Thomas
Rickert
Office: HEAV 303B
Phone: 494-3719
trickert@purdue.edu
Syllabus
Postmodernism
and Composition
Spring 2002
Required
Texts:
A
Postmodern Reader—Natoli and Hutcheon, eds. (PR)
The
Postmodern Condition—Lyotard
The
History of Sexuality: An Introduction—Foucault
Dissemination—Derrida
Contending
with Words—Harkin and Schilb
The
Coming Community—Agamben
Empire—Hardt
and Negri
Course
Packet at CopyMat
Recommended:
The
Condition of Postmodernity—Harvey
Postmodern
Theory—Best and Kellner
Objectives:
What
is postmodernism? This is not quite an easy question to answer. First,
we need to ascertain what we are talking about, or, more precisely,
what sort of referent we have in mind for the term: an architectural
style? the time period following modernism? late capitalism? the media
age? theory inclusive of but extending beyond poststructuralism? (And
even here we have a problem, for some postmodern thought suggests no
ascertainable referents remain.) Whatever question(s) we pick, we will
find that each focus tends to distort or obscure other aspects of the
term postmodernism, not to mention that postmodernism and its definitions,
characteristics, and theories are unstable at best. The question concerning
postmodernism is far from settled, and given the ubiquity of the term
(if not of "post"-ing itself), the sense of fait accompli
that surrounds it combined with its nebulous (at best) meaning is grounds
for many to dismiss it as useless or worse.
It
could be claimed of this course that, if we were to fulfill the ownmost
possibility of postmodernism, the questions concerning it would be endlessly
deferred and left open, and its postmodern status would be confirmed
by de-referentialized roaming. However, academic programs typically
frown on such shenanigans, so we will do our best to wade through a
good variety of the disparate theories and claims made about postmodernism,
looking for some common threads, traces, and moves. We will cover many
of the key debates and terms (metanarratives! écriture féminine!
temporary autonomous zones!), look at some of postmodernism's greatest
hits (Lyotard! Foucault! Butler!), and consider work that is promising
for charting out future directions (Negri! Agamben!).
In
all this, we will at various points and times consider how composition
and rhetoric has utilized and negotiated postmodern theory; reactions
have ranged from dismay, caution, and dire predictions of doom to grudging
respect, hope, and Dionysian dances on the grave of modernity. Hopefully,
you will find a place—or places—to occupy for yourself, and then, in
your writing, convey something for your Selves®™ and your Others®™.
Lastly, I want to mention that we will frequently want to focus on style.
Many of the authors we will read make style an essential element in
the "work" of the text—Derrida and Cixous come to mind most
obviously—but insofar as postmodernism often has affinities with rhetoric,
style in general is an issue. In your papers, it may be profitable for
you to examine the role of style, if not experiment with style in your
writing.
Assignments:
Your
primary work for the course will consist of 3 papers of 5-6 pages each.
Papers will be turned in a rolling basis three times over the course
of the semester. The final paper will be due the Monday of Finals week
(4/29). Each paper will discuss at least two of the theoretical approaches
we covered—I would recommend not more than three in any one paper. Additionally,
I would like you to remain focused on the texts in the class. I'm interested
in very close readings of the texts that involve small (or what appear
as small at first blush—usually we find that they are anything but)
problems and issues. For example: What precisely does Lyotard
mean by metanarratives, and why incredulity? What exactly is
the source of Faigley's wariness with postmodern theory (or perhaps
one should start first with what exactly does Faigley think postmodern
theory is, and does his understanding suffice?). What are
Jameson's depth models anyway, and why do they matter? What does
it really mean to say that the postmodern age is one of surfaces?
Just how does the notion of fantasy transform the concept of
ideology? And so on. To recap: start small, start simple, start basic,
then add complexity and depth through your sophisticated, close readings
of the texts. Keep other sources to a minimum.
Note:
I would prefer that you discuss your topic with me beforehand.
Late
Work: I will accept late work if you discuss the problem with me beforehand,
prior to the due date.
A
second assignment will be a lit review in a 10-12 minute class presentation
(hopefully with handout) of one of the many theory-oriented journals
(print and online) that exist; you will be concerned specifically with
how postmodernism is dealt with in the journal. Some journals have a
specific orientation, some are more broadly conceived; some are specifically
about postmodernism or pomo culture, others only touch on such issues.
I don't expect you to read deeply from the articles; examining titles,
reference matter, and topics, and skimming to obtain a general overview,
with a few specifics, will suffice. Listing key, interesting, or oft-cited
articles will be useful as well, and you will want to look at such articles
more closely. You will also need to look at the editors, the editorial
board, statement of journal purpose, school affiliations, oft-published
scholars, etc. The goal here is to facilitate knowledge of what is out
there for yourself and your fellow graduate students.
The
third assignment consists of weekly posts to the course's WWWThreads*
website, located here:
http://linnell.english.purdue.edu/cgi-bin/wwwthreads/postlist.pl?Cat=&Board=postmod
You
will need to make one post a week. Your post will address the reading(s)
for the coming class, taking a concept, issue, conflict, theme, etc.
and exploring it in a few paragraphs. Though I would prefer you to remain
focused on that week's readings, it may also be necessary for you to
address texts from previous weeks. A second possibility will be a response
to someone else's post. It is preferable that you address a post concurrent
with that week's readings, but again it may be useful to return to older
posts to re-address an issue. A third possibility is to split your post
for that week into two, one as your own thread and one as a response.
Only one post a week is required, but further postings beyond the minimum
are of course quite welcome—especially responses to others. I add that
the goal of this assignment is to foster sustained intellectual inquiry
and exchange, and I will expect you to treat others with respect, regardless
of the possible level of disagreement. Please visit the site several
times a week so that you stay current with the discussions.
*WWWThreads
is a web-based forum that allows a user to post, edit, reply and delete
messages. It also lets someone use HTML and images. The forum can be
accessed via a web browser (Netscape, Internet Explorer, etc.) at the
site I give above. Before someone can post, s/he will initially have
to register as a "User" and log-in each time thereafter.
Assessment:
Your
grade will be determined on a 100 point scale. The percentages break
down like this:
Papers
(3) 20% each = 60%
Presentation 20%
Weekly
Posts 20% total
Attendance
This
class is not a lecture course; accordingly, your attendance and participation
is crucial not only for you personally, but for everyone in the class.
I will expect you not to miss class. However, if a problem does arise
that requires your absence, please discuss the matter with me beforehand
to see if arrangements can be made.
Disability
If
you have a disability that requires special accommodations, please see
me privately within the first week of class to arrange such accommodations
Tentative
Schedule of Event-Scenes and Inscrutable Distractions:
Week
1 (1/9): Introjections
Week
2 (1/16): Incredulity Toward Lyotard?
-
Lyotard-The Postmodern Condition
-
Benhabib-"Feminism and the Question of Postmodernism"
Week
3 (1/23): PoMo's Greatest Hits!
-
Barthes-"Death of the Author"
-
Derrida-"Structure, Sign, and Play" (PR)
-
Deleuze and Guattari-"Rhizome" from A Thousand Plateaus
-
Haraway-"Situated Knowledges"
-
Baudrillard-"Precession of Simulacra" (PR)
-
Flax-excerpts from Thinking Fragements (PR)
Week
4 (1/30): PoMo's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2: The Mappings
-
Huyssen-"Mapping the Postmodern" (PR)
-
Jameson-"The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism" (PR)
-
Hutcheon-"Beginning to Theorize the Postmodern" (PR)
-
Habermas-"Modernity versus Postmodernity" (PR)
-
Faigley-"Introduction" from Fragments of Rationality
-
Hassan-"Toward a concept of Postmodernism" (PR)
Week
5 (2/6): Foucault Talks To Us "Other Victorians"
-
Foucault-History of Sexuality
-
Wolfenstein-"Michel Foucault and Psycho-Marxism"
Week
6 (2/13): Derrida Puts Down The Poison Pen
-
Derrida-Dissemination ("Plato's Pharmacy"; "Outwork"
is recommended)
-
Neel-"Closing the Pharmacy" from Plato, Derrida, and
Writing
Week
7 (2/20): Big Others and Psycho-Hybrids
-
Althusser-"Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses"
-
Lacan-"The Mirror Stage" and "Subversion of the Subject"
from Ecrits
-
Zizek-"The Seven Veils of Fantasy" from The Plague of
Fantasies
-
Copjec-"The Orthopedic Subject" from Read My Desire
-
Grosz-"A Thousand Tiny Sexes"
Week
8 (2/27): This Writing Which Is Not One: Écriture Féminine
-
Irigaray-excerpts (Chs. 1, 3, 6, 8) from Je, Tu, Nous
-
Kristeva-"Women's Time"
-
Cixous-"Laugh of the Medusa"; "Castration or Decapitation"
-
Clara Juncker-"Writing (with) Cixous"
Week
9 (3/6): Otherings: Races, Genders, Orientations
-
Butler-"The Lesbian Phallus" from Bodies That Matter
-
hooks-"Postmodern Blackness" (PR)
-
Spivak-"Can the Subaltern Speak?"
-
Fuss-"The Risk of Essence" from Essentially Speaking
-
Baker-"Hybridity, the Rap Race, and Pedagogy for the 1990s"
(PR)
-
West-"Black Culture and Postmodernism" (PR)
Week
10 (3/13): Spring Break!
Week
11 (3/20): Science/Fictions
-
Bear-"Blood Music"
-
Tiptree-"The Girl Who Was Plugged In"
-
Ellison-"The Deathbird"
-
Morrow-"Arms and the Woman"
-
Borges-"Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote"
-
Butler-"Bloodchild"
Week
12 (3/27): Thirdings, And Beyond
-
Bey-"Temporary
Autonomous Zones" (online)
-
Pefanis-"Theories of the Third Order" from Heterology
and the Postmodern
-
Bataille-"The Solar Anus"
-
Ballif-"Writing the Third-Sophistic Cyborg"
-
Frueh-excerpts from Erotic Faculties
-
Sirc-"Godless Composition, Tortured Writing"
-
Halberstam-"Introduction to Masculinity without Men" from
Female Masculinity
Week
13 (4/3): Contending with PoMo
-
Harkin and Schilb-Contending with Words
Week
14 (4/10): Being Whatever Being: Or, Community Without Autonomous Free
Agents
-
Agamben-The Coming Community
-
Davis-"'Addicted to Love': Or, Toward an Inessential Solidarity"
Week
15 (4/17): The Empire Strikes Back!
Week
16 (4/24): Wrap-Ups And Re-beginnings