30165 - Anglo-American Literature 2 (2nd cycle)

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Docente: Franco Minganti
  • Credits: 9
  • SSD: L-LIN/11
  • Language: English

Learning outcomes

The student acquires in-depth knowledge about the history and development of Anglo-American literature and storytelling, with a specific angle on the relations of literary texts with their historical, artistic, linguistic contexts. S/he knows and manages methodologies that are appropriate for the analysis and interpretation of literary texts.

Course contents

Part 1 (Prof. Franco Minganti, October 2018)

American Graphic Novels – (Genealogy, genre, inter-art discourses).

Part 1 of the course aims at delving into just another form of American (literary) storytelling. It will open on a necessary overview of the cultural history of American comics, while focussing on the avant-gardes of the late 1970s and 1980s out of which, in a way, the American graphic novel has developed. Documents like Le musée privé d'Art Spiegelman (2012) and Comic Book Confidential (Ron Mann, 1988) will be used as suitable introductions to graphic art.

Both storytelling- and graphic devices & techniques will be discussed, in reference with major American graphic novels and with an attention to the literary coté of some of them. A particular attention will be devoted to the permeability of graphic narrative into other art forms (theatre, modern dance, multimedia performances, radio, film, music).

Specific autobiographical and metanarrative aspects will be analyzed, too, and some films will enter the course syllabus, namely Ron Mann’s Comic Book Confidential (1988), Terry Zwigoff's Crumb (1994), Ghost World (2001) and Art School Confidential (2006), Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini's American Splendor (2003), Mark Daniels' La BD s'en va t-en guerre (2009).

Part 2 (Prof. Elena Lamberti, November 2018)

American Graphic Novels – (Literary Contexts: Wars & Trauma; Post-Memory; Post-Modernism; Ethnic Revival; Urban Resurgence).

Following the close up on the variety of storytelling of Graphic Novels, the second part of the course will take us from figure to ground. We will explore the main critical discourses of/in post WWII North America (both USA and Canada) forming the setting against which Graphic Novels overlap with other literary forms (from new journalism to ethnic literature, to post-modernist fiction and more).

Special Guests will guide us through some specific case studies, among them:

  • Fiorenzo Iuliano (University of Cagliari) on “Graphic Novels, Corporeal Politics, Skulls and Readers”.
  • Nicola Paladin (University of Trieste) on “Graphic Novels & Old/New Wars”
  • Alice Balestrini (University of Rome La Sapienza) on “Graphic Novels & Memory Studies”.

Our special ‘coda’ guests will be Linda and Michael Hutcheon, University of Toronto (December 10th, 2018) on “"Adapting His Story: Louis Riel in History, Drama, Opera, and Staging(s)".

Readings/Bibliography

What follows is an essential bibliography: sources will be examined and processed during the course and will turn particularly useful when students research their final paperwork. Further specific bibliographical indications will be provided to the class, along with the course schedule and some course materials (posted on AlmaDL). Important: a course log will be published by the instructor on his institutional "webpage docente", constantly updating course developments and providing useful tips about the students' study.

Part 1

A) Graphic Novels:

Alison Bechdel, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (2006)

Daniel Clowes, Ghost World (1993-1997)

Will Eisner, A Contract with God (1978)

Hernandez Bros., Love and Rockets (1981-c2001)

Ben Katchor, Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer (1988-to date)

David Mazzucchelli, City of Glass (1994, with Paul Karasik), Asterios Polyp(2009)

Frank Miller, The Dark Knight Returns (1986)

Harvey Pekar, American Splendor (1976-c2010)

Joe Sacco, Palestine (1993-1995)

Art Spiegelman, Maus (1980-1991), In the Shadow of No Towers (2004)

Tom Tomorrow, This Modern World (1988-to date)

Chris Ware, The Adventures of Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth(2000)

B) Critical works

Aldama, Frederick Luis (ed.). Multicultural Comics. From Zap to Blue Beetle. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2010

Baetens, Jan and Hugo Frey, The Graphic Novel. An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014

Ball, David M. and Martha B. Kuhlman (eds.), The Comics of Chris Ware. Drawing Is a Way of Thinking. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2010

Brunetti, Ivan, ed. An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, & True Stories(Volumes 1&2). New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2006 & 2008

Buenaventura, Alvin (ed.) The Art of Daniel Clowes: Modern Cartoonist. New York: Abrams ComicArts, 2013

Carlin, John-Karasik, Paul-Walker, Brian, eds. Masters of American Comics. Los Angeles: Hammer Museum and The Museum of Contemporary Art, in association with New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2005

Chaney, Michael A. (ed.) Graphic Subjects. Critical Essays on Autobiography and Graphic Novels. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 2011

Chute, Hillary. Graphic Women. Life Narrative & Contemporary Comics. New York: Columbia University Press, 2010

Conversations with Comics Artists series. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi (it incudes collected interviews with Carl Barks, Will Eisner, and Art Spiegelman, among others)

Dong, Lan (ed.) Teaching Comics and Graphic Narratives. Essays on Theory, Strategy and Practice. Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Co., 2012

Dowd, D. B.-Hignite, Todd, eds. Strips, Toons, and Blusies. Essays in Comics and Culture. New York: Princeton Architectural Press & Washington University in St. Louis, 2004

El Refaie, Elisabeth. Autobiographical Comics. Life Writing in Pictures. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2012

Groth, Gary-Thompson, Kim, eds. Misfit Lit. Contemporary Comic Art. Seattle: Fantagraphics Books, 1991

Hatfield, Charles. Alternative Comics. An Emerging Literature. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2005

Hatfield, Charles, Jeet Heer and Kent Worcester (eds.) The Superhero Reader. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2013

Heer, Jeet. In Love with Art. Françoise Mouly’s Adventures in Comics with Art Spiegelman. Toronto: Coach House Books, 2013

Hignite, Todd. The Art of Jamie Hernandez: The Secrets of Life and Death. New York: Abrams ComicArts, 2010

Inge, M. Thomas. Comics As Culture. Jackson and London: University Press of Mississippi, 1990

Kurtzman, Harvey (with Michael Barrier). From Aargh! to Zap! Harvey Kurtzman's Visual History of the Comics, New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1991

Le musée privé d’Art Spiegelman. Angoulême: Néolibris/La cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l’image, 2012

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics. The Invisible Art. 1993

Minganti, Franco. “A macchia di leopardo. Il fumetto americano da Art Spiegelman a Art Spiegelman”, in Fadda, Michele-Pesce, Sara, eds. Lo schermo gigante. Studi in onore di Franco La Polla. Bologna: Ed. Cineteca di Bologna, 2011

Parille, Ken (ed.) The Daniel Clowes Reader. Seattle: Fantagraphics, 2013

Sabin, Roger. Comics, Comix & Graphic Novels. A History of Comic Art. London: Phaidon Press, 1996

Sabin, Roger. Adult Comics: An Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2005

Schwartz, Ben, ed. The Best American Comics Criticism, Seattle: Fantagraphics Books, 2010

VvAa. The Best American Comics (Series of yearly publications with various guest editors). Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006-to-date

Ware, Chris, ed., McSweeney, 13 (“An Assorted Sampler of North American Comic Drawings, Strips, and Illustrated Stories”), 2004

Weiner, Stephen-Couch, Chris. Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: The Rise of the Graphic Novel . Syracuse, NY: NBM Publishing, 2004

Witek, Joseph. Comic Books As History. The Narrative Art of Jack Jackson, Art Spiegelman, and Harvey Pekar. Jackson: University of Mississippi Press, 1989

Witek, Joseph, ed. Art Spiegelman. Conversations. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2007

Wolk, Douglas. Reading Comics. How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean. Philadelphia: Da Capo Press, 2007

Part 2

A) Graphic Novels:

Brooks Max, The Harlem Hellfighters, (2014)

Brown Chester, Luis Riel (2003)

Burns Charles, Black Hole (1995-2005)

G.B. Tran (2011), Vietnamerica, (2011)

Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese, (2008)

Kalesniko Mark, Mail Order Bride (2003)

Matt Joe, PeepShow/The Poor Bastard (1996)

Okubo, Citizen 13660, (1946)

Robinson Alex, Box Office Poison (2001)

Sacco, Joe. Le Sabbie del Canada. (2015); The Great War. July 1, 1916: the First Day of the Battle of the Somme. An Illustrated Panorama, (2014)

Tardi, Jacques, It Was the War of the Trenches. (2010)

Thi Bui (2017) The Best We Could Do, (2017)

B) Critical works

Iuliano, Fiorenzo, “L'importanza di essere minori: fumetti e graphic novel negli Stati Uniti”, in S. Colaone [https://www.ibs.it/search/?ts=as&query=s.+colaone&searchField=Contributors], L. Quaquarelli [https://www.ibs.it/search/?ts=as&query=l.+quaquarelli&searchField=Contributors] (a cura di), Bande à part. Graphic novel, fumetto e letteratura, Morellini, 2016.

Iuliano Fiorenzo, "I'm not a Loser, I'm just Drawn That Way: Comix, Graphic Novels, and the Ethos of the Antihero”, Iperstoria, 3, 2014.

Iuliano Fiorenzo, “I Look Normal but I’m Not: Graphic Affections and Corporeal Politics in Charles Burns’s Black Hole”, in Marina Camboni; Andrea Carosso; Sonia Di Loreto (a cura di) Translating America. Importing, Translating, Misrepresenting, Mythicizing, Communicating America. Proceedings of the 20th AISNA Biennial Conference, Otto Editore, 2010.

Palladin Nicola, “La grande guerra di Joe Sacco: epica della distruzione o distruzione dell'epica?”, in Studi Interculturali 3/2015, Dipartimento di Scienze Umane, Università di Trieste.

Palladin Nicola, “Stars and Strips: la guerra nell'opera di Will Eisner”, in Turi, Nicola (a cura di), Raccontare la Guerra. I conflitti bellici e la modernità, Firenze, Firenze University Press, 2017.

Chiu, Monica (ed.) Drawing New Color Lines: Transnational Asian American Graphic Narratives. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2014.

Izzo, Donatella (ed.) Suzie Wong non abita più qui. La letteratura delle minoranze asiatiche negli Stati Uniti. Milano, ShaKe Edizioni, 2007.

Hirsch, Marianne, The Generation of Postmemory. Writing and Visual Culture After the Holocaust, Columbia University Press, 2012.

Hutcheon, Linda A Poetics of Postmodernism, Routledge, 1988

Hutcheon, Linda, The Politics of Postmodernism, Routledge, 1989

Lamberti Elena, Fortunati Vita (eds), Memories and Representations of War. The Case of World War I and World War II, Rodopi, 2009.

Lamberti, E., “Strani transiti: trace letterarie di Japanese Americans dopo Pearl Harbor”, in V. Fortunati, D. Fortezza, M. Ascari (a cura di), Conflitti. Strategie di rappresentazione della guerra nella cultura contemporanea, Meltemi, 2008, pp.215-222.

Teaching methods

Lecture format, with class participation.

Assessment methods

The final exam covers the full course (Part 1 and Part 2) and consists of two parts.

A) Essay (3500-4000 words, complete with footnotes and bibliography). Free choice of the topic that, nonetheless, must be discussed in advance with the instructor. Essays will be evaluated with reference to the critical and methodological competence developed. Particularly appreciated:

  • Student’s ability to reorganize course materials into an original critical discourse or angle.
  • Solid and organic reference to American literature, history and culture.
  • Quality and property of the written language (English).

B) Oral exam. Students can choose between:

  • Class presentation (single or in-group), with/without multimedia support, max 20 minutes. Class presentations will run in mid-December.
  • One to one conversation with the instructor aiming at assessing the student’s knowledge of the topic of the course (dates to be established).

Teaching tools

Multimedia tools.

Office hours

See the website of Franco Minganti

See the website of Elena Lamberti