ENG 316 REPETITION

We repeat or are forced to repeat numerous aspects of our daily lives. These repetitions can be patterns of which we are too well aware but can also take forms less readily recognized. What is the effect of these repetitions on our lives and those of others? This course studies repetition’s daily iterations in and on US black lives. We will use literature, film, music, and photography to try to grasp its impact. We will ask: how do we recognize repetition? Can we make use of it? Can we escape it? The course may include works from Charles Burnett, William Faulkner, Gayl Jones, Pauline Hopkins, and Lorna Simpson.