term paper (Hausarbeit, 15 Seiten) instead of the above. However, an exception is only granted upon consultation. As M.A. students, you will have to hand in an extra project/essay (Projektbericht), the topic and design of which we will discuss during an individual consultation.

M.Ed. Gym: In order to obtain 9 credits (KP), you will have to give a (group) presentation (Referat, ca. 25 Folien) on one of the presentation topics specified in the syllabus. In addition to that, you will have to hand in a short term paper (Ausarbeitung, 15 Seiten) by the end of term (15. September). In exceptional cases, you may hand in a long term paper (Hausarbeit, 20 Seiten) instead of the above. However, an exception is only granted upon consultation.

M.Ed. WiPäd: In order to obtain 6 credits (KP), you will have to give a (group) presentation (Referat, ca. 25 Folien) on one of the presentation topics specified in the syllabus. In addition to that, you will have to hand in a short term paper (Ausarbeitung, 10 Seiten) by the end of term (15. September). In exceptional cases, you may hand in a long term paper (Hausarbeit, 15 Seiten) instead of the above. However, an exception is only granted upon consultation.

  • Presentation Topics, Presentation Groups

Presentation Topics are specified on your syllabus. In order to prepare your presentations, please pick a topic, get together in groups (see below) and write up a power-point presentation. Add your audio commentary to the presentation, save the file and send it on to me so that we can discuss your presentation during your preparatory session before you upload it. After that, you make your file available on Stud.IP on the Friday before your presentation is due so that all participants can read/ watch the presentation in time, i.e. before the session.

Requests regarding your choice of presentation topics can be send to me via e-mail, starting on Monday, April 04th. I will sign you in in the order of the requests' arrival. Please check this page regularly to see if your requests have been met.

Preparatory Sessions for presentations take place in the second part of the weekly sessions, i.e. Wednesday 9.15 am - 9.45 am. Please make sure that you send me your presentation at least one day prior to your preparatory session and that you attend said session the week before your presentation is due.

  • Active Participation

Active Participation is ungraded but mandatory. In order to fulfil the requirements, you will have to attend class regularly and watch the asynchronous presentations prior to the relevant sessions. Moreover, you will have to write three abstracts, each including a topic, a state of research, a thesis statement, and a brief outline of your argument (approx. 1 page), in the course of the seminar. You can choose your own topic; however: all abstracts have to address different primary texts. In other words, your abstracts will have to cover each of the three materials. They are due by the end of the week (i.e. Friday) that marks the ending of the respective sections, i.e. due date The Naked Civil Servant: June 03; due date Christopher and His Kind: June 24; due date Fun Home: July 15) 

   Summary: Presentations

1. Pick a presentation topic and contact me via e-mail (starting April 04). Check below for available places. Presentation groups may consist of a maximum of 2 people.

2. Contact the other members of your group and prepare your presentation, i.e. power-point presentation with audio commentary.

3. Send me your presentation 8 days before your presentation is scheduled.

4. Discuss your presentation with me in your preparatory session 7 days, i.e week, before your presentation is scheduled. Preparatory sessions take place during the second part of class, i.e. Wednesday 9.15 am - 9.45 am.

5. Upload your file on the Friday before your presentation is scheduled.

6. Be ready to answer questions on the day of your presentation.

Session 02, April 27: Theory Session - Autobiographical Writing in Literary and Cultural Studies

Theory Texts

Further Reading

Session 03, May 04: Theory Session - Autobiographical Writing Across Disciplines

Theory Texts

Further Reading

Session 04, May 11: Theory Session - Queering Autobiographical Writing

Theory Texts

Preparatory Session

  • Preparatory Session Group:

Session 05, May 18: Queer Life Writing - De-constructing Heteronormative Genre Conventions

Primary Material

  • Crisp, Quentin. The Naked Civil Servant. New York and London: HarperCollins, 2007. Print.

Secondary Material

Presentation

  • "Failure May Be Your Style,": Queer Time, Queer 'Failure', and Embracing the Abject in The Naked Civil Servant
  • Presentation Group:

Preparatory Session

  • Preparatory Session Group: Jana Heinrichs, Anna Gödecke

Session 06, May 25: Shameless Self-Fashionings - Queer Uses of Camp and Theatricality

Primary Material

  • Crisp, Quentin. The Naked Civil Servant. New York and London: HarperCollins, 2007. Print.

Secondary Material

Presentation

  • "I wouldn't like you to think I was ashamed,": Shame(-lessness), Theatricality, and Camp Performativity in The Naked Civil Servant
  • Presentation Group: Jana Heinrichs, Anna Gödecke

Preparatory Session

  • Preparatory Session Group: David Roß

Session 07, June 01: Becoming Dandy - Identity, Power(-lessness), and Self-Narration

Primary Material

  • Crisp, Quentin. The Naked Civil Servant. New York and London: HarperCollins, 2007. Print.

Secondary Material

Presentation

  • "Aloofness Is the Posture of Self-Defence,": Dandyism and Resilience in The Naked Civil Servant
  • Presentation Group: David Roß

Preparatory Session

  • Preparatory Session Group: 
   June 03: Abstract The Naked Civil Servant Due

Session 08, June 08: Writing Autobiographical Identities - Narrating and Focalising Multiple Selves

Primary Material

  • Isherwood, Christopher. Christopher and His Kind. 1976. London: Vintage, 2012. Print.

Secondary Material

Further Reading

Presentation

  • Between "Christopher", "Isherwood", and "I": Narration, Focalisation and Revision in Christopher and His Kind
  • Presentation Group:

Preparatory Session

  • Preparatory Session Group: Malte Stolle

Session 09, June 15: Towards a Queer Genealogy - Isherwood and Forster

Primary Material

  • Isherwood, Christopher. Christopher and His Kind. 1976. London: Vintage, 2012. Print.

Secondary Material

Further Reading

Presentation

  • Elective Affinities: Carpenter, Forster, Isherwood, and the Construction of a Queer Literary Heritage
  • Presentation Group: Malte Stolle

Preparatory Session

  • Preparatory Session Group: Charlotte Paulsen

Session 10, June 22: Life in Transit - Isherwood and Auden

Primary Material

  • Isherwood, Christopher. Christopher and His Kind. 1976. London: Vintage, 2012. Print.

Secondary Material

Further Reading

Presentation

  • Mr. Isherwood Changes Places: Isherwood's and Auden's Journey from Berlin to America
  • Presentation Group: Charlotte Paulsen

Preparatory Session

  • Preparatory Session Group: Henrike Ochterbeck 
   June 24: Abstract Christopher and His Kind Due

Session 11, June 29: Narrating Life Visually: De-constructing Medial Genre Conventions

Primary Material

  • Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. London: Jonathan Cape, 2006. Print.

Secondary Material

Further Reading

Presentation

  • Putting Life into Boxes: Autobiographical Writing, Visual Narratives, and the Comic in Fun Home
  • Presentation Group: Henrike Ochterbeck

Preparatory Session

  • Preparatory Session Group: Anne Boczaga, Tristan Pargmann

Session 12, July 06: (De-)Constructing Authenticity - (Re-)Presenting Personal Texts

Primary Material

  • Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. London: Jonathan Cape, 2006. Print.

Secondary Material

Presentation

  • Queering the Archive: 'Authenticity' and the Visual Reproduction of Photographs, Diary Enries, and Other Personal Texts in Fun Home
  • Presentation Group: Anne Boczaga, Tristan Pargmann

Preparatory Session

  • Preparatory Session Group: Wiebke Barkemeyer

Session 13, July 13: Queer Loss, Queer Healing - Reparative Functions of Life Writing

Primary Material

  • Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. London: Jonathan Cape, 2006. Print.

Secondary Material

Further Reading

Presentation

  • Toward a Queer Sense of Belonging: Memory, Loss, and Healing in Fun Home
  • Presentation Group: Wiebke Barkemeyer 
   July 15: Abstract Fun Home Due

Session 14, July 20: RPO Session

Guidelines for finding your RPO topic:

Your RPO topic needs to be related to at least one of the primary texts 

   September 15: Term Paper Due

Please upload your paper to the folder "Ausarbeitungen und Hausarbeiten" on our Stud.IP page and send a printed copy to the address below.

Bitte stellen Sie Ihre Prüfungsleistung in den Ordner "Ausarbeitungen und Hausarbeiten" auf unserer Stud.IP-Seite ein und senden Sie eine gedruckte Fassung an die untenstehende Adresse.

Dr. Christian Lassen

Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik

Fakultät III: Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaften

Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg

Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118

26129 Oldenburg

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