Subject: AIQS

Term: Spring 2024

AIQS 100: The Local and Global in Cleveland Popular Music (100/10964)

MWF 09:30-10:20 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Blake, G

For all its celebrated connection to rock and roll, Cleveland is home to a wide variety of musical genres: jazz, polka, hip-hop, punk, R&B, blues, pop, among many others. Cleveland is also a home on the move, a city of immigration and outmigration, and a city of waterways, bridges, and commuter rails. Yet Cleveland is a city of enclaves, borders, and social distance despite geographic nearness. In this seminar, we will ask a fundamental question: is music like a bridge that connects different people in the city or is it a border that structures divisions? To answer this question, we will explore recordings, obituaries, journalism, and archival material to understand the sound of the city over time. We will examine the links between dominant and subcultural music, analyze music's relationship to tourism, and reflect on how music defines Cleveland's place in the global imagination. Music, at once rooted in identity and as rootless as radio waves, presents an alternate lens for understanding the routes and rifts shaping urban life.

AIQS 100: The Local and Global in Cleveland Popular Music (101/10965)

MWF 10:35-11:25 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Blake, G

For all its celebrated connection to rock and roll, Cleveland is home to a wide variety of musical genres: jazz, polka, hip-hop, punk, R&B, blues, pop, among many others. Cleveland is also a home on the move, a city of immigration and outmigration, and a city of waterways, bridges, and commuter rails. Yet Cleveland is a city of enclaves, borders, and social distance despite geographic nearness. In this seminar, we will ask a fundamental question: is music like a bridge that connects different people in the city or is it a border that structures divisions? To answer this question, we will explore recordings, obituaries, journalism, and archival material to understand the sound of the city over time. We will examine the links between dominant and subcultural music, analyze music's relationship to tourism, and reflect on how music defines Cleveland's place in the global imagination. Music, at once rooted in identity and as rootless as radio waves, presents an alternate lens for understanding the routes and rifts shaping urban life.

AIQS 100: Urban Environmental Practices (102/10966)

TR 01:00-02:15 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Burkhart, M

At a time when more than 70% of U.S. residents live in metropolitan areas, efforts to regenerate the social and environmental health of urban spaces emerge as a paramount concern. This course addresses how many urban populations are pushing back against legacies of industrial pollution, chronic underinvestment, and food scarcity. Our course readings, films, and field experience suggest how regenerative urban ecological practices can model strategies for reclaiming the vitality of forgotten spaces while also providing a vehicle for community self-determination. Cleveland, as a city undergoing cultural and economic redefinition, stands as an ideal place to engage the work of contemporary environmental writers, filmmakers, community organizers, and urban planners. While we will focus on environmental transitions taking place in Cleveland, we will consider how similar dynamics play out in other deindustrializing cities. This seminar's driving questions include: How have people in cities forged meaningful relationships with urban environments? How do global histories, carried through the legacies of enslavement, immigration, and refugee resettlement affect the ways that current communities interact with urban environments? How might communities regenerate blighted city spaces, through practices such as urban farming, developing climate resiliency, and restoring green spaces? How might these locally driven community revitalization efforts unfold without displacing long standing residents through "green gentrification"? Through discussion-driven inquiry, writing (including journal entries and three more fully developed essays), as well as individual and small group presentations, this seminar offers nuanced understandings of the environmental histories that have shaped city spaces. Vitally, this course also offers critical perspectives that might contribute to the shaping of more equitable, environmentally just conditions in contemporary cities.

AIQS 100: Urban Environmental Practices (103/10967)

TR 02:30-03:45 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Burkhart, M

At a time when more than 70% of U.S. residents live in metropolitan areas, efforts to regenerate the social and environmental health of urban spaces emerge as a paramount concern. This course addresses how many urban populations are pushing back against legacies of industrial pollution, chronic underinvestment, and food scarcity. Our course readings, films, and field experience suggest how regenerative urban ecological practices can model strategies for reclaiming the vitality of forgotten spaces while also providing a vehicle for community self-determination. Cleveland, as a city undergoing cultural and economic redefinition, stands as an ideal place to engage the work of contemporary environmental writers, filmmakers, community organizers, and urban planners. While we will focus on environmental transitions taking place in Cleveland, we will consider how similar dynamics play out in other deindustrializing cities. This seminar's driving questions include: How have people in cities forged meaningful relationships with urban environments? How do global histories, carried through the legacies of enslavement, immigration, and refugee resettlement affect the ways that current communities interact with urban environments? How might communities regenerate blighted city spaces, through practices such as urban farming, developing climate resiliency, and restoring green spaces? How might these locally driven community revitalization efforts unfold without displacing long standing residents through "green gentrification"? Through discussion-driven inquiry, writing (including journal entries and three more fully developed essays), as well as individual and small group presentations, this seminar offers nuanced understandings of the environmental histories that have shaped city spaces. Vitally, this course also offers critical perspectives that might contribute to the shaping of more equitable, environmentally just conditions in contemporary cities.

AIQS 100: Urban Environmental Practices (104/10968)

TR 04:00-05:15 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Burkhart, M

At a time when more than 70% of U.S. residents live in metropolitan areas, efforts to regenerate the social and environmental health of urban spaces emerge as a paramount concern. This course addresses how many urban populations are pushing back against legacies of industrial pollution, chronic underinvestment, and food scarcity. Our course readings, films, and field experience suggest how regenerative urban ecological practices can model strategies for reclaiming the vitality of forgotten spaces while also providing a vehicle for community self-determination. Cleveland, as a city undergoing cultural and economic redefinition, stands as an ideal place to engage the work of contemporary environmental writers, filmmakers, community organizers, and urban planners. While we will focus on environmental transitions taking place in Cleveland, we will consider how similar dynamics play out in other deindustrializing cities. This seminar's driving questions include: How have people in cities forged meaningful relationships with urban environments? How do global histories, carried through the legacies of enslavement, immigration, and refugee resettlement affect the ways that current communities interact with urban environments? How might communities regenerate blighted city spaces, through practices such as urban farming, developing climate resiliency, and restoring green spaces? How might these locally driven community revitalization efforts unfold without displacing long standing residents through "green gentrification"? Through discussion-driven inquiry, writing (including journal entries and three more fully developed essays), as well as individual and small group presentations, this seminar offers nuanced understandings of the environmental histories that have shaped city spaces. Vitally, this course also offers critical perspectives that might contribute to the shaping of more equitable, environmentally just conditions in contemporary cities.

AIQS 100: Children's Picture Books (105/10973)

TR 08:30-09:45 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Byrne, C

Children's picture books not only introduce young children to basic ideas like what sounds animals make and how to count to ten but also to their culture's belief systems. In this course, we will take seemingly simplistic children's picture books and analyze the underlying messages and the "hidden adult" present in their illustrations and text. From The Cat in the Hat to Last Stop on Market Street to The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, we will analyze both well-known best-sellers and recent picture books with timely messages. To deepen our understanding of the picture books we study, we will also collaborate with local second grade students and community members who read, create, and/or distribute these books. The key questions we will explore and answer together include: What is a children's picture book? How do we analyze the visual arguments in picture books? What assumptions are made about the readers of these books? What function do the adult producers/ purchasers/ distributors of these books serve in the creation and circulation (or banning) of these texts? How are complex and difficult topics (like racism, death, and war) explored in works for children? By examining the underlying messages in these deceptively simple books, we can uncover surprisingly complicated visions of the world.

AIQS 100: Children's Picture Books (106/10974)

TR 10:00-11:15 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Byrne, C

Children's picture books not only introduce young children to basic ideas like what sounds animals make and how to count to ten but also to their culture's belief systems. In this course, we will take seemingly simplistic children's picture books and analyze the underlying messages and the "hidden adult" present in their illustrations and text. From The Cat in the Hat to Last Stop on Market Street to The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, we will analyze both well-known best-sellers and recent picture books with timely messages. To deepen our understanding of the picture books we study, we will also collaborate with local second grade students and community members who read, create, and/or distribute these books. The key questions we will explore and answer together include: What is a children's picture book? How do we analyze the visual arguments in picture books? What assumptions are made about the readers of these books? What function do the adult producers/ purchasers/ distributors of these books serve in the creation and circulation (or banning) of these texts? How are complex and difficult topics (like racism, death, and war) explored in works for children? By examining the underlying messages in these deceptively simple books, we can uncover surprisingly complicated visions of the world.

AIQS 100: Children's Picture Books (107/10975)

TR 01:00-02:15 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Byrne, C

Children's picture books not only introduce young children to basic ideas like what sounds animals make and how to count to ten but also to their culture's belief systems. In this course, we will take seemingly simplistic children's picture books and analyze the underlying messages and the "hidden adult" present in their illustrations and text. From The Cat in the Hat to Last Stop on Market Street to The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, we will analyze both well-known best-sellers and recent picture books with timely messages. To deepen our understanding of the picture books we study, we will also collaborate with local second grade students and community members who read, create, and/or distribute these books. The key questions we will explore and answer together include: What is a children's picture book? How do we analyze the visual arguments in picture books? What assumptions are made about the readers of these books? What function do the adult producers/ purchasers/ distributors of these books serve in the creation and circulation (or banning) of these texts? How are complex and difficult topics (like racism, death, and war) explored in works for children? By examining the underlying messages in these deceptively simple books, we can uncover surprisingly complicated visions of the world.

AIQS 100: Global Food Challenges: Climate, Health, & Equity (112/10981)

MWF 09:30-10:20 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Fejes, N

In this seminar, we will examine the environmental, social, and health consequences of our food choices. Among other topics, we delve into the history of agriculture and industrial agriculture; the impact of the global food system on climate change; food insecurity; environmental racism in the food system; Black and Indigenous ecologies; and food waste. We look at the food system as both a significant cause of ongoing social, health, and environmental issues and a crucially important lever to optimize environmental sustainability and human health through community-centered regenerative and transformative solutions. Students will also engage with food and sustainability initiatives on campus and in our Cleveland community and visit a farmer's market nearby.

AIQS 100: Global Food Challenges: Climate, Health, & Equity (113/10982)

MWF 10:35-11:25 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Fejes, N

In this seminar, we will examine the environmental, social, and health consequences of our food choices. Among other topics, we delve into the history of agriculture and industrial agriculture; the impact of the global food system on climate change; food insecurity; environmental racism in the food system; Black and Indigenous ecologies; and food waste. We look at the food system as both a significant cause of ongoing social, health, and environmental issues and a crucially important lever to optimize environmental sustainability and human health through community-centered regenerative and transformative solutions. Students will also engage with food and sustainability initiatives on campus and in our Cleveland community and visit a farmer's market nearby.

AIQS 100: Caskets and Corpses: The American Funeral Industry (108/10993)

MW 08:00-09:15 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Daniel, V

What do you want to happen to your body when you die? In the United States, you can be embalmed and buried in a beautiful cemetery, donated to science, or composted. If you prefer cremation, your ashes can be placed in an urn, added to a coral reef, or pressed into a diamond. Despite this seemingly endless array of options, however, the vast majority of corpses in American have one thing in common: they are handled by the funeral industry, which generates about $20 billion in revenue every year. But this is a rather modern development: it was not until the late 1800s that the funeral industry started to replace traditional forms of death care, in which families prepared the body at home. How and why did this change occur? How did the industry become so powerful and so profitable? How has it withstood and responded to its critics, who claim that funeral directors favor profits over people? In a nation that embraces individuality, why do most Americans end up at a funeral home? In this seminar, we will examine the origins, evolution, and growth of the American funeral industry, and we will explore some emerging alternatives to learn how American can use the power of consumer choice to regain control over the business of death. Finally, your writing assignments will involve primary source analysis, as well as a position paper that asks you to consider your own final end.

AIQS 100: Caskets and Corpses: The American Funeral Industry (109/10994)

MW 12:45-02:00 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Daniel, V

What do you want to happen to your body when you die? In the United States, you can be embalmed and buried in a beautiful cemetery, donated to science, or composted. If you prefer cremation, your ashes can be placed in an urn, added to a coral reef, or pressed into a diamond. Despite this seemingly endless array of options, however, the vast majority of corpses in American have one thing in common: they are handled by the funeral industry, which generates about $20 billion in revenue every year. But this is a rather modern development: it was not until the late 1800s that the funeral industry started to replace traditional forms of death care, in which families prepared the body at home. How and why did this change occur? How did the industry become so powerful and so profitable? How has it withstood and responded to its critics, who claim that funeral directors favor profits over people? In a nation that embraces individuality, why do most Americans end up at a funeral home? In this seminar, we will examine the origins, evolution, and growth of the American funeral industry, and we will explore some emerging alternatives to learn how American can use the power of consumer choice to regain control over the business of death. Finally, your writing assignments will involve primary source analysis, as well as a position paper that asks you to consider your own final end.

AIQS 100: Writing Math (110/10995)

TR 04:00-05:15 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

DeLong, J

Do math and writing even belong in the same classroom?! The question of how a productive relationship between mathematics and writing could possibly exist will shape our inquiry throughout the semester. You will reflect on the importance of effectively communicating mathematical concepts, whether via cutting-edge research articles or entertaining educational videos for the general public. You will also read mathematicians' writing about their personal experiences, such as Edward Frenkel's memoir Love and Math, tracing his journey from being a young man who had to scale a fence to sneak into a math lecture in the Soviet Union to becoming a professor, author, and even actor in the United States. In addition, you will use reading and writing to explore the professional culture of mathematicians, with attention to their ideas about collaboration, fairness, and inclusivity. And, you will venture even further into interdisciplinary territory by writing about the intersection of math and art. Overall, the goal of this course is for you to gain a greater understanding of math as a richly human and social activity while also developing the writing skills and audience awareness that will help you communicate more effectively on a variety of topics, both mathematical and not.

AIQS 100: Writing Math (111/10996)

TR 05:30-06:45 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

DeLong, J

Do math and writing even belong in the same classroom?! The question of how a productive relationship between mathematics and writing could possibly exist will shape our inquiry throughout the semester. You will reflect on the importance of effectively communicating mathematical concepts, whether via cutting-edge research articles or entertaining educational videos for the general public. You will also read mathematicians' writing about their personal experiences, such as Edward Frenkel's memoir Love and Math, tracing his journey from being a young man who had to scale a fence to sneak into a math lecture in the Soviet Union to becoming a professor, author, and even actor in the United States. In addition, you will use reading and writing to explore the professional culture of mathematicians, with attention to their ideas about collaboration, fairness, and inclusivity. And, you will venture even further into interdisciplinary territory by writing about the intersection of math and art. Overall, the goal of this course is for you to gain a greater understanding of math as a richly human and social activity while also developing the writing skills and audience awareness that will help you communicate more effectively on a variety of topics, both mathematical and not.

AIQS 100: Revenge, Violence and Laughter (114/10997)

MW 12:45-02:00 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Higgins, J

Why do laughter and revenge so often go hand in hand? In the third act of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, the play's title character, shortly after learning of several acts of grotesque violence enacted on his family - including the rape of his daughter and the killing of his sons - laughs uncontrollably. When asked why he's laughing, Titus gives two reasons. First, he says he has, "Not another tear to shed," and second, he says it's because continuing to cry would keep him from taking revenge on his enemies. This course will explore a series of artistic works where characters are victims and perpetrators of extraordinary acts of violence and injustice, and the response--either from the characters themselves or the audience--includes a grotesque laughter. We'll explore the reasons for this odd conjunction of laughter and revenge, asking the following questions: What is the relationship between pleasure and laughter on the one hand, and justice and revenge on the other? Is revenge, despite its violence, something to be cheered rather than mourned? Can laughter, as Titus suggests, help correct and fight injustice, where tears do not? Where is the line between an upright pleasure at justice being done and a sadistic enjoyment of suffering (even when those suffering are wicked)? Is artistic violence, when exaggerated or extreme, ridiculous rather than shocking? Class discussion will focus on the formal, ethical and social implications of art and literature. This is to say, we will not only discuss how authors get audiences to laugh at murder and dismemberment, but also the political and ethical results of inviting laughter at things like violence against women, genocide, and capital punishment.

AIQS 100: The American West on Film (115/10998)

TR 10:00-11:15 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Hoeynck, J

Few geographical areas in the United States contain as many tall tales and mythological figures as the American frontier. From an extreme point of view, the West is the only American myth because no other nation can claim the cowboy, the Native American, or the immigrant worker on the transcontinental railroad. And yet, each of these figures remains spectacularly diverse. We celebrate their variety and lionize their individuality in film, popular novels, and cultural criticism. From the visions of the New World to the conquest of the frontier, the color of the American West proliferates and transforms, defining our culture. In this course, we will investigate how critics have understood our fascination with the Western frontier. The class will broadly explore versions of the frontier in novels, films, and historical accounts. Reading about the history of the actual west, the course will then examine how the films of the twentieth century alter history in order to express the fantasies and anxieties of their own time. By studying both history and film, we will be able to interrogate manifest density and the myth of American exceptionalism. What makes the West such an integral part of our understanding of America? How has its actual history become myth? What does the American fascination with the cowboy, the Native American, or the outlaw imply about our nation?

AIQS 100: The American West on Film (116/10999)

TR 01:00-02:15 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Hoeynck, J

Few geographical areas in the United States contain as many tall tales and mythological figures as the American frontier. From an extreme point of view, the West is the only American myth because no other nation can claim the cowboy, the Native American, or the immigrant worker on the transcontinental railroad. And yet, each of these figures remains spectacularly diverse. We celebrate their variety and lionize their individuality in film, popular novels, and cultural criticism. From the visions of the New World to the conquest of the frontier, the color of the American West proliferates and transforms, defining our culture. In this course, we will investigate how critics have understood our fascination with the Western frontier. The class will broadly explore versions of the frontier in novels, films, and historical accounts. Reading about the history of the actual west, the course will then examine how the films of the twentieth century alter history in order to express the fantasies and anxieties of their own time. By studying both history and film, we will be able to interrogate manifest density and the myth of American exceptionalism. What makes the West such an integral part of our understanding of America? How has its actual history become myth? What does the American fascination with the cowboy, the Native American, or the outlaw imply about our nation?

AIQS 100: What is a Book? (117/11000)

TR 10:00-11:15 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Iammarino, D

Books are common objects in our everyday lives. They are containers for information, aesthetic objects, and cultural artifacts. Often all at once. Yet, the role and significance of this everyday object within our literary and larger culture is being scrutinized today with an intensity unseen since the 1450 invention of the printing press in the West. The diverse field of book arts is a place where such scrutiny not only exists, but is embraced. Book arts, or the umbrella term for art forms that range from traditional skills, such as papermaking, letterpress printing, and bookbinding, to new methods of artmaking inspired by the form and function of books, views the potential for the book to model new, radical forms of creativity, subjectivity, and political engagement. This course will explore the interdisciplinary and historical reaches of book arts to investigate the questions: What is a book? Is a book a functional object or an art object? Are books designed? How do you distinguish between a book's function and its form? How does book arts reflect or respond to cultural and technological changes in book production? And, how does the digital turn complicate these questions and their answers? In order to engage with these questions, this course will attempt to account for the book in light of the history of its production, materialization, publication, transmission, and reception. To begin to answer these questions, we will look at manuscripts, early printed materials, and book arts in-person and online. We will also be academically and creatively composing in this course as we pair traditional writing assignments with book-making activities, including making books, artist's books, and zines.

AIQS 100: You Are Here: Perspectives on the City (118/11001)

MWF 10:35-11:25 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Jim, B

This course examines the city as a physical space and a human experience that shapes our interaction with the world. Students will explore the topic of urban history from a variety of academic disciplines, literary genres, and ways of writing about our experience with cities. How and why are cities formed? How do we live in them? How do they shape our thinking and our beliefs about ourselves and the world? Students will engage with content from history, sociology, anthropology, and aesthetic philosophy to gain a rhetorical awareness of how scholars find meaning--and write about it--in the ever-changing phenomenon of cities. "You Are Here" is about acknowledging the advantages and limitations of one's position relative to the built world and using that as an opportunity and starting point for developing critical thinking skills and authorial agency. Students will refine their process of composing through assignments that ask them to reflect upon their experiences with cities; analyze the social, economic, and technological forces that inform the urban experience; and imagine the city of the future.

AIQS 100: You Are Here: Perspectives on the City (119/11002)

MWF 11:40-12:30 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Jim, B

This course examines the city as a physical space and a human experience that shapes our interaction with the world. Students will explore the topic of urban history from a variety of academic disciplines, literary genres, and ways of writing about our experience with cities. How and why are cities formed? How do we live in them? How do they shape our thinking and our beliefs about ourselves and the world? Students will engage with content from history, sociology, anthropology, and aesthetic philosophy to gain a rhetorical awareness of how scholars find meaning--and write about it--in the ever-changing phenomenon of cities. "You Are Here" is about acknowledging the advantages and limitations of one's position relative to the built world and using that as an opportunity and starting point for developing critical thinking skills and authorial agency. Students will refine their process of composing through assignments that ask them to reflect upon their experiences with cities; analyze the social, economic, and technological forces that inform the urban experience; and imagine the city of the future.

AIQS 100: You Are Here: Perspectives on the City (120/11003)

MWF 02:15-03:05 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Jim, B

This course examines the city as a physical space and a human experience that shapes our interaction with the world. Students will explore the topic of urban history from a variety of academic disciplines, literary genres, and ways of writing about our experience with cities. How and why are cities formed? How do we live in them? How do they shape our thinking and our beliefs about ourselves and the world? Students will engage with content from history, sociology, anthropology, and aesthetic philosophy to gain a rhetorical awareness of how scholars find meaning--and write about it--in the ever-changing phenomenon of cities. "You Are Here" is about acknowledging the advantages and limitations of one's position relative to the built world and using that as an opportunity and starting point for developing critical thinking skills and authorial agency. Students will refine their process of composing through assignments that ask them to reflect upon their experiences with cities; analyze the social, economic, and technological forces that inform the urban experience; and imagine the city of the future.

AIQS 100: Monster Studies (122/11005)

MW 03:20-04:35 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Kapelle, R

Pop-culture and scholarship alike have embraced the monster. Monster stories remain popular across many forms of media, with familiar characters reappearing again and again even as new creatures emerge to trouble our sleep. Meanwhile, scholars, fans, and other cultural critics discuss their significance. This course examines a set of medieval and contemporary monster stories and films for insight into the worldview that produced them, insight such as how a culture distinguishes between good and evil and where it places the boundaries of humanity. Course readings also include scholarly works and other analyses that explore the meanings and cultural uses of monsters. What kinds of fears do monster stories express? How can we explain the mix of attraction and revulsion that these tales evoke? How have particular monsters evolved to fit changing times? Assignments will include an essay in which students interpret a literary text using concepts from a foundational work of "monster studies." The semester will culminate with a project in which students construct an argument about a new story, placing it in relation to a tradition and a cultural context.

AIQS 100: Monster Studies (123/11006)

MW 04:50-06:05 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Kapelle, R

Pop-culture and scholarship alike have embraced the monster. Monster stories remain popular across many forms of media, with familiar characters reappearing again and again even as new creatures emerge to trouble our sleep. Meanwhile, scholars, fans, and other cultural critics discuss their significance. This course examines a set of medieval and contemporary monster stories and films for insight into the worldview that produced them, insight such as how a culture distinguishes between good and evil and where it places the boundaries of humanity. Course readings also include scholarly works and other analyses that explore the meanings and cultural uses of monsters. What kinds of fears do monster stories express? How can we explain the mix of attraction and revulsion that these tales evoke? How have particular monsters evolved to fit changing times? Assignments will include an essay in which students interpret a literary text using concepts from a foundational work of "monster studies." The semester will culminate with a project in which students construct an argument about a new story, placing it in relation to a tradition and a cultural context.

AIQS 100: Digital Literature (124/11007)

TR 02:30-03:45 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Kelly, K

Digital literature refers to literary works designed to be read or experienced on a computer. Such works encourage readers' active participation and often provoke multi-sensory engagement, asking readers to interact with the story through words, images, sounds, touch, and movement. In this class, we read various kinds of digital literature, including choose-your-own-adventure-style stories, narrative games, and media-rich interactive stories. We write about how these works use visual media, interactive features, and digital technology to tell their stories or make their claims in ways that promote readers' agency and engagement. Through seminar discussions, a wide range of reading and playing experiences, and substantial exploratory and analytical writing, we will consider how digital literature helps us understand our digital, networked culture.

AIQS 100: Jerusalem Then and Now (125/11008)

TR 10:00-11:15 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Kenan, Y

Jerusalem is a city with multiple names, a long and tumultuous history and myriad admirers. For millennia, it has been conquered, destroyed and rebuilt. People have killed and died for it, traveled from afar to see it, dreamed about it and written poetry and prose commemorating it. Why has this city captured so many people's imagination for so long? And what is it like to actually live in a city that has long been a symbol? In this course, we explore Jerusalem and some of its literary representations throughout the years. Why is it so sacred and to whom? Why has it been strategically important? Why does it continue to be the site of so much violence today? We examine these questions and more through an array of literary texts depicting Jerusalem across many years and perspectives: from the foundational religious texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, through epic poetry in the Middle Ages and up to poetry and short stories written during the violent national conflict of the past century. Along the way, we discuss central themes and topics such as sacred spaces, nationalism, symbolic meaning, violence and political power, and journey through Jerusalem's many lives.

AIQS 100: Narratives of Migration (126/11009)

TR 02:30-03:45 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Kenan, Y

Why do people migrate? What is the impact of the circumstances and context of such moves? How do immigrants write about moving to new locations--leaving their old home and arriving at a new one? In this seminar we explore the ways in which people narrate their experiences of migrating in a variety of contexts, as well as the political and cultural significance of such movement. We consider multilingualism and translation, identity, borders, and cultural encounters and differences--topics that continue to pervade our public discourse. In the first part of the seminar, we will examine a variety of reasons and contexts in which people migrate, and the implications of terms like immigration, asylum and exile. Then, in the second part of the seminar, we will apply these questions to one particular site, the United States, and consider the history and politics of immigration in the U.S. Our sources include literary texts, historical and legal documents, journalistic writing, personal narratives and film. We discuss these readings and the choices made in them in terms of word choice, audience and tone, in order to critically examine topics such as home, belonging and navigating cultural differences. Reflecting on these themes and choices, students formulate their own ideas, employing writing skills such as close reading, argument, and engaging with secondary sources.

AIQS 100: Narratives of Migration (127/11010)

TR 04:00-05:15 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Kenan, Y

Why do people migrate? What is the impact of the circumstances and context of such moves? How do immigrants write about moving to new locations--leaving their old home and arriving at a new one? In this seminar we explore the ways in which people narrate their experiences of migrating in a variety of contexts, as well as the political and cultural significance of such movement. We consider multilingualism and translation, identity, borders, and cultural encounters and differences--topics that continue to pervade our public discourse. In the first part of the seminar, we will examine a variety of reasons and contexts in which people migrate, and the implications of terms like immigration, asylum and exile. Then, in the second part of the seminar, we will apply these questions to one particular site, the United States, and consider the history and politics of immigration in the U.S. Our sources include literary texts, historical and legal documents, journalistic writing, personal narratives and film. We discuss these readings and the choices made in them in terms of word choice, audience and tone, in order to critically examine topics such as home, belonging and navigating cultural differences. Reflecting on these themes and choices, students formulate their own ideas, employing writing skills such as close reading, argument, and engaging with secondary sources.

AIQS 100: The Bioethics of Science Fiction (128/11011)

MWF 08:25-09:15 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Larson, S

When is a person really dead? Is a parasite part of the essential self? What obligations do clinicians have to patients? Should we prioritize bodily autonomy or community good in the face of a deadly outbreak? These questions are paramount not only to the field of bioethics--a branch of philosophy concerned with healthcare, medicine, and advances in biotech and science--but are also central concerns of the science fiction (SF) genre. In this course we will use writing to explore the ways SF texts deal with biomedical ethical, social, and legal issues. We'll explore topics like genetics, disability, research, AI, medical decision-making, and public health ethics through shows like The Twilight Zone, X-Files, and Star Trek as well as short fiction by authors like Octavia Butler, Ted Chiang, Nnedi Okorafor and Stephen King. Our goal as a class will be to consider how we can use our writing about the widely popular and accessible genre of SF to explore and communicate the ideas and arguments of biomedical ethics across modalities and audiences.

AIQS 100: The Bioethics of Science Fiction (129/11012)

MWF 09:30-10:20 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Larson, S

When is a person really dead? Is a parasite part of the essential self? What obligations do clinicians have to patients? Should we prioritize bodily autonomy or community good in the face of a deadly outbreak? These questions are paramount not only to the field of bioethics--a branch of philosophy concerned with healthcare, medicine, and advances in biotech and science--but are also central concerns of the science fiction (SF) genre. In this course we will use writing to explore the ways SF texts deal with biomedical ethical, social, and legal issues. We'll explore topics like genetics, disability, research, AI, medical decision-making, and public health ethics through shows like The Twilight Zone, X-Files, and Star Trek as well as short fiction by authors like Octavia Butler, Ted Chiang, Nnedi Okorafor and Stephen King. Our goal as a class will be to consider how we can use our writing about the widely popular and accessible genre of SF to explore and communicate the ideas and arguments of biomedical ethics across modalities and audiences.

AIQS 100: What Is College For? (130/11013)

TR 04:00-05:15 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Lucas, D

Why are we here? Not on this planet--that's another course--but here, at this university? What is the purpose of a university? What do we--as students, as faculty, as different communities--expect of such an institution? And what should those institutions expect from us? In this course we will explore historical and contemporary ideas of the university, and in our seminar discussions we will measure our own experiences against that history and those theories. We will place particular emphasis on the current state of the idea of the university, and the subsequent effects of those ideas on current university students. We will ask, for example, how cultural and societal notions of the university's purpose affect our expectations for our own time and work there. How and why do debates about the university present a stage for some of our most contentious societal questions? We will acquaint ourselves with the histories and contexts of some of these debates in order to address the complexities of our present moment. We will take up this debate ourselves in our daily seminar conversations. We will write and think in a variety of genres, including personal essays, critical analyses, and individual and group oral presentations.

AIQS 100: What Is College For? (131/11014)

TR 05:30-06:45 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Lucas, D

Why are we here? Not on this planet--that's another course--but here, at this university? What is the purpose of a university? What do we--as students, as faculty, as different communities--expect of such an institution? And what should those institutions expect from us? In this course we will explore historical and contemporary ideas of the university, and in our seminar discussions we will measure our own experiences against that history and those theories. We will place particular emphasis on the current state of the idea of the university, and the subsequent effects of those ideas on current university students. We will ask, for example, how cultural and societal notions of the university's purpose affect our expectations for our own time and work there. How and why do debates about the university present a stage for some of our most contentious societal questions? We will acquaint ourselves with the histories and contexts of some of these debates in order to address the complexities of our present moment. We will take up this debate ourselves in our daily seminar conversations. We will write and think in a variety of genres, including personal essays, critical analyses, and individual and group oral presentations.

AIQS 100: Housing Justice in the United States (132/11016)

MWF 02:15-03:05 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Lusher, K

Is having a home a fundamental human right? If so, why are so many people in America currently unhoused or struggling to make rent or cover a mortgage payment? Housing costs in American cities are at an all-time high, making it impossible for many to afford to live in the places where they work. In this course, we will explore social, political, and economic issues that impact affordable housing in urban areas. Affordable housing is defined as "housing on which the occupant is paying no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities," according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). However, about half of Americans struggle to find affordable housing where they live. We will explore the myriad of issues that have caused this housing crisis--lack of affordable housing, racial and economic inequalities, foreclosures, government regulations (and lack of)--through assigned readings and research-based assignments, including a study of a local Cleveland neighborhood and a mapping project. Some topics we will cover include gentrification, urban displacement, redlining, and homelessness.

AIQS 100: Housing Justice in the United States (133/11017)

MWF 10:35-11:25 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Lusher, K

Is having a home a fundamental human right? If so, why are so many people in America currently unhoused or struggling to make rent or cover a mortgage payment? Housing costs in American cities are at an all-time high, making it impossible for many to afford to live in the places where they work. In this course, we will explore social, political, and economic issues that impact affordable housing in urban areas. Affordable housing is defined as "housing on which the occupant is paying no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities," according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). However, about half of Americans struggle to find affordable housing where they live. We will explore the myriad of issues that have caused this housing crisis--lack of affordable housing, racial and economic inequalities, foreclosures, government regulations (and lack of)--through assigned readings and research-based assignments, including a study of a local Cleveland neighborhood and a mapping project. Some topics we will cover include gentrification, urban displacement, redlining, and homelessness.

AIQS 100: Objects of Literacy: The Technology of Reading (134/11018)

MWF 02:15-03:05 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Lyons-McFarland, H

This course explores the technology behind the act of reading, from oral traditions, to clay tablets and sticks, to paper and pen, to e-books and apps. Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write, but what is reading? What is writing? And how did we get where we are, where text is continuously around us such that we barely notice it any longer? Over the semester, we will explore how we record meaning and the labor behind the end result, even as we examine our own literacy practices, the combination of audience and author that each of us embodies. We will visit Special Collections at the Kelvin Smith Library, try our hands at manual presses at the New Gutenberg Annex, and create our own "objects of literacy," wherever that takes us. In addition, we will take the opportunity to be intentional about our own experience as literate individuals. We will practice academic methods of both reading and writing, calling upon our experiences and the wealth of knowledge around us to think about and react to the objects and processes we encounter. Through critical thinking and practicing rhetorical approaches, this class will help prepare you for future critical thinking and communication both in and out of academia.

AIQS 100: Love and Sex in Shakespeare (135/11019)

MWF 09:30-10:20 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Newlin, J

For many readers, William Shakespeare's works are inseparable from the concept of romantic love. Those "star crossed" sweethearts, Romeo and Juliet, are the most famous lovers in English literature, and thousands of wedding ceremonies have featured a reading of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116. But does that poem really a pledge of romantic fidelity, the oath of one promising to have and hold? Or is it, as the scholar Helen Vendler has argued, a vitriolic account of sexual jealousy? In this class, we will examine a broad cross-section of Shakespeare's plays and poems as we investigate what it was Shakespeare actually believed about the nature of romantic love and physical intimacy. What do the plays and poems have to say about "love at first sight," fidelity, jealousy, and consent? How does Shakespeare depict queer people and same-sex desire? Was Shakespeare's account of these issues reflective of his time--or did he subvert or challenge the views of love and sexual intimacy common to the Renaissance? In addition to gaining a finer understanding of Shakespeare's work and its historical context, we will examine how and why Shakespeare's account of romance and sexuality continues to resonate so strongly in the present. Students will develop skills of formal academic writing and research, as they engage these issues in a variety of formats, including traditional writing assignments and presentations.

AIQS 100: Love and Sex in Shakespeare (136/11020)

MWF 11:40-12:30 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Newlin, J

For many readers, William Shakespeare's works are inseparable from the concept of romantic love. Those "star crossed" sweethearts, Romeo and Juliet, are the most famous lovers in English literature, and thousands of wedding ceremonies have featured a reading of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116. But does that poem really a pledge of romantic fidelity, the oath of one promising to have and hold? Or is it, as the scholar Helen Vendler has argued, a vitriolic account of sexual jealousy? In this class, we will examine a broad cross-section of Shakespeare's plays and poems as we investigate what it was Shakespeare actually believed about the nature of romantic love and physical intimacy. What do the plays and poems have to say about "love at first sight," fidelity, jealousy, and consent? How does Shakespeare depict queer people and same-sex desire? Was Shakespeare's account of these issues reflective of his time--or did he subvert or challenge the views of love and sexual intimacy common to the Renaissance? In addition to gaining a finer understanding of Shakespeare's work and its historical context, we will examine how and why Shakespeare's account of romance and sexuality continues to resonate so strongly in the present. Students will develop skills of formal academic writing and research, as they engage these issues in a variety of formats, including traditional writing assignments and presentations.

AIQS 100: Love and Sex in Shakespeare (137/11021)

MWF 08:25-09:15 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Newlin, J

For many readers, William Shakespeare's works are inseparable from the concept of romantic love. Those "star crossed" sweethearts, Romeo and Juliet, are the most famous lovers in English literature, and thousands of wedding ceremonies have featured a reading of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116. But does that poem really a pledge of romantic fidelity, the oath of one promising to have and hold? Or is it, as the scholar Helen Vendler has argued, a vitriolic account of sexual jealousy? In this class, we will examine a broad cross-section of Shakespeare's plays and poems as we investigate what it was Shakespeare actually believed about the nature of romantic love and physical intimacy. What do the plays and poems have to say about "love at first sight," fidelity, jealousy, and consent? How does Shakespeare depict queer people and same-sex desire? Was Shakespeare's account of these issues reflective of his time--or did he subvert or challenge the views of love and sexual intimacy common to the Renaissance? In addition to gaining a finer understanding of Shakespeare's work and its historical context, we will examine how and why Shakespeare's account of romance and sexuality continues to resonate so strongly in the present. Students will develop skills of formal academic writing and research, as they engage these issues in a variety of formats, including traditional writing assignments and presentations.

AIQS 100: Science in Literature (138/11022)

MW 12:45-02:00 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Pecastaings, A

Science in Literature explores the treatment of scientific themes and the depiction of scientists in literature. This is not a course about science fiction: instead of envisioning future scientific advancements, Science in Literature pays close attention to the ways in which literary texts comment upon ongoing scientific debates and respond to the questionings of science. Science lives in the world, not aside from it, and literature shines a light on this truth precisely because it engages with scientific findings in ways that are often outside the purview of science itself. For instance, literary texts can consider the following questions: How do scientists factor in other, non-scientific facets of their lives (e.g., their fear of death or political pressures bearing on them) into their work? How does a given scientific item inflect our lived experiences and our understanding of our place in the universe? What is it like to live with such knowledge? What is it like to live in awareness of what we do not know about the natural world? Our readings will include Arcadia, Einstein's Dreams, and QED.

AIQS 100: Science in Literature (139/11023)

MW 03:20-04:35 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Pecastaings, A

Science in Literature explores the treatment of scientific themes and the depiction of scientists in literature. This is not a course about science fiction: instead of envisioning future scientific advancements, Science in Literature pays close attention to the ways in which literary texts comment upon ongoing scientific debates and respond to the questionings of science. Science lives in the world, not aside from it, and literature shines a light on this truth precisely because it engages with scientific findings in ways that are often outside the purview of science itself. For instance, literary texts can consider the following questions: How do scientists factor in other, non-scientific facets of their lives (e.g., their fear of death or political pressures bearing on them) into their work? How does a given scientific item inflect our lived experiences and our understanding of our place in the universe? What is it like to live with such knowledge? What is it like to live in awareness of what we do not know about the natural world? Our readings will include Arcadia, Einstein's Dreams, and QED.

AIQS 100: Science in Literature (140/11024)

MW 04:50-06:05 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Pecastaings, A

Science in Literature explores the treatment of scientific themes and the depiction of scientists in literature. This is not a course about science fiction: instead of envisioning future scientific advancements, Science in Literature pays close attention to the ways in which literary texts comment upon ongoing scientific debates and respond to the questionings of science. Science lives in the world, not aside from it, and literature shines a light on this truth precisely because it engages with scientific findings in ways that are often outside the purview of science itself. For instance, literary texts can consider the following questions: How do scientists factor in other, non-scientific facets of their lives (e.g., their fear of death or political pressures bearing on them) into their work? How does a given scientific item inflect our lived experiences and our understanding of our place in the universe? What is it like to live with such knowledge? What is it like to live in awareness of what we do not know about the natural world? Our readings will include Arcadia, Einstein's Dreams, and QED.

AIQS 100: Weird Fictions (141/11025)

TR 08:30-09:45 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

PInkerton, S

Most of us love to settle in with a reliably entertaining novel or movie. We can usually count on such stories to provide relatable characters, coherent plots, satisfying conclusions--and not to make us think too hard after a long day. But there are different, arguably deeper pleasures to be found in stories that are weird: the kind that challenge our minds and subvert our expectations. Such fictions tend to play around with more familiar modes of narration, often bending time and space, form and content, reality and illusion. Even the most discerning film buffs can't agree, for instance, whether the first or the second part of "Mulholland Dr." (2001) occurs in the dreams of a character who exists in the "realer" part. (Or whether neither portion can claim priority and "the real dreamer is elsewhere," as one critic has suggestively put it.) Works like these empower us, as readers and viewers, to become active participants in interpreting or even constructing the stories they present. In this seminar, you'll discuss and write about a diverse range of weird stories and films, taking their innovations and ambiguities as occasions to hone your skills as a reader, writer, and thinker. More broadly, these fictions will give you ample occasion to reflect critically on the kinds of stories we all tell ourselves and others, narratives that provide a sense of meaning and coherence--even when they can't quite be trusted.

AIQS 100: Weird Fictions (142/11026)

TR 10:00-11:15 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

PInkerton, S

Most of us love to settle in with a reliably entertaining novel or movie. We can usually count on such stories to provide relatable characters, coherent plots, satisfying conclusions--and not to make us think too hard after a long day. But there are different, arguably deeper pleasures to be found in stories that are weird: the kind that challenge our minds and subvert our expectations. Such fictions tend to play around with more familiar modes of narration, often bending time and space, form and content, reality and illusion. Even the most discerning film buffs can't agree, for instance, whether the first or the second part of "Mulholland Dr." (2001) occurs in the dreams of a character who exists in the "realer" part. (Or whether neither portion can claim priority and "the real dreamer is elsewhere," as one critic has suggestively put it.) Works like these empower us, as readers and viewers, to become active participants in interpreting or even constructing the stories they present. In this seminar, you'll discuss and write about a diverse range of weird stories and films, taking their innovations and ambiguities as occasions to hone your skills as a reader, writer, and thinker. More broadly, these fictions will give you ample occasion to reflect critically on the kinds of stories we all tell ourselves and others, narratives that provide a sense of meaning and coherence--even when they can't quite be trusted.

AIQS 100: Democracies in Crisis, Past and Present (144/11028)

MW 12:45-02:00 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Reader, L

What do you think of when you think about democracy? A voting system? Majority rule? A commitment to equal rights? Too much talk? A system that no longer works? For the past decade or so, global sentiment about democracy, particularly liberal, western-style democracy, has turned increasingly sour. This negativity is most apparent amongst Gen Z'ers and millennials. Some commentators argue that democracy is in crisis. One academic has even characterized our present moment as one of democratic recession. But is this accurate? In this course, we will explore the history of democracy, discussing the ways in which our understanding of this term continues to evolve and the ways in which democracy has been represented in popular culture. We will also explore the main challenge to democracy in the United States: nativist populism, a political movement or ideology that focuses on protecting the rights and well-being of the people who were born in a country (the natives) and promotes the idea of a strong national identity, often through criticism of existing political structures that reach directly to the people. Lastly, we will consider what, if anything, distinguishes our current democratic discontent from examples from the past.

AIQS 100: Democracies in Crisis, Past and Present (145/11029)

MW 03:20-04:35 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Reader, L

What do you think of when you think about democracy? A voting system? Majority rule? A commitment to equal rights? Too much talk? A system that no longer works? For the past decade or so, global sentiment about democracy, particularly liberal, western-style democracy, has turned increasingly sour. This negativity is most apparent amongst Gen Z'ers and millennials. Some commentators argue that democracy is in crisis. One academic has even characterized our present moment as one of democratic recession. But is this accurate? In this course, we will explore the history of democracy, discussing the ways in which our understanding of this term continues to evolve and the ways in which democracy has been represented in popular culture. We will also explore the main challenge to democracy in the United States: nativist populism, a political movement or ideology that focuses on protecting the rights and well-being of the people who were born in a country (the natives) and promotes the idea of a strong national identity, often through criticism of existing political structures that reach directly to the people. Lastly, we will consider what, if anything, distinguishes our current democratic discontent from examples from the past.

AIQS 100: Democracies in Crisis, Past and Present (146/11030)

MW 04:50-06:05 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Reader, L

What do you think of when you think about democracy? A voting system? Majority rule? A commitment to equal rights? Too much talk? A system that no longer works? For the past decade or so, global sentiment about democracy, particularly liberal, western-style democracy, has turned increasingly sour. This negativity is most apparent amongst Gen Z'ers and millennials. Some commentators argue that democracy is in crisis. One academic has even characterized our present moment as one of democratic recession. But is this accurate? In this course, we will explore the history of democracy, discussing the ways in which our understanding of this term continues to evolve and the ways in which democracy has been represented in popular culture. We will also explore the main challenge to democracy in the United States: nativist populism, a political movement or ideology that focuses on protecting the rights and well-being of the people who were born in a country (the natives) and promotes the idea of a strong national identity, often through criticism of existing political structures that reach directly to the people. Lastly, we will consider what, if anything, distinguishes our current democratic discontent from examples from the past.

AIQS 100: 13 Ways of Looking at Taylor Swift (147/11031)

TR 01:00-02:15 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Redekop, S

In 2014, Bloomberg declared: "Taylor Swift Is The Music Industry." Today, Swift's cultural impact is greater than ever--and extends far beyond the business of music. In this course, we will build a more complex understanding of Swift's cultural importance by examining how different genres of academic and public writing can illuminate a single subject in vastly different ways. Together, we will examine articles that study Swift from a wide range of vantage points, including data science, linguistics, musicology, law, literature, conservation science, psychiatry, business, gender studies, and behavioral science; as well as personal essays, op-eds, and social media posts. We will consider and compare different writers' goals, methods, and evidence, and use these insights to inform our own writing assignments and weekly discussions about Swift. Writing assignments for this course include analyzing Swift's songs and music videos; evaluating the genre and rhetorical moves of two articles about Swift; designing an educational museum exhibit about Swift for a general audience; and using academic research to develop an argument about Swift's significance to a specific social or professional community of your choosing.

AIQS 100: 13 Ways of Looking at Taylor Swift (148/11032)

TR 10:00-11:15 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Redekop, S

In 2014, Bloomberg declared: "Taylor Swift Is The Music Industry." Today, Swift's cultural impact is greater than ever--and extends far beyond the business of music. In this course, we will build a more complex understanding of Swift's cultural importance by examining how different genres of academic and public writing can illuminate a single subject in vastly different ways. Together, we will examine articles that study Swift from a wide range of vantage points, including data science, linguistics, musicology, law, literature, conservation science, psychiatry, business, gender studies, and behavioral science; as well as personal essays, op-eds, and social media posts. We will consider and compare different writers' goals, methods, and evidence, and use these insights to inform our own writing assignments and weekly discussions about Swift. Writing assignments for this course include analyzing Swift's songs and music videos; evaluating the genre and rhetorical moves of two articles about Swift; designing an educational museum exhibit about Swift for a general audience; and using academic research to develop an argument about Swift's significance to a specific social or professional community of your choosing.

AIQS 100: Marriage Plots (149/11033)

MWF 11:40-12:30 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Wiehl, J

Why do so many stories end with a wedding? Our course will consider the form of the marriage plot: we will look at how stories often begin with young(ish) people meeting and falling in love, and how the process of storytelling denies (or frustrates) their initial connection. Through the telling of the story, however, the young lovers overcome obstacles in myriad forms: controlling parents, financial insecurity or class differences, religious differences, even magical spells. We will think about what these stories do for their readers and viewers. We will also think about how various other stories--of riots, of government, of dissatisfaction with life--get couched in marriage plots. What is it about a marriage plot that ensures stability, satisfies our desires, and gives us such necessary closure? How does the form of "comedy"--for this is the overarching genre that relies so heavily upon marriage plots--work with and reshape the marriage plot over time? We will also briefly ponder how supporters of marriage equality have used the marriage plot. Finally, our investigation into the marriage plot will look at marriage plot comedies that refuse to conform to the typical marriage plot in dark humor. This course investigates the presence of the marriage plot across multiple literary genres: dramas, novels, film, and television. We will also read and view courtship narratives from across historical periods.

AIQS 100: Marriage Plots (150/11034)

MWF 02:15-03:05 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Wiehl, J

Why do so many stories end with a wedding? Our course will consider the form of the marriage plot: we will look at how stories often begin with young(ish) people meeting and falling in love, and how the process of storytelling denies (or frustrates) their initial connection. Through the telling of the story, however, the young lovers overcome obstacles in myriad forms: controlling parents, financial insecurity or class differences, religious differences, even magical spells. We will think about what these stories do for their readers and viewers. We will also think about how various other stories--of riots, of government, of dissatisfaction with life--get couched in marriage plots. What is it about a marriage plot that ensures stability, satisfies our desires, and gives us such necessary closure? How does the form of "comedy"--for this is the overarching genre that relies so heavily upon marriage plots--work with and reshape the marriage plot over time? We will also briefly ponder how supporters of marriage equality have used the marriage plot. Finally, our investigation into the marriage plot will look at marriage plot comedies that refuse to conform to the typical marriage plot in dark humor. This course investigates the presence of the marriage plot across multiple literary genres: dramas, novels, film, and television. We will also read and view courtship narratives from across historical periods.

AIQS 100: The Art of the Graphic Memoir (151/11051)

TR 11:30-12:45 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Dangerfield, C; Magearu, A

Graphic memoirs represent a unique genre of autobiographical comics exploring questions related to identity, history, and politics through the mediums of experimental art and literary storytelling. In this course, we will read three powerful graphic memoirs--Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, Thi Bui's The Best We Could Do, and Nora Krug's Belonging--which detail diverse migration journeys, as well as the historical upheavals, cultural tensions, and family connections that shape one's memory and sense of self. Through our class discussions and writing assignments, we will delve deeper into the art of the graphic memoir and analyze the ways in which authors represent their illustrated selves and their family relationships, engage with key historical events, rewrite dominant political narratives, and convey complex affective memories through visuals and textuality. We will take inspiration from these graphic memoirs in order to delve deeper into our personal and family histories and find creative ways to tell our own stories. Throughout the class, students will identify a key moment in their own past or in their family history and research it at length so as to produce their own autobiographical comic strips, zines, collages or visual narratives as part of their final projects. The research process may include consulting old diaries, browsing through family photograph albums, interviewing family members or friends, and placing the story in its historical, cultural, and political context through an analysis of its broader implications. Students will first draft a personal narrative paper, then put together a script for their creative project, and assemble their comic strips or zines. No previous arts experience is required for this class. Besides our explorations of key graphic memoirs, we will hold multiple in-class workshops on storytelling, visual techniques, and arts practices in which students will be able to develop their own creative approaches for their final projects.

AIQS 100: The Art of the Graphic Memoir (152/11052)

TR 02:30-03:45 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Magearu, A; Viscounte, A

Graphic memoirs represent a unique genre of autobiographical comics exploring questions related to identity, history, and politics through the mediums of experimental art and literary storytelling. In this course, we will read three powerful graphic memoirs--Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, Thi Bui's The Best We Could Do, and Nora Krug's Belonging--which detail diverse migration journeys, as well as the historical upheavals, cultural tensions, and family connections that shape one's memory and sense of self. Through our class discussions and writing assignments, we will delve deeper into the art of the graphic memoir and analyze the ways in which authors represent their illustrated selves and their family relationships, engage with key historical events, rewrite dominant political narratives, and convey complex affective memories through visuals and textuality. We will take inspiration from these graphic memoirs in order to delve deeper into our personal and family histories and find creative ways to tell our own stories. Throughout the class, students will identify a key moment in their own past or in their family history and research it at length so as to produce their own autobiographical comic strips, zines, collages or visual narratives as part of their final projects. The research process may include consulting old diaries, browsing through family photograph albums, interviewing family members or friends, and placing the story in its historical, cultural, and political context through an analysis of its broader implications. Students will first draft a personal narrative paper, then put together a script for their creative project, and assemble their comic strips or zines. No previous arts experience is required for this class. Besides our explorations of key graphic memoirs, we will hold multiple in-class workshops on storytelling, visual techniques, and arts practices in which students will be able to develop their own creative approaches for their final projects.

AIQS 110: Foundations of College Writing (100/10900)

MW 03:20-04:35 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Higgins, J

In this section of Foundations of College Writing, we will explore the relationship between writing, the university, and the "public sphere." Some of the questions that we will ask include: what is a "public" and what are the different ways that writing constructs and appeals to the public? How does a "public" prove similar to and different from a "counterpublic," an ostensibly narrower group of people who still encounter one another through writing and other forms of media? What role does the university play in creating and shaping publics and counterpublics? How does writing disseminate knowledge to a public? What role does writing play in shaping and moving public opinion and problems of public concern? In order to answer these questions we will read academic and non-academic writing discussing "the public," scholarly and non-scholarly articles that work to disseminate knowledge to publics, explore public spaces and public art, and read short excerpts, articles and documentaries where writers and public thinkers talk about writing and its ability to reach audiences. In some sense, the course topic is writing and its ability to reach an audience, and this will not only provide us with discussion and writing topics, but also help us develop and reflect on our current writing strategies and our ability to participate in academic conversations.

AIQS 110: Writing and Political Literacy (101/10901)

TR 02:30-03:45 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Hoeynck, J

This Academic Inquiry Seminar provides an introduction to various dimensions of academic life. It will be characterized by intense yet open-ended intellectual inquiry, guided by reading from primary as well as secondary sources, and will include practice in written and oral communication in small groups. The goals are to enhance basic intellectual skills of academic inquiry, such as critical reading, thoughtful analysis, and written and oral communication; to introduce basic information literacy skills; to provide a foundation for ethical decision-making; to encourage a global and multidisciplinary perspective on the learning process; to facilitate faculty-student interactions; and, in the most general sense, to provide a supportive common intellectual experience for first-year students at CWRU. More specifically, this Foundations Seminar will focus on writing literacy and political literacy with the broad struggles of the twentieth century as frameworks, including fascism, communism, liberal democracy, racism, and climate change. We will also explore our own relationships to writing (bad and good) while also investigating popular representations of writers in memoirs and essays. At its best, writing allows us to formulate academic arguments about situations that matter deeply to issues of personhood and justice. To that end, readings have also been incorporated which address complicated and violent political topics as well, so that students can begin to learn to incorporate their own interests in specific issues as a means of developing their expressive skills.

AIQS 110: Critical Literacy and Student Voices (102/10902)

TR 01:00-02:15 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Iammarino, D

The course structure of this section allows for us to spend more time and attention on your individual needs and goals as writers. You will learn academic writing conventions, rhetorical techniques, and various processes that you might apply in new writing situations. For our class, specifically, we shall investigate the broad questions: What is academic literacy? What is critical literacy? How is education power? How can students create change? In order to answer these questions, we shall read literacy narratives; explore academic and non-academic essays about the current state of the university, education, and activism; watch documentaries about literacy, language, and education; and perform archival research about the history of student voices at CWRU.

AIQS 110: Literacy and Life Stories (103/10903)

MWF 11:40-12:30 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Wolfe, M

Our section of AIQS 110 will focus on literacy narratives. We will explore questions such as: What is literacy? What does it mean to be able to read and write? How does the process of literacy learning shape our lives and our sense of self? Who gets to tell their own stories in their own languages? Who gets to teach (or even impose) their own views of language? We will discuss how autobiographers such as Jacqueline Woodson, Malcolm X, Frederick Douglass, and Richard Rodriguez interpret their life stories through the lens of literacy. We will read theories from scholars of literacy such as Deborah Brandt, Mary Louise Pratt, and James Paul Gee. Finally, we will reflect on how literacy has affected our own lives and how we can use these texts to better understand our own reading and writing as well as to contribute to others' literacy journeys.

AIQS 110: How I Learned to Read and Write (104/10904)

TR 04:00-05:15 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Iammarino, D

Reading and writing are crucial to being students, citizens, and professionals. And being able to do these effectively, and with intention, is what gives us power to affect the people, spaces, and ideas around us. How did you learn to read and write? Who taught you? Where did it happen? What did it help you to do? These may seem to be simple questions with easy answers, but literacy is a complex process and activity that lies at the core of who we are and how we are able to participate in our worlds. In this section of Foundations, we will think about what literacy means for each of us individually and as people in communities. We will examine our own literacy development and then the way our groups use language to achieve goals and how this language shapes us as members. Finally, we will analyze the role language plays in the debates and controversies that concern us in society: who has the right and power to speak? How do speaking and writing change us and our societies? Who has access to literacy? In our analysis, we will draw on readings from sociolinguistics, rhetoric, and writing studies in order to apply research and theories about language to our own lived experience as readers and writers in the world. Our projects will include reflective writing, reading responses, a literacy narrative, an ethnography of groups we belong to, and argument to take action on a social problem that negatively impacts our communities. We will also develop our oral communication skills through classroom discussion and debate, informal presentations, and a formal multimodal presentation.

AIQS 120: Food Matters: Dilemmas of Our Food Choices (100/10893)

MW 12:45-02:00 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Codita, A

While it goes without saying that eating is an essential human activity - we eat food to stay alive, some people may not consider the large scale implications of their food choices. What is food and what does it mean to make good food choices? Is eating meant to be healthy, ethical, pleasurable, or something else? Does it matter? This course will examine our everyday food choices as a site of inquiry where policies, health guidelines, ethics, cultural norms, and socioeconomic factors intersect. Through a variety of academic essays, journalistic texts, and memoirs, the course provides students with the opportunity to read and evaluate a myriad of controversies and debates around food. First, we will explore and complicate the ways in which we can define food, the purposes and reasons for which we eat, and how these connect with health, values, status, and culture. Second, it is important to examine and understand the larger social, economic, and ethical factors which contribute to what food choices are available to us and what foods we actually choose to eat every day. Through food as a window, this course aims to improve students' abilities to read and respond to sophisticated arguments. The weekly readings, daily class activities, and writing assignments will instruct students on how to write about food from various angles by considering the purpose and the audience for which they are writing, the position that they are putting forward, and the argument that they intend to make. Students will be expected to engage with weekly readings and participate in class discussions, complete three (shorter) essays and one longer research paper, and deliver two presentations.

AIQS 120: CHATing About Language to Write an Academic Paper (101/10894)

TR 01:00-02:15 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Vakili, P

This section of AIQS 120 is designed to focus on Academic Writing. To that end, students will need to master some skills such as outlining, drafting, revising, summarizing, and synthesizing. The course starts off by discussing the effectiveness of the Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), which examines how what people think interacts with what they do. We will use CHAT to study how people participate in the activity of writing over time with various tools, producing particular kinds of texts for particular goals in particular writing situations. Because our writing activity is very complicated, we use CHAT as one way to investigate, break down, and describe what's really happening when we're participating in complex writing activities. Our first project teaches us how to look at different perspectives of a genre and we will produce our own genre looking back at those CHAT elements. The next step includes more thorough research in which we will collect data and discuss our findings using our own understanding and perceptions along with some outside sources to support our own claims. Learning how to synthesize a research paper (using different sources) will prepare us to write a problem-solution paper in which you will identify a problem of interest to you and then propose solutions to that problem. This final project will give you an opportunity to practice everything you have learned in the course: critical reading, theorizing, and writing.

AIQS 120: CHATing About Language to Write an Academic Paper (102/10895)

TR 02:30-03:45 PM Jan 16-Apr 29

Vakili, P

This section of AIQS 120 is designed to focus on Academic Writing. To that end, students will need to master some skills such as outlining, drafting, revising, summarizing, and synthesizing. The course starts off by discussing the effectiveness of the Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), which examines how what people think interacts with what they do. We will use CHAT to study how people participate in the activity of writing over time with various tools, producing particular kinds of texts for particular goals in particular writing situations. Because our writing activity is very complicated, we use CHAT as one way to investigate, break down, and describe what's really happening when we're participating in complex writing activities. Our first project teaches us how to look at different perspectives of a genre and we will produce our own genre looking back at those CHAT elements. The next step includes more thorough research in which we will collect data and discuss our findings using our own understanding and perceptions along with some outside sources to support our own claims. Learning how to synthesize a research paper (using different sources) will prepare us to write a problem-solution paper in which you will identify a problem of interest to you and then propose solutions to that problem. This final project will give you an opportunity to practice everything you have learned in the course: critical reading, theorizing, and writing.

AIQS 120: Digital Citizenship (103/10896)

TR 10:00-11:15 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Wu, X

What is digital citizenship? How does it relate to social media and Internet regulations? What are the debates surrounding the digital world? How do these affect us, collectively and individually? In this class, we invite students from different disciplines to explore these questions. Course texts may include scholarly articles from different disciplines (e.g., business, engineering, psychology), news reports, and film/documentary. Students will participate in student-centered class discussions, which are designed to help them to think critically and make connections between their lives and the readings. Through free writing, reflection, peer feedback, revision and an argumentative research paper, students will understand academic writing as a process, and they will develop academic writing skills such as building arguments and conducting critical analysis. Students are encouraged to use multimodal ways (video, posters, etc.) to present their final projects.

AIQS 120: Digital Citizenship (104/10899)

TR 08:30-09:45 AM Jan 16-Apr 29

Wu, X

What is digital citizenship? How does it relate to social media and Internet regulations? What are the debates surrounding the digital world? How do these affect us, collectively and individually? In this class, we invite students from different disciplines to explore these questions. Course texts may include scholarly articles from different disciplines (e.g., business, engineering, psychology), news reports, and film/documentary. Students will participate in student-centered class discussions, which are designed to help them to think critically and make connections between their lives and the readings. Through free writing, reflection, peer feedback, revision and an argumentative research paper, students will understand academic writing as a process, and they will develop academic writing skills such as building arguments and conducting critical analysis. Students are encouraged to use multimodal ways (video, posters, etc.) to present their final projects.