Course Schedule (Spring 2024)

EVALUATION

Engaged Participation:  10%

Team Discussion Facilitation:  10%

Weekly Blog Posts:  20%

Public Scholarship Writing Assignment:  20%

Public Outreach Project:  30%

Final Project Presentation:  10%

Engaged Participation: I understand that everyone has different learning styles and different stresses on their time. This grade is based on how you contribute to our class, which need not only be speaking up during class though that is of course always appreciated. There will be different touch points for you meaningfully participate in ways that resonate with you, e.g. sharing during smaller group discussions, responding to your peers' blog posts, sharing your writing from our mini in-class writing sessions, or coming to office hours. What I care about is that you take on an active role in building a supportive learning community.

Team Discussion Facilitation: I believe in fostering an inclusive learning space where knowledge flows in all directions. To cultivate this, students will have the opportunity to lead discussion once this quarter in teams (for about 25-30 minutes) so that we may have a diversity of perspectives rather than have my own viewpoints dominate the course. You may approach this in multiple ways: for example, you could simply pose questions to the class about the assigned materials for that day (prepare at least 3); pull selections from the assigned readings for close reading (2-3 passages); select different video clips, artworks, etc, for detailed analysis (2-3); prompt comparative exploration by putting that day’s assigned materials with previous materials in the class or outside material. You may find it helpful to prepare slides to help you facilitate the discussion. 

Blog Posts and Responses: Write weekly blog posts (about 500 words each for weeks 2-9) on

BruinLearn (under “Discussions”) in response to each week’s course materials. You may approach these blog posts in a variety of ways: for example, you may do close readings of passages that you found interesting, inspiring, baffling, or perhaps even troubling; put different texts/materials in conversation with each other, including materials from outside of the course that you want to compare and contrast; think through a piece of scholarship that you want to engage with further, whether to praise or to critique; or reflect on your positionality in relation to the course materials of the week. The main objective of these posts is for you to have a low-stakes way to take your time to think through class materials/discussions more deeply and to workshop your thoughts without the pressure of doing so live in class or the anxiety of needing to get a good grade. These posts will be graded based on completion and are due by midnight on the Friday of each week. I understand that life can throw expected curveballs at you, so you may have “1 free late pass” for one week’s response without having to ask for prior permission to submit your work late. I highly encourage you to read each other’s blog posts and to respond to them—which will also help boost your participation grade, especially if you are less comfortable with speaking up in class. 

Public Scholarship Writing Assignment (due May 2): Write a short paper (3-4 pages, double-

spaced, with 12-point Times New Roman font and 1-inch margins) aimed at a general audience that does not know much about classics or classical reception. Your prompt is to look at Ai Wei Wei’s “Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn” (1995) and XU ZHEN’S “ETERNITY VS EVOLUTION” and to compare and contrast them through the lens of Critical Classical Reception. What do you see? What emotions and thoughts are provoked by these works? How are they engaging with the ideas of “antiquity,” “the classic,” and cultural value? How are they building on earlier political movements in Asia? The purpose of this assignment is to practice teaching the topic of Asian and and Asian American classical reception to the general public, which will be the ultimate goal of the final project. I want you to be thoughtful about the writing and to not worry about me, your professor/grader, as your intended audience (whether consciously or subconsciously). This assignment will therefore be graded on a completion basis and you will be receive feedback from your peers so that you can continue to improve on your public outreach skills (link to Peer Feedback Worksheet). Feel free to be experimental and creative! The key is to be critical in an accessible way.

***NB: since we had such an electrifying discussion about the myth of Western Civilization, we decided as a class to change this writing prompt to one related to that discussion so that students could further explore the topic (and I had students tackle the old prompt during an in-class writing session). The new prompt was to reflect on their own relationship with "Western civilization" by interrogating three key points:

• Consider how "Western civilization" has manifested in your life: What does "Western civilization" mean to you? In what ways has it shown up, whether subtly or blatantly, and how has it impacted you?

• Interrogate the root of "Western civilization" in your life: Did you associate it, whether subconsciously or consciously, with classical antiquity? If not with Greco-Roman classical antiquity, then what did you associate it with instead? 

•  Propose ways forward: How do you propose we move forward from this myth of "Western civilization"? What sorts of action do you want to see to help counter this myth?

Public Outreach Project (due June 6): As the course progresses, you will work in teams to create a public outreach project in which you create a digital portfolio of educational materials through a tech platform of your choice (e.g. podcast, YouTube videos, digital zine, TikTok videos, Instagram posts, etc). Decide as a team what topic in relation to Asian and Asian American classical reception you want to educate the general public on and create a series of content for your topic (min. of 3 subtopics as examples of your topic). Make sure your project has:  

• a critical engagement with Asian/American classical reception (how are you using AACR as a framework to educate or create)

• a clear intervention (what is the main takeaway of your project and how does it critique restrictive/limited ways of understanding the classics)

• accessibility (how accessible is your project to the wider public who may have no formal exposure to the classics)

• successful integration of digital humanities (does your digital platform meaningfully contribute to the implementation and dissemination of your project?)

• bonus point: daringly creative (how unabashedly creative is your project in delivering your critiques)

You will also need to write individual short reflective pieces (3-4 pages, double-spaced, with 12-point font and 1-inch margin) contextualizing the project within the history of Asian and Asian American classical reception and explaining how the project has helped you better understand Critical Classical Reception. Be sure to clearly state what your contribution to the project was.  Though you will be working as a team to produce the final project as a cohesive whole, you will be graded individually.

A proposed plan of your project will be due May 14th so that I may give you feedback. In your plan, explain what the proposed topic is, how you plan to explore that topic (e.g. what examples you plan to share), and what platform you are going to use. 

Final Project Presentation (during week 10): During the last week of class, you will share your

project as a team through a 10 minute PowerPoint presentation. I will be looking at these areas:

• Content: do you provide clear explanations of your intervention/message/main takeaway, how you engaged with AACR, why you chose your digital platform, and how you made sure to convey your content in an accessible way?

• Organization: is your presentation well-structured and well-organized with smooth transitions between different sections?

• Clarity and Delivery: do you present your materials clearly and accessibly? Are your visual aids (slides, images, videos) clear and relevant? Do you keep to your allotted time (10 mins)?

• Engagement: do you effectively pique and maintain the interest of your audience?

COURSE SCHEDULE

WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION AND ORIENTATION

APRIL 2: INTRODUCTION TO AND OVERVIEW OF THE CLASS; WHAT’S AT STAKE?

•  Complete the entry survey

APRIL 4: DECONSTRUCTING WESTERN CIVILIZATION

•  Kennedy, Rebecca Futo. (2023). “Classics and Western Civilization: The Troubling History of an Authoritative Narrative,” in F. Santangelo and J. Bastos Marques (eds.), Authority: Ancient Models, Modern Questions. London: Bloomsbury, pp. 87-108.

• Appiah, Kwame Anthony. 2016. “There is no such thing as Western Civilisation,” The Guardian, 9 November 2016: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/09/western-civilisation-appiah-reith-lecture

• Wong, Stephanie. 2020. “All (Silk) Roads Lead to …? Modern China’s Ancient Heritage Diplomacy,” Eidolon, 18 August 2020: https://eidolon.pub/all-silk-roads-lead-to-ce4f442cc0a

• In class: public writing workshop with Stephanie Wong

WEEK 2: INTRO TO CLASSICAL RECEPTION

APRIL 9: WHAT IS RECEPTION STUDIES?

• Martindale, Charles. (2006). “Thinking Through Reception,” in C. Martindale and R .F. Thomas (eds), Classics and the Uses of Reception. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 1-13.

• Rankine, Patrice. (2019). “The Classics, Race, and Community-Engaged or Public Scholarship,” American Journal of Philology 140.2: 345-359.

• Hanink, Johanna. (2017). “It’s Time to Embrace Critical Classical Reception,” Eidolon, 1 May 2017: https://eidolon.pub/its-time-to-embrace-critical-classical-reception-d3491a40eec3

APRIL 11: WHOSE CLASSICS?

• Trivedi, Harish. (2007). “Western Classics, Indian Classics,” in L. Hardwick and C. Gillespie (eds), Classics in Post-Colonial Worlds. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 286-304.

• Zhou, Yiqun. (2022). “Which Tradition, Whose Authority? Quests and Tensions in Contemporary Chinese Reception of Greek Antiquity,” Know 6.2: 263-292.

• Wong, Stephanie. (2019). “The Life of the Oriental Mind: Introducing the Asian and Asian American Classical Caucus,” Eidolon, 8 April 2019: https://eidolon.pub/the-life-of-the-oriental-mind-609e3d2dde7

WEEK 3: CLASSICS AND ORIENTALISMS

APRIL 16: IMAGINING THE OTHER

• Aeschylus, the Persians

• Excerpts from Said, Edward. (1979). Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books, pp. 1-28, 55-58.

APRIL 18: GENDERING THE OTHER

• Euripides, Bacchae

• Monica Youn, “Study of Two Figures (Agave/Pentheus)”

• Multi-Verse Episode 11, “Monica Youn on When “Euripides Meets Margaret Cho” https://publicseminar.org/2023/10/monica-youn-on-when-euripides-meets-margaret-cho/

• BTS, “Dionysus” music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51tw-4AKRHk

• Chae, Yung In. (2020). “Like Dionysus: BTS, Classics in K-Pop, and the Narcissism of the West,” Eidolon: https://eidolon.pub/like-dionysus-1d1b8fb428e1

WEEK 4: LEGACIES OF EASTERN AND WESTERN IMPERIALISM

APRIL 23: ALEXANDER THE GREAT IN ANCIENT/MODERN ASIA

• Vasunia, Phiroze. (2013). Classics and Colonial India. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Introduction and Epilogue.

• Ng, Su Fang. (2006). “Global Renaissance: Alexander the Great and Early Modern Classicism from the British Isles to the Malay Archipelago,” Comparative Literature 58.4: 293-312.

APRIL 25: POSTCOLONIAL RESPONSES

• Nguyen, Kelly. (2020). “Phạm Duy Khiêm, Classical Reception, and Colonial Subversion in Early 20th Century Vietnam and France,” Classical Receptions Journal 12.3: 340–356.

• Hsu, Chia-Lin. (2019). “Politics, Culture, and Classical Architectural Elements in Taiwan,” in A-B. Renger and X. Fan (eds), Receptions of Greek and Roman Antiquity in East Asia. Leiden: Brill, pp. 342-360.

• Kim, Deogsu. (2019). “Retrospective and Prospects of Ancient Western History Studies in Korea: Awaiting the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Korean Society of Western History,” in A-B. Renger and X. Fan (eds), Receptions of Greek and Roman Antiquity in East Asia. Leiden: Brill, pp. 376-394.

WEEK 5: LEGACIES OF EASTERN AND WESTERN IMPERIALISM CONT.

APRIL 30: NATIONALIST RESPONSES

• Takada, Yasunari. (2010). “Translatio and Difference: Western Classics in Modern Japan,” in S. Stephens and P. Vasunia (eds.), Classics and National Cultures. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 285–301.

• Zhou, Yiqun. (2017). “Greek Antiquity, Chinese Modernity, and the Changing World Order,” in B. Wang (ed.) Chinese Visions of World Order: Tianxia, Culture, and World Politics. Durham: Duke University Press, pp. 106-128.

• Saussy, Haun. “Contestatory Classics in 1920s China,” in S. Stephens and P. Vasunia (eds.), Classics and National Cultures. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 258–266.

• Liu, Jinyu. (2018). “Translating and Rewriting Western Classics in China (1920s–1930s): The Case of the Xueheng Journal,” in A-B. Renger and X. Fan (eds), Receptions of Greek and Roman Antiquity in East Asia. Leiden: Brill, pp. 91-111.

MAY 2: CLASS CANCELED TODAY (PROF. AWAY FOR A TALK)

[SHORT WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT DUE]

• Use this time wisely by getting a head start on reading East Goes West for next week!

WEEK 6: ASSIMILATION AND DISCRIMINATION

MAY 7: EAST GOES WEST

•  Younghill Kang, East Goes West: Part 1

• In class: peer feedback on your public writing piece

MAY 9: EAST GOES WEST CONT.

• Younghill Kang, East Goes West: Part 2

WEEK 7: DIASPORIC IDENTITIES

MAY 14: EAST GOES WEST CONT.

[PROJECT PROPOSAL DUE]

• Younghill Kang, East Goes West: Part 3

• In class: watch Thermae Romae (part of ep. 1, ep 2)

MAY 16: QUEERING THE DIASPORA

• Homer, the Odyssey, Books 1-4

• Ocean Vuong, Night Sky With Exit Wounds:

  • • “Telemachus”

    • “Trojan”

    • “My Father Writes from Prison”

    • “Headfirst”

    • “Eurydice”

    • “To My Father/To My Future Son”

    • “Notebook Fragments”

    • “Odysseus Redux”

    • “Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong”

• Listen: interview with Ocean Vuong on The Vietnamese Podcast with Kenneth Nguyen: https://www.thevietnamesepodcast.com/120-ocean-vuong-author-poet/

• Optional: Nguyen, Kelly. 2021. "Queering Telemachus: Ocean Vuong, Postmemories and the Vietnam War," International Journal of the Classical Tradition 28.4: 430-448.

WEEK 8: INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA/HEALING

MAY 21: TRANSNATIONAL MYTH(RE)MAKING

• Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictee:

  • • Introductory pages

    • “Clio – History”

    • “Calliope – Epic Poetry”

    • “Urania – Astronomy”

    • “Melpomene – Tragedy”

•  Homeric Hymn to Demeter : https://chs.harvard.edu/primary-source/homeric-hymn-to-demeter-sb/

• Johnston, Paul. 2023. “ ‘Beginning wherever you wish’: Sappho, Homer and the Homeric Hymn to Demeter in Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictée,” Classical Receptions Journal 15.1: 101–129.

MAY 23: FRAGMENTATION AND CREATION

• Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictee:

  • • “Erato – Love Poetry”

    • “Elitere – Lyric Poetry”

    • “Thalia – Comedy”

    • “Terpsichore – Choral Dance”

    • “Polymnia – Sacred Poetry”

• Nao, Vi Khi. 2020. "Sapphở,” Diasporic Vietnamese Artist Network: https://dvan.org/2020/05/sappho-a-poem-by-vi-khi-nao/

• Hoa Nguyen. 2012. “After Sappho” in As Long As Trees Last. Wave Books: https://www.tumblr.com/poetsorg/28998796278/after-sappho-by-hoa-nguyen-from-her-upcoming

• Waldo, Chris. 2023. “Immigrant Muse: Sapphic Fragmentation in Theresa Hak Kyung Cha's Dictée, Hoa Nguyen's ‘After Sappho,’ and Vi Khi Nao's ‘Sapphở,’"TAPA 153.2: 505-529.

• Optional: Nguyen, Kelly. 2022. "Queering Feminine Movement: Sappho, Hồ Xuân Hương and Vi Khi Nao," in E. Haselswerdt, S. H. Lindheim, K Ormand (eds), The Routledge Handbook of Classics and Queer Theory. New York: Routledge, pp. 303-315.

WEEK 9: BELONGING BETWEEN/BEYOND EAST & WEST

MAY 28: DISINHERITING HISTORIES OF VIOLENCE

• Aeschylus, Libation Bearers

• Homer’s Odyssey, Book 11

• Quan Barry’s Loose Strife:

  • • “loose strife (‘Somebody says draw a map’)”

    • “loose strife (‘Listen closely as I sing this’)”

    • “loose strife (‘As in loosely inspired by Aeschylus’s’)”

    • “loose strife (‘It seemed to come out rear first’)”

    • “loose strife (‘When he comes to the gate’)”

    • “loose strife (‘Even Homer recognizes the barbarism of the art’)”

    • “loose strife (‘Leonine’)”

    • “loose strife (‘Embarrassingly it was just outside the tunnels’)”

    • Optional: read all of the poems that begin with “loose strife”

• Browse through Michael Velliquette’s visual art that was created in collaboration with Quan Barry’s poems from Loose Strife: https://inhabitat.com/michael-velliquette-transforms-cut-paper-into-sculptural-human-forms/

MAY 30: RESISTANCE AND RECONCILIATION

• Chay Yew and Guelan Varela-Luarca, House of Baluyot: A Filipino Oresteia (unpublished working manuscript)

WEEK 10: FINAL PRESENTATIONS

JUNE 4: STUDENT PRESENTATIONS

[FINAL PROJECT DUE]

• NO READINGS; PREPARE YOUR PRESENTATIONS

JUNE 6: STUDENT PRESENTATIONS

• NO READINGS; PREPARE YOUR PRESENTATIONS