>Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 18:43:09 -0500
>From: Rocio Quispe-Agnoli <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: RE: José Antonio Madrigal to Frank
>Domínguez : Re: Literatura y los programas académicos
>To: "A. Robert Lauer" <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask]
>
>Dear Tony (Madrigal):
>Just to point out --interesting "coincidence"--
>that when I teach Literary Theory (a required
>course in our PhD program) I start with
>Aristotle's Poetics. My course ends up with
>today's Poscolonial Theories. I commit only one
>week to 20th century feminist theories (and many
>of my GS are quite disappointed). When this
>course is taught by my colleagues, they start in
>the 1950s (i.e. before 1950, there was no critical thinking).
> I am aware of the current theories
> (postmodernism, postcolonialism, etc.) and I am
> very critical of "cultural studies"and "global
> studies" (I serve in a committee at MSU that
> discuss the latter, since it has become
> "urgent" to implement a major in global
> studies). And my awareness positions me to
> question my colleagues' awareness of the use of
> theories (literary or not) in today's
> classroom. Again, this is a long debate that
> deserves much thinking and active dialogue.
>
>Two more examples to add to Julian's experience
>in Houston: (1) We used to have four survey
>courses for Latin American and Peninsular
>Literatures. In the case of Latin America, the
>first one would cover 1492-modernismo, and the
>second one, siglo XX. Currently we have only one
>course to cover more than 500 years of literary
>production. All my colleagues, except me, start
>this course with Modernismo. Then, when I offer
>my topics course on medieval/golden age/colonial
>women writers, the students have no background at all.
>
>(2) the MA reading list and MA exam: while
>there are two questions (out of 4) committed to
>20th century, there is one reserved for 19th
>century and one for 1492-1800. As I told my dean
>some time ago (she is a specialist in 18th
>century German Lit.): we need to educate our own
>colleagues, since they are transmitting the
>wrong idea to our UG and G students.
>
>My colleagues in Colonial Spanish American
>Literatures are very interested in this debate
>as well and we have our biannual conference in
>Quito this June
>(<http://www.caso.usfq.edu>www.caso.usfq.edu),
>However, I have not seen this topic (or related)
>in any session that discuss the future of colonial studies.
>
>Rocio.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Coloquio Cervantes
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of A. Robert Lauer
>Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2007 8:17 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Fwd: José Antonio Madrigal to Frank
>Domínguez : Re: Literatura y los programas académicos
>
>
>>Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 23:36:18 -0500
>>From: "J. A. Madrigal" <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: Fwd: Frank Domínguez: Re: Literatura
>> y los programas académicos
>>To: "A. Robert Lauer" <[log in to unmask]>
>>
>>My two cents...Frank is right (hi Frank) except when he blames the
>>administration. It is our fault, and only our fault, because we forgot
>>that we went into this profession to study literature, not philosophy,
>>political theory and other disciplines that should complement what we do
>>and not become our core.
>>When we interview the future scholars of our profession, and specially
>>from the better PHD programs, it is embarrassing how little literature they
>>know. In most occasion, I find myself talking to them about works they
>>don't know in their own field. Incredible that someone in Golden Age
>>sometimes is better read than they are in their own fields. But Frank,
>>you are right, only three fields exist today: Spanish American Prose,
>>Contemporary Peninsular literature and Linguistics. The rest is old and
>>boring.
>>Also, the only individual in my Department who teaches Theory beginning
>>with Plato is me...Anything before the Contemporary period is as
>>dead...
>>Retirement from this profession is a welcome change!!!
>>Tony
>>
>>***********************************************
>> J. A. Madrigal
>> Castanoli Professor
>> Dpt. of Foreign Languages
>> and Literatures
>> Auburn University, AL 36849-5204
>> Fax: 334-844-6378
>> Phone: 334-844-5183
>>***********************************************
>>
>>
>> >>> "A. Robert Lauer" <[log in to unmask]> 11/04/2007 21:25 >>>
>>
>> >Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:31:23 -0400
>> >From: Frank Dominguez <[log in to unmask]>
>> >Subject: Re: Literatura y los programas académicos
>> >To: "A. Robert Lauer" <[log in to unmask]>
>> >Cc: [log in to unmask]
>> >
>> >Dear Robert:
>> >
>> >I seldom participate in listserv discussions,
>> >but Nancy D'Antuono's comments (hi, Nancy!) have
>> >moved me to add my two cents. I agree that the
>> >preparation of today's students in every area of
>> >pre-18th century literature (and I am really a
>> >medievalista rather than a Cervantista) has
>> >become woefully inadequate. But, it is not their
>> >fault. It is ours for permitting programs to be
>> >streamlined to fit students' natural desire to
>> >concentrate on the modern to the exclusion of
>> >the older periods and for watering down the qualifying exams.
>> >
>> >In part, this was a reaction to pressure from
>> >the administration which, working from a
>> >business model, wanted student training
>> >accelerated so that they could complete their
>> >MA/PhD in 5 years. But, what seemed fine for
>> >English, because they could build on a solid
>> >undergraduate background, or History, because it
>> >did not have language problem, was and is a
>> >disaster for us in language and literature
>> >departments. The upshot is that we are
>> >graduating a generation of students that do not
>> >realize that they are hopelessly unprepared.
>> >
>> >Today, I sat on a good dissertation on feminine
>> >writing as a coping mechanism for loss. However,
>> >the candidate could not answer how writing had
>> >been conditioned by loss from time immemorial.
>> >Perhaps I was wrong in asking, but before, any
>> >student worth his or her salt could have
>> >anticipated a question such as mine, even if
>> >their main concern was the application of Cixous's theories.
>> >
>> >The answer is to insist that students have a
>> >good background in every period (I too am
>> >grateful to Glaser!), that their qualifying
>> >exams cover all periods, and that we do not hire
>> >faculty who are so deficient in the earlier
>> >periods, that they do not see the value of a
>> >rounded preparation or can participate fully in
>> >the discourse of a department. This last is
>> >particularly critical, because the person you
>> >hire today will be making decisions about
>> >programs in the not too distant future.
>> >
>> >Frank Dominguez
><http://www.ou.edu/teatro/coloquioteatro.html>
Prof. A. Robert Lauer
The University of Oklahoma
Dept. of Modern Langs., Lits., & Ling.
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