Contemporary British and American Literature - OPNA1A104A

• Title: Současná britská a americká literatura
• Guaranteed by: Katedra anglického jazyka a literatury (41-KAJL)
• Faculty: Faculty of Education
• Actual: from 2018
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 3
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:1/1, MC [HT]
• Capacity: unknown / unknown (unknown)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: doc. PhDr. Petr Chalupský, Ph.D.; PhDr. Tereza Topolovská, Ph.D.; Mgr. Jakub Ženíšek, Ph.D.

Annotation

English

Last update: PhDr. Tereza Topolovská, Ph.D. (14.09.2020)

The aim of this course is to introduce contemporary British and American literary production, mainly its major developmental tendencies, themes, representative authors and works since the second half of the 1990s until today. The course will focus on fiction, poetry and drama. The lectures provide a historical, social, political, cultural and literary-theoretical context of the works. The seminars are based on critical discussions dealing with the key formal and thematic aspects of the works. The discussions presuppose the contextualisation of the works within the framework of the previous development within the genres as well as integration of the main elements of postmodern and poststructuralist theories into the texts’ interpretation.

Czech

Last update: PhDr. Tereza Topolovská, Ph.D. (14.09.2020)

Cílem předmětu je seznámit studenty se současnou britskou a americkou literární produkcí, zejména s jejími vývojovými tendencemi, tématy, autory a díly od druhé poloviny 90.let po dnešek. Kurz se zaměřuje na prózu, poezii a drama. Přednášky studentům nastíní historický, společenský, politický a literárně teoretický kontext dané doby. Semináře budou založeny na diskusi nad vybranými literárními díly.

Aim of the course

Last update: PhDr. Tereza Topolovská, Ph.D. (14.09.2020)

·         to introduce students to the major issues of contemporary British and American literatures

·         to enable students to identify dominant (and distinct) themes in individual literatures

·         to enable students to relate the selected texts to their historical, cultural and theoretical backgrounds

Descriptors

Last update: PhDr. Tereza Topolovská, Ph.D. (12.10.2020)

Distanční výuka předmětu bude probíhat v online prostředí MS Teams:https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3a704fa1b1fb624c249bfab9064aa08ccc%40thread.tacv2/conversations?groupId=5499bfee-463a-4e9c-9638-baae8a7297d1&tenantId=5335a395-3770-41bf-b111-59efae08bf8d v čase, kdy je rozvržena prezenční výuka předmětu  – studenti budou informováni o podrobnostech emailem a první hodina bude věnována seznámení s tímto prostředím. Nároky na docházku budou platit stejné jako při prezenční výuce. Dále mají studenti k dispozici „moodlovou“ verzi předmětu na adrese: https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=6473.

Literature

English

Last update: PhDr. Tereza Topolovská, Ph.D. (14.09.2020)

Primary sources:

1. Contemporary British Literature within Historical, Political, Cultural and Theoretical Contexts.

Ali Smith The Universal Story (2014) from The Whole Story and Other Stories (2014)

2. Contemporary British Fiction:  Literature and Society

Alan Hollinghurst: The Stranger’s Child (2011): Part One: Two Acres+ Part Two: Revel

3. Contemporary British Fiction: Contemporary Historical Fiction

Andrea Levy:“Back to My Own Country” (2014) from Six Stories and an Essay (2014) + The Long Song (2010): Chapter 1 - 18

4. Contemporary British Fiction: Contemporary Historical Fiction

Andrea Levy: The Long Song (2010): Chapter 19 – Afterword

5. Contemporary British Drama

Lucy Kirkwood: The Children (2016), Extracts: Natasha Gordon: Nine Night (2018), Caryl Churchill: Escaped Alone (2016), Ella Hickson: Oil (2016)

6. Contemporary British Poetry

 

 

Secondary literature

Bentley, N. Contemporary British Fiction. Edinburgh University Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0748624201.

Corcoran, N. (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Twentieth Century English Poetry. Cambridge University Press, 2007. ISBN 978-0521691321.

English, J. F. (ed.) A Concise Companion to Contemporary British Fiction. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. ISBN 978-1405120005.

Gwynn, R.S., Lindner, A. Contemporary American Poetry. London: Longman, 2004. ISBN: 978-0321182821.

Innes, C. Modern British Drama: The Twentieth Century. Cambridge University Press, 2002. ISBN 978-0521016759.

Perfect, M. Contemporary Fictions of Multiculturalism: Diversity and the Millennial London Novel. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. ISBN 978-1137307118.

Innes, C., Middeke, M., Schnierer, P.P., Roudané, M.C. (eds.). The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary American Playwrights. London: Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, 2014. ISBN: 978-1408134795.

Saddik, A. Contemporary American Drama. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0748624942.

Sierz, A., Middeke, M., Schnierer, P.P. The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary British Playwrights. London: Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, 2011. ISBN: 978-1408122785.

Wheatley, D. Contemporary British Poetry. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. ISBN: 978-0230362536.

Recommeded secondary sources:

Boccardi, M. The Contemporary British Historical Novel. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2009. ISBN 978-0230200074.

Bradford, R. The Novel Now: Contemporary British Fiction. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-1405113854.

Lane, D. Contemporary British Drama. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0748638222.

Lane, R.J., Mengham, R., Tew, P. (eds.) Contemporary British Fiction. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2003. ISBN 978-

0745628677.

McClatchy, J.D. The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry. Vintage, 2003. ISBN: 978-1400030934.

Paterson, D., Simic, C. (eds.). New British Poetry. Graywolf Press: 2004. ISBN: 978-1555973940.

Schmidt, Kerstin. The Theater of Transformation: Postmodernism in American Drama. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2005. ISBN:

978-9042018952.

Sierz, A. In-yer-face theatre: British drama today . London: Faber and Faber, 2001. ISBN: 978-0571200498.

Czech

Last update: PhDr. Tereza Topolovská, Ph.D. (14.09.2020)

 

1. Contemporary British Literature within Historical, Political, Cultural and Theoretical Contexts.

Lucy Wood: “Flotsam, Jetsam, Lagan, Derelict” (2018) from The Sing of the Shore (2018)

Ali Smith The Universal Story (2014) from The Whole Story and Other Stories (2014)

Hilary Mantel: “Sorry to Disturb” (2014) from The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher (2014)

2. Contemporary British Fiction:  Literature and Society

Alan Hollinghurst: The Stranger’s Child (2011): Part One: Two Acres+ Part Two: Revel

3. Contemporary British Fiction: Contemporary Historical Fiction

Andrea Levy:“Back to My Own Country” (2014) from Six Stories and an Essay (2014) + The Long Song (2010): Chapter 1 - 18

4. Contemporary British Fiction: Contemporary Historical Fiction

Andrea Levy: The Long Song (2010): Chapter 19 – Afterword

5. Contemporary British Drama

Lucy Kirkwood: The Children (2016), Extracts: Natasha Gordon: Nine Night (2018), Caryl Churchill: Escaped Alone (2016), Ella Hickson: Oil (2016)

6. Contemporary British Poetry

 

7. Contemporary American Short Fiction: Philosophical fiction

Charles R. Johnson – 4 short stories

7. Contemporary American Novel

David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedars

8. +9. Multicultural American Novel I+II

Philip Roth: The Human Stain

10. Contemporary American Poetry

11. Contemporary American Drama

David Mamet: November

Requirements to the exam

English

Last update: PhDr. Tereza Topolovská, Ph.D. (14.09.2020)

Active participation in classes - max. 2 absences

Written exam - a 600 words-long essay, minimum to pass 70% - 2  re-sittings max, 3 sittings in total.

Language skills are part of the overall assessment - max. 4 errors within 1 sitting of the exam.

Czech

Last update: PhDr. Tereza Topolovská, Ph.D. (14.09.2020)

Předmět je zakončen písemnou zkouškou, minimum pro splnění je 70%. Zkouška má podobu eseje o 600 slovech. Témata kopírují zaměření přednášek a seminářů. Do výsledného hodnocení se odráží i jazyková úroveň - jsou připuštěny maximálně 4 hrubé jazykové chyby. Podmínkou připuštění ke zkoušce je 80% docházka do seminářů. Na zkoušku mají studenti jeden řádný a dva opravné pokusy.

Syllabus

Last update: PhDr. Tereza Topolovská, Ph.D. (25.09.2020)

Course structure:

1. Course Introduction

2. Contemporary British Literature within Historical, Political, Cultural and Theoretical Contexts.

3. Contemporary British Fiction

4. Contemporary British Fiction

5. Contemporary British Drama

6. Contemporary British Poetry

 

7. Contemporary American Short Fiction: Philosophical fiction

Charles R. Johnson – 4 short stories

7. Contemporary American Novel

David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedars

8. +9. Multicultural American Novel I+II

Philip Roth: The Human Stain

10. Contemporary American Poetry

11. Contemporary American Drama

David Mamet: November

Course completion requirements

Last update: PhDr. Tereza Topolovská, Ph.D. (14.09.2020)

Předmět je zakončen písemnou zkouškou - minimum pro splnění je 70%. Zkouška má podobu eseje o 600 slovech, témata esejí kopírují zaměření přednášek a seminářů. Do výsledného hodnocení se odráží i jazyková úroveň - jsou připuštěny maximálně 4 hrubé jazykové chyby. Podmínkou připuštění ke zkoušce je 80% docházka do seminářů. Na zkoušku mají studenti jeden řádný a dva opravné pokusy.

 

Learning resources

Last update: PhDr. Tereza Topolovská, Ph.D. (14.09.2020)

The course in Moodle: https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=6473.