LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By end of term, students will demonstrate:
- The ability to read texts closely.
- The ability to interpret meaning in select Ukrainian texts and articulate how meaning is situated within Ukrainian social, cultural, historical, and/or ecological contexts.
- The ability to write clear and effective English prose.
This course also meets Geneseo’s General Education requirements for:
- Contemporary Global Challenges (CGC): Students (i) understand local and global networks, systems, and interdependencies; and (ii) apply global perspectives in addressing challenges and solving problems.
- Creativity and Innovation (CAI): Students understand and reflect on (i) creative expression, art, and invention as foundational to culture and inclusive societal betterment; and (ii) the relationship between individual creative work or innovation and wider contexts.
And SUNY General Education framework for: Humanities (HUMA). Students will (i) demonstrate knowledge of the conventions and methods of at least one of the humanities; and (ii) recognize and analyze nuance and complexity of meaning through critical reflections on text, visual images, or artifacts.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
1.) Three books:
- FICTION – Grey Bees by Andrey Kurkov, translated by Boris Dralyuk, 2022. Deep Vellum, ISBN 1646051661.
- POETRY – Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky, 2019. Graywolf Press, ISBN 1555978312.
- NONFICTION – A Loss: The Story of a Dead Soldier Told by His Sister by Olesya Khromeychuk, 2023, second edition. ibidem Press, ISBN 3838218701.
2.) Laptop:
- Other assigned readings (short stories, poems, articles, etc.) will be available on Canvas.
- Most assignments will be submitted on Canvas.
COURSE ASSESSMENT
Reading Journal – 20%
Response Papers – 30%
Participation – 20%
Podcast – 30%
Reading Journal – 20%
Before nearly every class session, you will fill out your reading journal and answer the following questions in response to that day’s assigned reading. Please number your responses accordingly.
1.) What is one word, phrase, image, or sentence that caught your attention from today’s assigned reading? How do you see that moment functioning? What does that moment reveal to you about the text’s themes, characters, etc.? Does this moment connect to anything else we’ve read in the course? (Please include the page number when you cite your excerpt.)
2.) How does today’s reading address a contemporary challenge or problem? It could be identifying/describing a problem, suggesting a solution to a problem, or enacting a solution (or perhaps all three). This need not apply only to Ukraine or to the Ukrainian context.
3.) Write 1-2 questions you have about today’s reading. Perhaps something that’s still unclear to you, or something you’d like to discuss further with the class.
Each reading journal entry should be a minimum of 300 words and must include the word count, the reading assignment, and the date at the top of the page. It should be submitted on Canvas no later than 11:30am on the days indicated on the syllabus and must be a standalone Microsoft Word document or a PDF (no Google docs, please). There will be a total of 16 reading journal entries for the semester, and late reading journal entries will generally not be accepted. We will often begin class by asking individual students to share their reading journal responses, so please come prepared for each session, and bring your reading journal to every class. I will select certain reading journal dates at random to grade. Late reading journal submissions are not accepted.
Response Papers – 30%
Students will compose 3 responses papers during the semester. These will be an opportunity for you to practice the course learning objectives: reading texts closely; writing clearly and effectively; and interpreting meaning in Ukrainian texts while drawing connections to themes and contexts. Detailed instructions for the response papers will be provided separately. Response paper due dates are as follows:
Tues. Feb. 7 – response to “The Ukraine” by Chapeye
Tues. Mar. 7 – response to Grey Bees by Kurkov
Thurs. Apr. 13 – response to Deaf Republic by Kaminsky OR A Loss by Khromeychuk
Participation – 20%
Because the success of a scholarly community like this one depends on fostering an atmosphere of respectful dialogue and collective curiosity, you will earn credit for the effort you put into helping build that community. In order to gain full participation credit, students must demonstrate the following:
- Active engagement with course readings and in class discussions. It is expected that you will carefully read each assigned text, make every effort to attend class, have the assigned readings available in front of you, and share your thoughtful impressions of the work. If attending proves to be difficult and you end up missing 3 or more classes, please speak with me so we can determine a reasonable way for you to make-up those lost engagement hours. Due to the ongoing public health crisis, I will not deduct points solely for missed attendance this semester (please stay home if you are feeling sick), so long as students contact me if they miss 3 or more classes and an alternative mode of course engagement is agreed upon. (Most students chose to submit a written response to the day’s readings that goes beyond the reading journal requirements, or they meet with me during office hours to discuss the readings.) If a student fails to contact the instructor after missing 3 or more classes, and thus does not propose an alternative mode of engagement, the student will not receive full participation points for this section. On occasion, students will be asked to demonstrate their engagement with the course readings via in-class quizzes and other forms of assessment that fall under this category.
- Active engagement with writing prompts and class activities. On most days, we will use the course texts as springboards for analyzing, creating, writing, and sharing together, whether as a class, in small groups, or in pairs. It is expected that you will make an earnest effort to attempt each writing prompt and classroom activity, including being respectful, attentive, and engaged when your classmates are sharing their work.
- Attend Ilya Kaminsky’s reading on Sun. Apr. 2nd from 4:00-5:00pm. Kaminsky will be at the Webb Auditorium at RIT in Rochester for a free public reading and book signing. If you can’t make it on Apr. 2nd, there will be an alternative event two weeks later—a stage play of Deaf Republic on Saturday Apr. 15 at 2:00pm, also at RIT ($5 for a student ticket)—which you can attend for credit. I will be attending both events and am happy to provide a ride for students who need one, and help coordinate carpools. Please mark your calendar now for the reading on Apr. 2nd.
- Adherence to tardy and technology etiquette policy. See explanation below under Course Policies.
Podcast – 30%
In her article “Where Is Ukraine?” historian Olesya Khromeychuk asks why Ukrainian culture—that is, the culture belonging to the largest country entirely in Europe—has often been considered by outsiders as “minor” or insignificant, unworthy of study or attention. She proposes a paradigm shift: “Let us boycott the remnants of our own imperialist view of the world and focus our energies on getting to know the culture that doesn’t seem to be there: Ukrainian culture.” In response to Khromeychuk’s proposal, students will create short podcasts for public listeners that examine assigned course texts and place them in conversation with one another—a way to both demonstrate your own learning and an invitation for others to encounter a culture that has been historically marginalized. It’s also a chance for you to consider and articulate what you believe non-Ukrainians can learn from the work of Ukrainian writers, artists, and activists.
COURSE READINGS
As this is a college-level literature course, you will generally be asked to read between 10-60 pages for each class period. If you do not intend to complete the assigned readings or participate in class discussions, this course will likely not be a good fit for you. Please bring the readings with you to every class. I reserve the right to add or subtract assigned readings from this syllabus as needed during the semester, and will notify students in advance of any changes.
Please be aware that our course readings involve topics such as war and violence, colonialism, suicide, and other difficult subject matter. I trust that together we will create a charitable environment in which a certain level of discomfort can be productive for our learning, but please speak with me if you have questions or concerns about specific content; I am happy to discuss accommodation options. If you need to skip a seminar where we’ll be discussing a topic that is especially difficult for you, you may do so.
I don’t expect that you will necessarily love everything you read in this class, but I do expect you to approach each syllabus author with respect, an open mind, and a genuine curiosity about what their text can teach us. Evidence indicates that Russia is currently committing genocide against Ukrainians.* During the semester we’ll discuss how literature and culture are not exempt from such political violence, and whether it’s possible for our engagement with Ukrainian culture to be a mode of solidarity. Thus, it is expected that students will approach their work in the course with thoughtful seriousness and a sensitivity to this larger context.
*Note: An independent legal report signed by over 30 global experts in the spring of 2022 found that Russia is responsible for “direct and public incitement to commit genocide” and “a pattern of atrocities from which an inference of intent to destroy the Ukrainian national group in part can be drawn.” According to evidence cited in the report, Russia is in violation of Article II and Article III(c) of the UN Convention on the Prevention of Genocide.
SCHEDULE
If a reading is listed under a seminar date, then it should be read for that date. For example, prior to our meeting on Thursday January 26, please read the essay “Where Is Ukraine?” by Olesya Khromeychuk (available on Canvas), submit your Reading Journal #1 on Canvas by 11:30am, and come prepared to discuss your thoughtful impressions of Khromeychuk’s work with the class.
