Category: france

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Art Serves as Reflection of Ourselves

What is the role of art in society? During the Harlem Renaissance, luminaries such as W.E.B DuBois argued that all art should serve as propaganda and should stem from classical traditions whereas others such as Langston Hughes sought to make art of and about the people, eschewing the position that art should be “lofty.” Throughout A Long Way from Home, Claude McKay addresses this … Read More Art Serves as Reflection of Ourselves

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The System Changes but the Prejudice Remains

Over the past month, I’ve read Claude McKay’s Banjo (1929), his posthumously published Romance in Marseille (2020), and his memoir A Long Way from Home (1937). Numerous thematic threads run throughout these texts; however, as I read A Long Way from Home, one specific theme jumped out at me, specifically McKay’s discussion, at various points in his memoir, about the ways that racism and … Read More The System Changes but the Prejudice Remains

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The Dangers of Unquestioned Patriotism

For my “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” course this semester, I’m teaching Claude McKay’s Romance in Marseille, a book that builds upon the action in his 1929 novel Banjo: A Story Without a Plot. I plan to teach Banjo in my study travel class, where we will travel to Marseille and Nice. Because of this, I chose to read Banjo recently in preparation for Romance in Marseille and for the study travel trip. As … Read More The Dangers of Unquestioned Patriotism

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Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité Syllabus

With the new year comes new courses, and that means new syllabi. This semester, I am teaching two courses, an English course and a Lillian E. Smith Studies course. I have taught these course numerous times, and you can find various iterations of the syllabi on my blog. Today, I want to share the syllabus for my English course, which I am entitling “Liberté, … Read More Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité Syllabus

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African American Writers in France Syllabus

As I was finishing up my graduate studies and mailing out countless applications in the hopes of attaining that needle in a haystack tenure track position, I would always think about the possibility of leading a study travel trip. This year, we planned a trip to Poland; however, due to various circumstances, the trip will not take place. However, that has not deterred my … Read More African American Writers in France Syllabus