Required of students in Writing and Literature. Ways of Reading focuses on a particular canonical author or text(s), utilizing various critical perspectives and secondary sources to support a deeper understanding of the work. The course further develops and reinforces practical skills in close reading, historical contextualization, applied critical theory, and the use of discipline-specific research tools and resources, encouraging conscious reflection on critical presuppositions and practices. This course prepares students to enter the Critical Essay Workshop.Course DescriptionAs children we’re taught to romanticize hidden identity. Fairytales and mythology abound with gods and aristocrats posing as commoners. Young Adult literature provides royals and superheroes raised by strangers until returned to their birthright. Romance novels keep this trope alive, while reality television exposes secret families and double lives and undercover bosses. This seminar will explore how the literature of “passing” handles the human reasons and costs of hiding our “true” identities. From historical accounts of light-skinned Blacks who “presented” as white and women who lived as men, to contemporary tales of whites who claim indigeneity and queer or trans folk mistaken for straight or CIS. We’ll consider how “passing up” affords access, opportunity or physical safety, while “passing down” tends to mystify the public. The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett’s bestselling novel about twins who took different paths, and recent motion pictures Passing and Sorry to Bother You are creating new awareness about this rich, secret literature.

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