English 387-A: Special Studies: Literature and Sexuality

How have literary works represented sexuality and desire? This course studies how constructions of sexuality have been used to define and categorize persons, and how these constructions have in turn shaped and been shaped by literature. Paying particular attention to the ways that these categories have changed over time, works will range from the premodern to the modern, from Margery Kempe to John Donne to Torrey Peters, and we'll pair literary readings with theoretical texts including works by Judith Butler, Jack Halberstam, Josè Muñoz, and Audre Lorde. May be taken for credit toward the Gender Studies major or minor.