>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. 780 Van Vleet Oval, Kaufman Hall, Room 206 Norman, Oklahoma 73019-2032, USA Tel.: 405-325-5845 (office); 405/325-6181 (OU dept.); Fax: 1-866-602-2679 (private) Vision: Harmonious collaboration in an international world. Mission: "Visualize clearly and communicate promptly" <http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/L/A-Robert.R.Lauer-1/vita.html>VITA / <http://www.peterlang.com/all/>IBÉRICA /<http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/L/A-Robert.R.Lauer-1/AITENSO.html>AITENSO / <http://www.ou.edu/bcom/>BCom / <http://www.comedias.org/>AHCT / <http://www.mla.org/>MLA / <http://www.ou.edu/cervantes/coloquiocervantes.html>Coloquio <http://www.ou.edu/cervantes/coloquiocervantes.html>Cervantes / <http://www.ou.edu/teatro/coloquioteatro.html>Coloquio Teatro de los Siglos de Oro