1

    •      

ENG  371:  Literature  of  the  Pacific    

Spring  2013      

   

 instructor     Alice  Te  Punga  Somerville  email       atps@hawaii.edu  office  hours   Monday  2pm-­‐4pm  or  by  appointment    office       KUY223      Class  meetings    MWF     12.30-­‐1.20     KUY301      Course  content    Wendt’s  famous  description  of  the  Pacific  as  “so  vast,  so  fabulous  a  creature”  is  celebratory  and  inspiring  but  can  also  be  a  little  intimidating.  How  can  we  read  across  such  a  complex  region?  How  can  such  cultural,  historical  and  literary  diversity  lead  to  productive,  rather  than  confused,  conversations?  What  does  writing  look  like  in  the  Pacific  –  who’s  doing  it,  and  how?  –  and  how  is  our  view  of  Pacific  Literature  both  expanded  and  limited  by  where  we  are?  How  do  we  read  non-­‐Indigenous  writers  from  around  the  region,  and  how  do  we  engage  with  non-­‐Indigenous  perspectives  of  the  region?        

2

 The  course  is  structured  around  three  modules:  reading  the  Pacific  in  Hawai’i,  reading  around  the  Pacific,  and  reading  Pacifically.  The  first  module  focuses  on  reading  in  specific  place,  starting  with  Indigenous  Hawaiian  writers  and  turning  to  Pacific  writers  whose  Indigenous  links  lie  elsewhere  in  the  region  but  who  live  in  Hawai’i.  We  then  turn  our  attention  to  reading  around  the  Pacific  region,  starting  chronologically  with  a  focus  on  ‘foundational’  Pacific  writers  and  then  reading  spatially  when  we  engage  recent  texts  by  new  writers  from  each  of  the  three  major  cultural  groups  of  the  region.  Finally,  we  will  consider  what  it  might  mean  to  read  regionally  –  Oceanically,  as  suggested  by  Wendt  and  Hau’ofa  –  and  focus  our  discussions  by  reading  one  specific  novel.      As  well  as  seminar-­‐style  class  sessions,  our  time  together  will  also  be  spent  welcoming  guest  writers  to  read  for  us,  watching  films  and  participating  in  focused  writing  workshops.  Required  reading  not  listed  below  will  be  available  to  download  and  print  via  Laulima.    While  our  focus  in  class  will  be  on  Anglophone  creative  and  critical  texts,  students  who  are  able  to  read  outside  English  are  encouraged  to  use  their  research  and  shorter  writing  projects  to  pay  attention  to  texts  in  other  Pacific  languages  as  well.      Course  requirements  and  expectations    

• Attendance  and  participation  • Two  short  formal  papers  • Informal  and  semi-­‐structured  writing  assignments  • Two  group  presentations  • ‘Taking  it  to  the  people’  assignment  • Research  paper  

 In  order  to  pass  this  course  you  must  attempt  ALL  assessment  items.  Even  if  an  assignment  is  so  late  that  it  will  not  attract  many  marks,  you  must  attempt  the  assignment.          Class  attendance  is  mandatory.  Please  inform  me  by  email  before  class  if  you  are  unable  to  attend  because  of  extreme  circumstances.  Just  like  the  Pacific  region,  a  UH  classroom  is  diverse  and  fabulous.  All  voices  are  welcome,  and  we  have  a  collective  responsibility  to  ensure  our  discussions  are  inclusive  and  value  the  mana  of  each  person.  Our  class  will  be  a  shared  learning  environment:  please  come  prepared  to  participate,  interact  and  learn.        If  you  have  or  think  that  you  may  have  a  disability  and  therefore  need  some  support,  you  are  encouraged  to  contact  the  KOKUA  Program  for  students  with  all  disabilities  including  learning,  mental  health,  and  physical  disabilities.  Contact  KOKUA  at  808-­‐956-­‐7511  (V/T),  email  KOKUA  at  kokua@hawaii.edu,  visit  KOKUA  in  Room  013  Queen  Lili‘oukalani  Center  for  Student  Services,  or  visit  the  KOKUA  web  site  at  http://www.hawaii.edu/kokua/  for  further  information.  KOKUA  services  are  confidential  and  there  is  no  charge  to  students.      Required  texts    

3

 • Kaui  Hart  Hemmings.  The  Descendants  • Daren  Kamali,  Tales,  Poems  and  Songs  from  the  Underwater  World        • Emelihter  Kihleng,  My  Urohs      • Brandy  Nalani  McDougall  &  Craig  Santos  Perez,  Undercurrent  [download  from  iTunes]  • Chantal  Spitz,  Island  of  Shattered  Dreams  • Sullivan,  Wendt,  Whaitiri,  Mauri  Ola  • Albert  Wendt,  From  Manoa  to  a  Ponsonby  Garden  • Lani  Wendt  Young,  Telesa  –  The  Covenant  Keeper.  [download  from  Amazon.com]  • Vernice  Wineera,  Into  the  Luminous  Tide:  Pacific  Poems  

 The  course  texts  (except  for  the  iTunes  and  Amazon  downloads)  are  available  at  the  UH  bookstore.  Additional  short  texts  by  specific  individual  writers  from  around  the  region  and  key  critical  essays  will  be  available  through  Laulima.      I  expect  that  you  will  be  familiar  with  the  required  reading  before  you  come  to  class  each  day.  Read  the  texts:  make  your  own  notes  about  them,  come  with  questions  and  thoughts  about  them,  re-­‐read  them  as  much  as  you  can.  I  will  be  as  clear  as  possible  about  my  expectations  for  what  you  will  read  each  class.        Assessment       %  of  final  mark  

 Two  short  formal  papers  [2  X  15%]  

30  

Two  group  presentations  [2  X  10%]  

20  

Informal  &  semi-­‐structured  writing  assignments  [3  X  5%)  

15  

‘Taking  it  to  the  people’  assignment    

5  

Research  paper   30    

   30%   Short  papers      These  short  papers  are  5-­‐6  pages  in  length  and  should  be  arranged  in  clear  double-­‐spaced  paragraphs.  You  need  to  proofread  for  grammar  and  spelling.      This  isn’t  a  research  essay;  it’s  a  close  reading.  Hand  in  a  copy  of  the  text  on  which  your  essay  is  focused,  with  all  of  your  annotations  and  notes  scrawled  over  it,  along  with  your  close  reading.  Your  close  reading  should  identify  key  literary  features  of  the  text,  drawing  on  your  knowledge  of  literary  terms  and  Pacific  contextual  material.    

4

Paper  #1     (23  January)      Write  an  essay  about  Wendt’s  poem  “The  Ko‘olau.”    Paper  #2     (22  February)    Write  an  essay  about  ONE  text  by  a  Pacific  writer  (Kanaka  Maoli  or  Indigenous  to  elsewhere  in  the  Pacific  region)  who  is  based  in  Hawai’i.        20%     Group  presentations    Presentation  #1     (1  February)    With  your  group,  present  on  one  of  these  four  aspects  of  Hawaiian  literature  (we  will  decide  on  groups  and  topics  during  the  first  week  of  classes).    

• Oiwi  • Whetu  Moana  &  Mauri  Ola  • Hawaiian  language  writing  • Foundational  English-­‐language  writers:  John  Dominis  Holt,  Haunani-­‐Kay  Trask  

 Presentation  #2     (24  April)    With  your  group,  present  on  an  aspect  of  The  Descendants  that  you  agree  on  and  develop  through  your  discussions  as  a  group  and  in  class.  Use  the  phrase  “The  Descendants  is  Pacific  Literature”  as  a  starting  point  for  your  discussions.  Draw  on  the  range  of  things  you  know  about  Pacific  Literature,  and  consider  whether  as  well  as  how  the  text  might  be  considered  Pacific  Literature.        Make  sure  your  group  prepares  a  1  page  resource  to  distribute  to  the  class  (I  can  do  the  photocopying  if  you  get  it  to  me  at  least  a  day  early)  and  post  on  Laulima.  Your  group  will  have  a  maximum  of  TEN  minutes  for  your  presentation.      Your  presentation  will   be  marked  on   the  basis   of   successful   completion  of   the   task   (including  keeping  within   the   time   limit)   and   the   quality   of   your   verbal   and  written   contributions.   Your  group’s  verbal  presentation  should  identify  key  aspects  of  the  topic  you  have  chosen,  and  clearly  link   to   specific   stories   in   the   collection.   Your   written   resource   should   support   your   verbal  presentation,  and  must  be  proofread  for  grammar  and  spelling.        15%   Informal  and  semi-­‐structured  writing  assignments      You  are  to  write  3  short  pieces  (around  one  page  in  length),  which  have  a  combined  weighting  of  15%  of  your  overall  mark  for  the  course.  The  topics  for  each  report  are  listed  below.      These  reports  are  not  researched:  they  are  your  own  ideas  on  the  topic.  They  will  be  marked  on  the  basis  of  successful  completion  of  the  task  and  the  quality  of  your  answer.      

5

• 1       (14  January)    Write  a  response  to  ‘The  Ko‘olau.’  What  is  your  connection  to  Mānoa?  What  other  connections  do  you  have  around  Hawai‘i  and/  or  around  the  Pacific  and/  or  beyond  the  Pacific?  How  do  you  think  about  the  connections  between  ‘here’  and  ‘there?’    

• 2     (15  March)    How  do  you  read  a  text  that  is  written  in  a  language  you  don’t  understand?  As  a  reader,  how  did  you  respond  to  the  parts  of  Daren  Kamali’s  poetry  that  are  in  Fijian?  How  do  you  read  the  other  texts  on  the  course  in  which  writers  use  words  or  phrases  from  languages  other  than  English?      

• 3     (3  April)  Pick  one  character  from  Island  of  Shattered  Dreams  and  imagine  you  are  going  to  go  and  meet  them  for  lunch.  Choose  ONE  text  (poem,  short  story,  essay)  from  our  course  that  you  would  like  take  along  to  recommend  to  that  character;  explain  why.      10%     Taking  it  to  the  people    Taking  it  to  the  people.  Decide  on  a  public  venue  for  your  insights  into  Pacific  literature:  Wikipedia;  an  amazon.com  review;  a  ‘comments’  section  or  a  blog  or  website;  a  poster  or  handout;  a  facebook  quiz;  a  contribution  to  a  church  or  school  newsletter;  and  event;  or  come  up  with  another  idea  (run  it  past  me  first  –  and  keep  it  legal!).          30%   Research  paper     (1  May)    Produce  an  essay  about  ONE  aspect  of  Pacific   literature   that  appeals   to  you.  You  may  wish   to  focus  on  a  particular  text,  collection,  author,  nation-­‐state,  island,  region  etc.  Your  essay  needs  to  demonstrate  engagement  with  the  themes  of  the  course,  and  treatment  of  specific  texts  (critical  and/or  literary).  We  will  work  through  the  various  aspects  of  a  research  essay  in  class  time.  Your  essay  should  be  8-­‐10  pages  long  and  should  also  include  a  bibliography.    Your   research  essay  will   be  marked  on   the  basis  of   successful   completion  of   the   task  and   the  quality   of   your   answer.   Your   essay   must   demonstrate   that   you   have   developed   a   clear   and  relevant   research   question,   completed   appropriate   research   about   the   topic,   and   produced  careful  readings  of  specific  Pacific  texts.  At  this  level  of  study,  there  is  an  expectation  that  your  essay   is  well   structured,   clearly   expressed,   proofread   for   grammar   and   spelling,   and   correctly  referenced.  Each  argument  you  make  should  be  well  supported  by  specific  textual  references.      The  fine  print    Written  assignments  are  due  at   the  BEGINNING  of   class   time   (12.30pm)  on   the  date  noted   in  this  course  outline.  Bring  assignments  to  class  with  you  and  hand  them  in  before  class  begins.  Papers   turned   in  at   the  end  of  class   time   (or  by  someone  else  or  electronically,  unless  a  prior  arrangement  has  been  made)  will  be  marked  as  one  day  late  (ie  handed  in  during  the  first  day  after  the  deadline).      

6

Feedback   is  provided   through   letter  grades   (A+   to  F)  and  written  comments.   If  any   comments  are   unclear   or   confusing,   please   arrange   to   talk   to   me   directly   about   your   concerns.   When  calculating   final   grades,   the   letter   grades   are   linked   to   a   numerical   system   which   will   be  available   on   Laulima.   Grades   are   assigned   according   to   the   quality   of   individual   assignments  rather  than  on  a  ‘curve.’    Extensions   will   be   granted   only   in   exceptional   and   unforeseen   circumstances.     Issues   of  workload   do   not   constitute   exceptional   and   unforeseen   circumstances.   If   you   require   an  extension,   contact  me   as   soon   as   possible   by   email   and/   or   in   person.   Your   request  must   be  followed  up  by  relevant  documentation  (eg  a  medical  certificate)  as  soon  as  possible.      Late  work  attracts  a  penalty  of  one  grade  step   (eg  A   to  A-­‐  or  C-­‐   to  D+)   for  each  day  after   the  deadline.  Where  an  extension  has  been  granted  this  penalty  will  not  apply.  In  the  case  of  work  which   is  turned  in  after  an  agreed  extended  deadline,  the  deduction  will  be  for  each  day  after  the  agreed  deadline.      Academic  dishonesty  is  not  tolerated  in  this  course.  Plagiarism  is  when  you  represent  someone  else’s  work  (creative  or  critical)  as  your  own.  This  includes  instances  in  which  you  do  not  provide  adequate   referencing   for   ideas   you  are  writing  about  as  well   as   clear   cases  of   ‘cut   and  paste’  from  another   source.  We  will  discuss  plagiarism   in  class  early   in   semester;   if   you  are  not   sure  about  whether  something  is  or  isn’t  plagiarism,  contact  me  directly  rather  than  taking  a  gamble.    Remember  that  even  if  you  are  panicked  because  of  a  deadline  or  other  concern,  plagiarism  is  never   worth   the   risk   –   it’s   easy   to   spot   and   I   will   treat   every   case   seriously.   Any   academic  dishonesty   will   be   dealt   with   systematically.   Depending   on   the   severity   of   the   instance,   the  assignment  will  receive  a  numerical  grade  of  0  or  the  entire  course  will  be  failed.    Any  student  who  submits  a  second  piece  of  plagiarized  work  will  fail  the  course  automatically.    While  our  focus  in  class  will  be  on  Anglophone  creative  and  critical  texts,  students  who  are  able  to  read  outside  English  are  encouraged  to  use  their  research  and  shorter  writing  projects  to  pay  attention  to  texts  in  other  Pacific  languages  as  well.                                      

7

       Course  program    Week  starting  

M   W   F   writing  

7  Jan   Introduction   Foundations  of  Literature  in  the  Pacific  

Wendt  “The  Ko‘olau”      

 

14      

Representing  the  Pacific  1  

Representing  the  Pacific  2  

Representing  Hawai’i  

MON  informal  1  due  

       

 Reading  the  Pacific  in  

Hawai‘i    

   

21      

MLK  day   Hawaiian  writers  in  Mauri  Ola  

Hawaiian  writers  in  Mauri  Ola  

FRI  short  paper  1  due  

28      

McDougall    

McDougall    

Group  presentation  1:  Hawaiian  literature    

 

4  Feb      

Wineera   Wineera   *  ‘Words  in  the  world’  conference  

 

11      

Wineera/  Wendt    

Wendt   Wendt    

18      

President’s  Day   Sinavaiana    (on  Laulima)  

Guest   FRI  short  paper  2  due  

25      

Perez   Perez   Perez  &  texts  on  Laulima    

 

     Reading  around  the  

Pacific    

   

4  Mar      

Mauri  Ola  &  texts  on  Laulima    

Mauri  Ola  &  texts  on  Laulima  

Workshop  on  research  essays  

 

11      

Kihleng    

Kihleng    

Kihleng/  Kamali    

 

8

18      

Kamali   Kamali   Kamali/  Spitz   FRI  informal  2  due  

25      

SPRING  BREAK      

   

1  Apr      

Spitz   Spitz   Spitz/  Telesā    

WEDS  informal  3  due  

8      

Telesā   Telesā   Telesā/  short  film    

     Reading  Pacifically  

 

   

15      

Reading  Pacifically:  Spitz/  Telesā/  The  Descendents  

The  Descendents   The  Descendents    

FRI  ‘Taking  it  to  the  people’  due  

22      

The  Descendents   Group  presentations  2:    The  Descendents  

Reading  Pacifically:  across  the  course  

 

29      

Reading  Pacifically:  return  to  “The  Ko‘olau”  

Last  day     WEDS  final  paper  due