Dr. Autumn Reese, a professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, is an esteemed academic whose teaching combines a deep passion for literature with a commitment to interdisciplinary exploration. Her courses are designed to engage students with diverse literary traditions, offering them a holistic view of both historical and contemporary literary landscapes. Through her courses, Dr. Reese fosters critical thinking, creativity, and a sense of global perspective among her students. Below is an overview of the courses she teaches and how they reflect her scholarly interests.
In this foundational course, Dr. Reese takes students on a journey through the history of English literature, exploring the development of the Western literary canon from the medieval period to the Renaissance. Her students examine works from the likes of Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, and John Milton, learning not only the key themes and narratives of these texts but also how these works shaped the course of literature and thought. Dr. Reese encourages students to critically engage with the cultural and historical contexts in which these authors wrote, pushing them to question the relevance and application of these classical works in modern society.
Dr. Reese's course on Comparative Literature invites students to explore narratives from a wide range of literary traditions across the globe. This course provides a comparative study of key works from both Western and non-Western authors, allowing students to examine how different cultures use storytelling to reflect their values, struggles, and visions for the future. Texts from authors such as Chinua Achebe, Gabriel García Márquez, and Virginia Woolf are analyzed in terms of their cultural impact, narrative structures, and common themes such as identity, colonialism, and the human experience. Dr. Reese's teaching encourages students to draw connections between seemingly disparate literary traditions and recognize the universal themes that transcend geographical boundaries.
In this advanced-level course, Dr. Reese explores the radical shifts that took place in the novel form during the 20th and 21st centuries. Focusing on authors such as James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and Toni Morrison, students study how the novel evolved to reflect modernist and postmodernist sensibilities. The course examines themes like fragmentation, consciousness, and non-linear narratives, as well as how modern authors challenge traditional notions of character, plot, and time. Dr. Reese encourages students to engage with these texts in innovative ways, applying critical theories such as post-structuralism and psychoanalysis to unlock new interpretations of familiar works.
As part of her commitment to exploring the intersections of literature with other disciplines, Dr. Reese teaches a course focused on gender in literature. This course examines how gender roles and identities have been constructed and deconstructed in literary texts, particularly in works that interrogate societal norms and expectations. Students read authors such as Simone de Beauvoir, Judith Butler, and bell hooks, and analyze how literature both reflects and challenges the gender dynamics of its time. Dr. Reese's approach emphasizes a feminist critical framework, encouraging students to engage with texts from a range of gender perspectives and critically examine the role of literature in shaping our understanding of gender.
In this graduate-level seminar, Dr. Reese guides her students through a comprehensive study of literary theory, introducing them to key concepts and thinkers that have shaped modern literary criticism. From Aristotle's poetics to Derrida's deconstruction, this course covers a broad range of philosophical and theoretical perspectives that have influenced the interpretation of literature. Students are encouraged to not only understand these theoretical frameworks but to apply them critically to a range of texts, enhancing their ability to analyze literature from various intellectual vantage points. Dr. Reese’s passion for theory and its application ensures that her students gain a deep and nuanced understanding of how literary criticism evolves over time.
In addition to her literary analysis courses, Dr. Reese offers a creative writing class that allows students to explore the process of writing fiction. Drawing on her own experiences as a writer and scholar, she encourages students to experiment with different narrative forms and styles, with a focus on creating authentic, compelling characters and intricate plots. The course includes both writing workshops and readings of contemporary short stories and novels, providing students with the tools they need to develop their own voice as writers. Dr. Reese’s feedback is known for being constructive and insightful, offering students practical advice for refining their craft.
One of Dr. Reese’s signature courses focuses on postcolonial literature, where she explores the literary contributions of authors from formerly colonized nations. This course is designed to deepen students’ understanding of how colonialism, imperialism, and postcolonial identity are represented in literature. Authors like Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Arundhati Roy, and Wole Soyinka provide the framework for discussions on power, resistance, and the rewriting of history. Dr. Reese's class emphasizes the importance of reading postcolonial literature through both historical and contemporary lenses, encouraging students to engage with texts that shed light on global inequalities and struggles for autonomy.
Dr. Autumn Reese’s teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that literature has the power to shape both individual identities and collective cultural understandings. She emphasizes the importance of reading critically, thinking deeply, and communicating effectively. Her students leave her classes not only with a greater appreciation of literature but also with the ability to apply literary analysis to a variety of fields, from history and politics to philosophy and sociology.
By fostering a learning environment that values both intellectual rigor and creative exploration, Dr. Reese ensures that her students are well-equipped to navigate the complexities of both academic life and the world beyond the classroom. Whether they are analyzing a Victorian novel or writing their own short stories, students in her classes are encouraged to engage deeply with texts and think beyond the conventional boundaries of literature.
In sum, Dr. Autumn Reese's courses are a celebration of the written word in all its forms, offering students a broad yet nuanced understanding of literature's role in shaping our world. Her diverse course offerings reflect her own academic passions, and her dedication to her students’ growth ensures that they leave her classroom with a greater understanding of both the literature they study and the world in which it was created.