Course Policies

Required Texts:
Almond, Skellig
Barrie, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and Peter and Wendy
Crew, The Watertower
Dahl, The Witches
Hallett and Karasek, Folk and Fairy Tales
Hoffman, Struwwelpeter
Matsushita, Descendants of Darkness
Pullman, The Golden Compass
Stephenson, The Diamond Age
Tatar, Off with their Heads!

Course Description and Goals: My first impulse was to write something similar to, "Once-upon-time, there existed a class in the land of Texas, in an enchanted place named Commerce, entitled Oral Tradition and Modern Children's Fantasy. The students assembled from many parts of the land in this place to explore the numerous connections between the ancient art of telling tales to what we now call modern fantasy. They were a brave lot, ready to slay dragons (perhaps some Bettelheim, Freud, and Bakhtin) and make the land of tales their own." But I won't write that. Instead, I'll provide something more traditional.

We will indeed be exploring the oral tradition in connection with modern children's fantasy, but I should note that not all of the texts we read are associated with children (Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer is the most obviously distant, but you will see why I have chosen it once we read it). We're in a bit of a quandary when it comes to the "oral tradition" because once a folk tale is written down, it no longer belongs to the oral tradition. Rather, it morphs into a literary tale and potentially becomes somewhat static. But we won't let that stop us. Thus, we will begin with an attempt to understand the foundations of today's fantasy by looking at yesterday's fantasy. We will examine the ideologies associated with the folk and fairy tales and contemporary, the purposes of the genres, and how they have changed, including the hand that Disney and other filmmakers have played in the changes.

Additionally, you will go through the process of writing an abstract, giving a conference-style presentation, and writing an article-length paper to familiarize you with children's literature scholarship.

Grading and Assignments:
Thinkers: 25 points total
Article Presentation: 50 points
Abstract: 25 points
Article-length Paper: 100 points
Mock Conference-style Presentation (and audience response): 75 points (you will not hand in the conference paper)

Thinkers: One of the most empowering strategies for scholars is to formulate interesting, stimulating, and provocative questions and observations-questions and observations that make us think. Thus, every week, I request that you submit to everyone (including me) via e-mail questions or observations regarding that week's readings. Design these questions and observations in a way that will lead to sustained and productive class discussions. Send these questions by 10:00 p.m., Monday evening. Everyone needs to print out these questions/observations and be thinking about them.

Article Presentation: Find an article in a scholarly journal (or chapter from a scholarly text) that would be helpful in understanding some facet of children's fantasy or the oral tradition. For instance, Bakhtin's work on the carnivalesque might offer insights (see for instance Joel Chaston's take on Bakhtin and Oz), noir and The Watertower, or you can find an article that deals specifically with a text we're reading or fantasy in general. You will need to give a copy of the article to everyone the week before you give your presentation. You'll also want to provide some kind of handout that helps us understand your perspective on the article. Your presentation should be about 30 minutes, so make certain this is something you can discuss for that length of time.

Abstract: This is in preparation for your article-length paper and conference presentation. Your abstract should not exceed 500 words and should include a bibliography (not included in the word count). It should resemble an abstract that you would actually submit.

Article-length Paper. You will write an article-length paper (20-30 pages) that explores some facet of children's fantasy and provides original scholarship on your topic. You will need to examine several scholarly journals to determine what would be an appropriate approach. This paper will be used as the basis for the mock conference presentation.

Mock Conference Presentation: During the last two or three class periods (including the finals period), we'll construct a mock conference wherein you will draw from your article-length paper. The conference will probably consist of 5 panels of 3 people or 4 panels of 4. Each panel will have one hour to present, which will include a QA session of about 20 minutes. Everyone needs to participate in the QA as time allows, as that will be part of your conference grade.

Theoretically, by the time you conclude this class, you will be prepared to send an abstract, attend a conference with paper in hand, and submit an article to a journal.

A Note on Terms: I'm using the term children quite broadly in this course for several reasons. First, it's near impossible to define "children" to everyone's satisfaction, especially in terms of "their" literature. An eleven-year-old child might enjoy Pullman's His Dark Materials, and an eighty-year-old might read Harry Potter. Children seldom write the stuff; adults do. And ultimately, publishers, librarians, and parents generally determine what children will read. As for "modern," I'm not using the term as say a "Modernist" would. I'm associating it with contemporary. But as you can see, contemporary is up for grabs as well since I've included Peter Pan (1906) and The Golden Compass (1996). As for fantasy, well, another problematic term. Some include science fiction in fantasy, others don't. And it's all a fantasy anyway, really, for it is, after all, fiction.

A Note on Handouts: I will provide handouts in two ways. You can make copies of the handouts that are located in the copy room of the English Dept. office, or you can access them through Educator (Course Materials, Handouts) in PDF.

Attendance and Participation: I don't reward attendance, for I expect it from you as professionals. I will, however, lower grades for unexcused absences. Additionally, if you are absent on a day an assignment is due, you nevertheless need to make certain I receive that assignment when it is due unless other arrangements have been made.

Academic Honesty: You are responsible for indicating when you have used specific words, sentences, or paragraphs, which belong to other writers. These words, sentences, or paragraphs should be designated via quotation marks and in-text citations. Additionally, identify when you use ideas from other sources. If you use the exact wording of something you've read or if you paraphrase it, provide a specific citation indicating where you found your information. If in question, cite it, and indicate that you've cited it by using quotation marks and in-text citations. Think of it in these terms: knowledge is a commodity, especially in the academic community. If you had a brilliant idea, or a wonderful way with words, would you like it if someone used your idea or words without acknowledging you? In short, I will fail papers that are copied or that do not acknowledge sources. If you have questions, ask me, and I will help you. If I discover a paper has been plagiarized, I will fail the paper, which will likely result in an F for the class. Further, according to the Texas A&M University-Commerce Code of Student Conduct 5.b[1,2,3], penalties for students guilty of academic dishonesty include disciplinary probation, suspension, and expulsion. See also the following link: http://www.ilstu.edu/~ddhesse/wpa/positions/WPAplagiarism.pdf

Classroom Etiquette: Students are expected to be civil, polite, and accommodating to differences of opinion. University policy provides the means for dismissing students who do not meet these requirements, and I will take politeness very seriously.

Americans with Disabilities Act Statement: According to TAMU-Commerce policy, "Students requesting accommodations for disabilities must go through the Academic Support Committee. For more information, please contact the Director of Disability Resources and Services, Halladay Student Services Building, Room 303D, 903-886-5835." It is only under these conditions that I will make the accommodations you require.