123250 AR Literature Course - Literature 1/2 (MA) American/North American & Cultural Studies (2021S)

Is there such a thing as Canadian literature? Canada arrived comparatively late at a national self-understanding, it is structured by multiculturalism and settler colonial knowledges, and is driven by seeking to distinguish itself from its Southern neighbor. This seminar explores contemporary debates about Canadian literatures in the plural. We will revisit the original question about being in Canada, “Where is Here”? and explore the politics of canonization, post-nationalism, and Canadian exceptionalism. It inquiries about Canada’s public memory culture and responses to the challenge of a global pandemic. Our reading list combines texts about Canadian literatures with samples from Margaret Atwood, Rudy Wiebe, Thomas King, as well as new titles from Larissa Lai, Emily St. John Mandel, and Esi Edugyan.