Dr. Sherry Johnson 

 In "Black Matter(s)" Toni Morrison issues a call to scholars of American literature to scour publications from/about the burgeoning US nation for the ever-present African.  Even as a shadow, the African is critical to definitions of (white) America:  masculine, ruddy, unencumbered by status, free.  In this graduate seminar students will engage in answering Morrison's call.  

We will examine texts from Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography (1793) to Herman Melville's Benito Cereno (1855) to Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) to Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass (1900) to Morrison's A Mercy (2008) to Valerie Martin's Property (2003) for the ways in which the enslaved African is foundational to the characteristics of the principal characters, and by extension to what it means to be American.  

As it is a hybrid course, the class will use available technology extensively for multi-dimensional engagement of course material.  There will be significant amount of independent work that is organized to help students hone their analytical and critical thinking skills.  The course topic along with the use of technology, and student-led discussions promise to make this a dynamic course.