SPAN 371 Survey of Medieval and Renaissance Spanish Literature

This semester 371 is an introduction to canonical works of Early Modern Spanish literature. We take a novel approach to the reading and interpretation of masterpieces of Spanish literature to revisit the notion of canon, and to challenge standard disciplinary approaches that constrain Spanish and Portuguese within the boundaries of national literary and cultural traditions. We do this by following the way to stardom of iconic literary characters like Don Quixote, or Don Juan, from their birth to today, through the theoretical framework of comparative cultural studies. As we read our texts we will discuss issues of transnationality, network dissemination, fragmentariness, fandom, material culture, etc. Students work in a Project Based Learning environment and collaborate on a digital studio suite to create and build experiential and educational resources on Early Modern literature and culture for use in schools, adult education programs, prisons, and other community centers. Using five main themes – canon, transnationality, transactionality, fragmentariness and fandom as the framework for our exploration we will read, analyze, and discuss five seminal works of the Spanish early modern period, from which we will tease out an interdisciplinary understanding of the cultural and aesthetic forces that shaped their critical interpretation and their international fame. In turn our approach will offer insights into the shaping of our own cultural and personal attitudes towards the role of literature and the arts in our lives. By focusing our attention on the challenged and changing meanings of literary fiction, this course aims to strengthen your skills of critical analysis. The course is organized in modules. Each module is composed of the same four blocks, respectively addressing a different dimension of the study of literature.

• Block 1 is a historical introduction to the work we are studying.
• Block 2 is an in-class close reading and textual analysis of selected excerpts from the work.
• Block 3 presents a critical essay by an expert in the field and asks the students to discuss it.
• Block 4 integrates the previous three by offering a panoptic view of the cultural influence that the work has had from the time of composition to today.

Within a module, each block exposes students to a different style of teaching and a different approach to studying humanities topics in general and Spanish literature in particular.

• Block 1 requires students to listen to a general introduction, usually -but not always!- via a PowerPoint. Information provided in block 1 can be found in any textbook or in Wikipedia.
• Block 2, the close reading, confronts students with understanding and interpreting excerpts of the original work. Preparatory reading of the assigned text is compulsory. All technology is forbidden in class.
• Block 3 works like a graduate seminar. Students will have read a critical essay in advance and will come to class prepared to discuss the critic’s interpretation. No technology.
• Block 4 opens our works to their context, and it heavily relies on internet search and the ability to integrate disparate information.

The course leverages on the deep-learning principles promoted by inquiry-based, project-based and experiential education. Every Friday our lesson will be conducted as a “making Lab” where we will use digital tools to design and build learning resources on Spanish literature and culture. In addition, the lab will serve as a primer to introduce students to the the process of devising and carrying to completion a digital project. Class flow and materials have been carefully chosen to fit your level of understanding. Thus, students are expected to come prepared for class according to the block’s required format. In my role as instructor, I will provide you with background information to the readings, make connections, clarify difficult concepts and ideas. I will not summarize the texts, since this is part of your job. However, if you do feel that you have trouble understanding any section, let me know and we will work through it together. A large percentage of the final grade is based on in class participation. In addition, we will have five ‘module preparation responses’ (MPR) during the course of the semester that will allow me to follow each student’s individual progress. The third portion of your grade depends on your performance as part of a collaborative team and on the completion of your final individual portfolio.