| Class | Topic | Description | Readings Due Before Class | Assignments Due Before Class |
| M 8/22 | Introduction | — | — | — |
| W 8/24 | What is Science Fiction? | Chris McKitterick, “Defining ‘Science Fiction’”
Ursula Le Guin on Science Fiction, Introduction to Left Hand of Darkness |
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| F 8/26 | Gender, Race, and Science Fiction | Case studies: gender, race, and science fiction | “Imagine There’s No Gender: The Long History of Feminist Utopian Literature” (2013)
“Science Fiction Publishing Has a Major Race Problem” (2016) “Women and Authors of Color Won Big at this Year’s Hugo’s Awards” (2016) |
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| M 8/29 | Design | Case studies: fashion | “Fashion’s Newest Frontier: The Disabled and the Displaced” (2016) | |
| W 8/31 | Design | Design Thinking: create the perfect all-purpose clothing garment for your partner | “Dispatches from a Body Perfect World,” from The Feminist Utopia Project (2015), p. 28 | |
| F 9/2 | Design | Creative Writing: write a poem from the perspective of the garment your partner designed for you on Wednesday | Poem: Robert Pinsky, “Shirt” (1990)
Poem: Billy Collins, “Taking Off Emily Dickinson’s Clothes” (2001) |
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| M 9/5 | Labor Day | — | — | — |
| W 9/7 | Herland | Herland |
Response 1 due on Blackboard Follow link for specific instructions. Ideas for Herland responses: (1) rewrite a chapter of the novel from a different perspective; (2) perform an analysis of specific designs in the novel, including clothing or urban planning |
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| F 9/9 | Herland | Herland | ||
| M 9/12 | The Body | Case studies: menstruation | “Uninhibited Chinese Swimmer, Discussing Her Period…” (2016)
“Panty Raid” [Thinx Underwear] (2016) “Why Has It Taken the Menstrual Cup So Long to Go Mainstream” (2016) |
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| W 9/14 | The Body | Intersectionality: Comparisons to Herland | Selections from The Feminist Utopia Project (2015): | |
| F 9/16 | The Body | Poetry and the female body | Poems by Lucille Clifton | |
| M 9/19 | The Handmaid’s Tale | The Handmaid’s Tale (Chapters 1-17, 99 pages) | ||
| W 9/21 | The Handmaid’s Tale | The Handmaid’s Tale (Chapters 18-30, 95 pages) | Response 2 due on Blackboard | |
| F 9/23 | The Handmaid’s Tale | The Handmaid’s Tale (Chapters 31-46, 95 pages) | ||
| M 9/26 | Workshop | Integrating research and creative writing | Bring ideas, drafts, and possible sources for your utopia/dystopia | |
| W 9/28 | Workshop | Peer review | Bring a hard copy of your utopia/dystopia draft | |
| F 9/30 | Workshop | Developing your explanatory endnotes | Bring a hard copy of your drafted explanatory endnotes | |
| M 10/3 | Projects | Showcase utopias/dystopias in class | Project 1 due | |
| W 10/5 | Myths and Storytelling | Selections from The Feminist Utopia Project:
“New Rites of Transition” (p. 153) “Seven Rituals from the Feminist Utopia: Prebirth to Postdeath” (p. 332) |
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| F 10/7 | Myths and Storytelling | Leslie Marmon Silko, “Language and Literature from a Pueblo Indian Perspective” | ||
| M 10/10 | The Parable of the Sower | The Parable of the Sower (Chapters 1-10, 100 pages) | ||
| W 10/12 | The Parable of the Sower | The Parable of the Sower | Response 3 due | |
| F 10/14 | The Parable of the Sower | The Parable of the Sower | ||
| M 10/17 | Art | What is art? Describe a firsthand encounter with a work of art. | ||
| W 10/19 | No meeting | No meeting. Begin reading The Summer Prince. | ||
| F 10/21 | Art | “Embroidering Revolution” (Feminist Utopia Project) | ||
| M 10/24 | The Summer Prince | The Summer Prince (first 100 pages) | ||
| W 10/26 | The Summer Prince | The Summer Prince (second 100 pages) | Response 4 due | |
| F 10/28 | The Summer Prince | The Summer Prince (third 100 pages) | ||
| M 10/31 | Education | Case studies: education | “The Remarkably Different Answers Men and Women Give When Asked Who’s Smartest in the Class” (2016)
“To Help Students Learn, Engage the Emotions” (2016) [Research by Mary Helen Immordino-Yang] “How to Teach a Young Introvert” (2014) [Research by Susan Cain] |
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| W 11/2 | Education | Experimental Approaches to Transforming the Classroom |
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| F 11/4 | Education | Poems about learning and exploration | Adrienne Rich, “Diving Into the Wreck” (Audio) (1973)
Audre Lorde, “Hanging Fire” and “A Woman Speaks” (1997) |
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| M 11/7 | Binti | Binti Artwork
Nnedi Okorafor, “On that Rabid Puppies Thing and My Hugo Award-Winning Novella Binti” Interview, “Literature Provides Africa with a Mirror to Inspect Itself” |
Binti | |
| W 11/9 | Binti | Binti | Response 5 due | |
| F 11/11 | Veteran’s Day | — | — | — |
| M 11/14 | Manifesto | Brainstorming, drafting | ||
| W 11/16 | Manifesto | Bring rough drafts, peer review | ||
| F 11/18 | Manifesto | Writing | Project 2 due | |
| 11/21-25 | Thanksgiving Week | — | — | — |
| M 11/28 | Workshop | Discuss Portfolio requirements and expectations; organize groups and workshops; Members A & B email drafts to Dr. Hunter by Tuesday evening | ||
| W 11/30 | Workshop | Members C-F: Bring hard copies of your selected drafts. Format: single-space block paragraphs. | Bring Hard Copies of your selected drafts. Format Single-Space block paragraphs. | |
| F 12/2 | Workshop | Workshop Members A & B | ||
| M 12/5 | Workshop | Workshop Members C & D | ||
| W 12/7 | Workshop | Workshop Members E & F | ||
| F 12/9 | Wrap-Up | Reflections and Course Feedback | ||
| W 12/14, 11:59pm | Final Exam | Submit Final Portfolio as a single file on Blackboard | Portfolio due by 11:59, on Wednesday, Dec. 14 |
