English 2231: Studies in Womens Literatures

Experimental Women Writers

Autumn 2014
T 6-9:30 pm | Library 127
4 credit hours

Tammy Birk
Department of English and the Womens,
Gender, and Sexuality Studies program

OFFICE: 329 Towers
OFFICE HOURS: 3-4 Tuesday and
Thursday, and by appointment
PHONE: 614.218.1533
EMAIL: tbirk@otterbein.edu



Mary is tampering with the expected sequence. First she broke the sentence;
now she has broken the sequence.
A Room of Ones Own, Virginia Woolf

To experiment means that you must put what you know
at risk to what you do not yet know.
Use This Word in a Sentence: Experimental, Ann Lauterbach

what the course is

This course is designed to do a few things in a short span of time:

help you to gain a deeper understanding of the transgressive power and potential of
experimental writing
introduce you to a group of experimental women writers who break the rules of
mainstream writing (i.e. writing that isand aims to be normative, patriarchal,
linear, rigidly generic)
broaden your sense of what is possible when texts reject closure, conventionality, and
the expected sequence of story
broaden your sense of what is possible when texts reject social norms and assumptions
about sex and gender
help you better define the relationship between experimental womens writing and
emancipatory feminist projects
encourage you to explore new and unorthodox forms of writing and thinking (both in
others and yourself)





relationship to the womens, gender, and sexuality studies program
In addition to disciplinary credit in English and substitute credit
for the INST Creativity and Culture thread, this course provides
credit for the Womens, Gender, and Sexuality Studies major and
minor. The Womens, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program at
Otterbein seeks to promote a critical understanding of gender,
sexuality, and power across cultural contexts, social locations, and
disciplinary boundaries. More holistically, the WGSS program
encourages students to develop new ideas and theories about
gender and sexuality that work to challenge assumptions and
contribute to social change.
Toward this end, courses in the program serve two important and interrelated learning goals:
1) a deepened understanding of the history, contributions, conditions, and issues affecting
women in local, national, and transnational contexts
2) a broad exploration of the multiple systems and social meanings that construct our
understandings of gender and sexuality.
We are proud of the fact that we think comparatively and collaboratively about feminist politics,
gender categories, and sexual identity and practice. We are also committed to learning that is
intellectually and personally relevant for students, experiential in its form, and transformative in its
impact.

For further information on the program, please contact the director, Tammy Birk, at
tbirk@otterbein.edu.

what well read in the course

Well be reading as many experimental women writers as we can in fifteen weeks, but, obviously, a
course such as this can only introduce you to a small number of women who have dared to write in
unexpected and new forms.

That said, we will be reading work from: Helene Cixous, Lyn Hejinian, Ann Lauterbach, Emily
Dickinson, Adrienne Rich, Gertrude Stein, H.D., Sarah Ruhl, Virginia Woolf, Jeanette Winterson,
Sylvia Plath, April Bernard, Audre Lorde, Maria Irene Fornes, Sarah Kane, Anne Carson, Claudia
Rankine, Maggie Nelson, Charlotte Roche, Susan Steinberg, Lydia Davis, Carole Maso, Miranda
July, Andrea Gibson, Warsan Shire, Shinji Moon, and Tricia Lockwood.






You will need to purchase or lay your hands on the following texts:

Eurydice Sarah Ruhl (Samuel French)
The Waves Virginia Woolf (HBJ/Harcourt)
Ariel: The Restored Edition Sylvia Plath (Harper Books)
Fefu and Her Friends Maria Irene Fornes (PAJ Books)
Autobiography of Red Anne Carson (Vintage)
4:48 Psychosis Sarah Kane (Methuen Drama)
Dont Let Me Be Lonely Claudia Rankine (Graywolf Press)
Bluets Maggie Nelson (Wave Books)
Wetlands Charlotte Roche (Grove Press)
Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns Andrea Gibson (Write Bloody Publishing)
Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth Warsan Shire (flipped eye publishing)
The Anatomy of Being Shinji Moon (lulu.com)

I will distribute the rest of the required readings to you in individual packets. Those packets will be
given to you during the course of the term.

what youll do














attendance and participation 50 points

Because this course is discussion driven, your attendance is crucial. Let me know by phone or email if
illness or an unexpected emergency makes it impossible for you to make it to class. When it is
possible, please make an effort to let me know about a problem before a class meeting. If you miss
two or more of our class meetings, I reserve the right to lower your final grade (one full letter grade
for each absence greater than two).
We number over twenty students, so full and active participation is also crucial. I very much want
each of you to feel that you are integrally involved in defining and directing conversation in this
course. I dont keep a participation scorecard, but I do know who makes an effort to regularly and
intelligently contribute to the class. This is not to say that you should feel that you have to speak at
all times; speak, instead, whenever you have a thought, observation, or question that you believe will
broaden or complicate our discussion.
I will expect you to keep up with the reading in this course and I realize that that will not always be
easy. When I could, I tried to alternate longer works of fiction with selections of poetry or shorter
essays. It is my hope that such a balance will allow you the space to complete the few novels that we
Your grade in this course will be determined by the
following:
Attendance and participation 50 points
Class reflection posts (2) 30 points
Philosophy of experimentation 40 points
Experimental writing exercise 40 points
Pecha Kucha presentation 20 points
Learning Inventory 10 points
Integrative Studies Engagement 10 points






will read. Nevertheless, I would recommend that you keep reading ahead on the syllabus. Dont be
afraid to read anything twice and be sure to give yourself enough time to digest some of the trickier
texts. If you find that you dont understand a particular text at all, wait and see if class conversation
can clarify things for you. If things still feel foggy after our discussion is well underway, you and I
can talk.
Let me say here that I also expect that you will have assigned texts on your person and in your hands
when we discuss them. I realize that the books cost money, and I truly regret that you have to spend
as much as you do in order to have the materials you need. But there are many other options
available if you dont have the resources to buy all of the books. You can borrow them from public
libraries or order them through OhioLink (youll need to order a couple of weeks in advance of our
class conversation in order to get them delivered to Courtright in enough time). You can also share
the cost of those books that can be photocopied. Please realize that if you opt for a co-purchase,
youll need to make sure that one of you actually photocopies the assigned material because I will
expect every student to have their own copies of the texts well be reading. Physically sharing a
single text doesnt allow you to write your own notes in the margins and flag your own passages; it
also makes it practically difficult when two of you need the same book at the same time (in or out of
the classroom).
Finally: I am going to ask that you bring and use a tech device (e.g. laptop, tablet) only if you plan on
taking notes on that device. No web surfing, checking email and Facebook, or recreational use of a
computer is permitted during class.

class reflection posts 30 points


I am going to ask you to post a reflection on two of our class
sessions on the class Blackboard page. This reflection should
include your thoughts on the topic/reading as well as what
other students had to say about the material. You can
include questions that were raised or questions that we failed
to raise. Again, this reflection should not just be your
thoughts about the reading itself; it must also include your
response to our discussion of the issue/readings. There is no set
format for this reflection, so you can be creative in your
posting.

Please post within 24 hours of the class discussion that you
choose. And each post is worth a possible fifteen point








philosophy of experimentation 40 points

As we read and discuss a variety of women writers who experiment with narrative form and content,
1

I am going to ask you to think about and develop your own philosophy of experimentation. And, at
the end of the semester, I am going to ask you to write that philosophy in essay form.
Because this is a philosophy of experimentation, I am open to experimental uses of the essay form
itself. This is not a requirement, but I want it to be understood that I am interested in the ways that
you can shape your essayor narrative form in ways that exemplify and enact your philosophy.
The word essay itself comes from the old French essai, which means to to try, so I want you to see
this essay as an opportunity for you to try a new voice, style, structure, or technique.
In the essay, I want you to describe and define the value of experimentation in writing, especially for
women. Here are some of the questions that you might answer for yourself:
How do you define experimental
writing? What does it endorse? What does
it reject?
What does experimental writing reveal
or help us understand about mainstream
and conventional forms of narrative?
What anxieties and pleasures are
inspired by writing and/or reading
experimental work?
Doesor shouldexperimental
writing endanger anything in the artistic
process? The world of the reading public?
The world at large?
Doesor shouldexperimental
writing be fed by a broader philosophical
relationship with risk and innovation? If so,
how would you describe that relationship?
What is the right relationship between
experimental writing and failure?
Why might women have a significant
stake in exploring experimental forms of
writing?
How can experimental writing be a
political act?
How does one prepare to write
experimentally? What are the obstacles to
such writing, especially for women and girls?
What is the relationship between
experimentation and liberation?


1
Often, it should be said, as part of a larger effort to challenge textual and political orthodoxies.
Barbara Kruger, Think Twice


Your philosophy of experimentation should average five full pages. It will be due no later than
Friday, December 12th, but I will certainly welcome it on or before the day of our last class meeting.
Please send the essay to me electronically in a Word document or PDF.

experimental writing exercise 40 points

Although this course is not a creative writing workshop, I think it is important for us to experiment
with language on our own terms. If we dont explore and risk our own production of experimental
writing, I actually think that we miss an opportunity to more complexly and fully understand the
literature we are reading. Because the truth is that it is not easy to think and write in new ways. Nor
is it easy, as Ann Lauterbach suggests, to interpret the unpredictable.
So I am going to ask you to produce a single piece of writinga poem, a short story, a one-act play,
an essay, a performance piece, or a hybrid workthat strives to break new ground. Your piece might
be experimental entirely in its form or you might see it as experimental because of your decision to
subvert more traditional expectations of genre (i.e. linear plot, narrative resolution). It might also be
experimental because you tackle a subject that many find out of bounds, out of place, or difficult to
understand with the language that we are given. In any case, experimental writing frequently is a
springboard for subversive thought (Cixous) and, in the case of women, it can be a way for the self
to seize speech and shatter structures that have inhibited the voice and denied the truths of the body.
The length of this writing is up to you, but I can say that I expect you to produce something that
feels substantial, stretches your capabilities, and demonstrates personal risk. You also need to be
willing to read the writingor a portion of itto your peers in this class.
This piece of writing will be due on Tuesday, December 10th (our finals week meeting), and I am
going to ask you to share it with us in a creative format (see pecha kucha presentation below).
pecha kucha presentation 20 points

In an effort to avoid a succession of talking heads during this last class meeting, I am going to ask you
to present your piece of experimental writing as a pecha kucha.
PechaKucha (pronounced pa-chok-a-cha) is a simple and brief presentation format that has become
popular with creative thinkers and designers. In a traditional Pecha Kucha, each participant projects
20 images, each for 20 seconds. The imagessometimes text, sometimes photographs, sometimes
doodlesforward automatically as the participant shares her/his work. The images should be
thoughtful and strong accompaniments to your written word.
Pecha Kuchas are ideal for a presenter who wants to share a draft of a work of art or project, talk
about a developing passion, or try out a new idea or piece of writing with a group of interested people.
Because presentations aim to be concise and provocative, the Pecha Kucha format tends to be
energetic, interactive, fast-moving, and inspiring for both presenters and spectators.
Of course, I could just ask you to read your work (or a portion of your work) without any
accompanying images or the time limits of a Pecha Kucha, but I feel that a format like this has the
possibility to break up the monotony of a long reading as well as provide you with some creative
freedom in your presentation style.
I will expect you to read a final draft of your experimental creative writing piece (or, if it comes in
long, a portion of it that does not exceed 6 minutes and 40 seconds), but, if you would rather share a
portion of your philosophy of experimentation, I am open to talking to you about that.
Keep in mind: the Pecha Kucha presentation centrally relies on technology and visual
accompaniment, is no longer than seven minutes, and opens itself to audience interaction.

Jenny Holzer, Truisms (1982)
learning inventory
In order to wrap up and assess your work this term, Im also going to ask you to write a final
learning inventory that candidly discusses the ways that this course encouraged or inhibited your
learning. An inventory is not a catalogue of your likes and dislikes in the class. Instead, you will be
asked to identify specific texts, discussions, and assignments that have proven meaningful or
challenging for you. During our final class meeting, I will give you a set of questions that will help
guide you in the writing of such an inventory. As you might imagine, most of these questions are
open-ended and designed to generate reflection on the course as a learning experience. Completed
learning inventories tend to average three pages, so I would use that as a benchmark for length.

integrative studies cultural engagement

Because this course is a substitute course for the INST Creativity and Culture thread, all students in
it are required to attend two INST approved events this semester. A list of those events can be found
on the INST website, and I will update you with other engagement options as the term progresses.
You will need to write a short (one page) response to each of these events and post them on the course
Blackboard page. Each response is worth five points.

use of e-portfolio

If you are using this course as a substitute for the INST Creativity and Culture thread, you will need
to post two writing artifacts for this course in your e-portfolio. Because your philosophy of
experimentation and experimental writing project are the two most substantial pieces of writing that
you will produce this semester, I would archive this work and describe how it meets the learning
outcomes that attach to the Creativity and Culture thread in particular. Those outcomes are listed
earlier in this syllabus.

academic honesty
You must submit your own work for this class. If you copy someone elses work or if you fail to credit
the appropriate source for the work you submit, then you have committed plagiarism. Anyone who
plagiarizes in the course will receive zero credit for that assignment and the act will be reported to the
office for Academic Affairs. If you are unclear about the rules of citation, please see me before you
turn in a final copy of your paper(s).
learning differences
If you have a documented learning difference, please contact Kera McClain Manley, the Disability
Services Coordinator, to arrange for whatever assistance you need. The Disability Services is located
in Room #13 on the second floor of the Library in the Academic Support Center. Please know that
you are also welcome to consult with me privately to discuss your specific needs. For more
information, contact Kera at kmanley@otterbein.edu, or 614-823-1618.
statement on credit hour definition/expectation for student work
For each credit hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction, students are expected to engage in two
hours of out-of-class work (readings, homework, studying, project preparation, etc.). A four semester
credit hour course requires eight hours per week of out-of-class work.


Daily Schedule for Experimental Women Writers

August 26 Introduction to class; readings on experimental writing

Lyn Hejinian from The Rejection of Closure
Ann Lauterbach Use This Word in a Sentence: Experimental
Helene Cixous Laugh of the Medusa

Adam Phillips the finding of an object is in fact a refinding of it
Jenny Boully excerpt from The Body: An Essay

September 2 and 9 Emily Dickinson selected poems
In the name of the Bee-
Wild Nights! Wild Nights!
I felt a Funeral, in my Brain
The Soul has Bandaged moments-
After great pain, a formal feeling comes-
One need not be a Chamber-to be Haunted-
They Shut Me Up in Prose
I dwell in Possibility-
A still-Volcano-Life-
I heard a Fly buzz-when I died
Pain-has an Element of Blank-
My Life had stood-a Loaded Gun-
Tell all the truth but tell it slant-

Adrienne Rich Vesuvius at Home: The Power of Emily Dickinson

September 16 Gertrude Stein selected writings
excerpt from T the Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas
Patriarchal Poetry
If I Told Him
Picasso
Lifting Belly
Poetry and Grammar

Lynn Emanuel Inside Gertrude Stein
Valerie Place excerpt from Die: A Sentence


September 23 H.D. (Hilda Dolittle) Eurydice

Sarah Ruhl Eurydice


September 30 Virginia Woolf The Waves

Jeanette Winterson A Veil of Words
(with reference to The Waves)




October 7 Sylvia Plath selected poems from Ariel: The Restored Edition
Lady Lazarus
Daddy
Nick and the Candlestick
Stings
Wintering

April Bernard My Plath Problem
Audre Lorde Poetry is Not a Luxury

October 14 NO CLASS; Fall Break

October 21 Maria Irene Forns Fefu and Her Friends

Elinor Fuchs Fefu and Her Friends: The View from the Stone
Julia Kristeva abridged version of Approaching Abjection (from
The Powers of Horror)

October 28 Sarah Kane 4:48 Psychosis

November 4 Anne Carson Autobiography of Red
The Glass Essay

November 11 Claudia Rankine Dont Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric
Maggie Nelson Bluets
November 18 Lydia Davis from The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis
Agreement, Head.Heart

Miranda July from No One Belongs Here More Than You
This Person, Birthmark

Carole Maso from Aureole
Preface, The Women Wash Lentils

Susan Steinberg from Spectacle
Superstar, Cowboys

November 20 CLASS FIELD TRIP (please note: this is a Thursday night)

Miranda July New Society (Capitol Theater, 8 pm)

November 25 Charlotte Roche Wetlands




December 2 Andrea Gibson Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns
A Letter to My Dog, Explaining the Human
Condition
Asking Too Much
I Sing the Body Electric
The Nutritionist
Pansies
Prism
How It Ends

Warsan Shire Teaching my Mother How to Give Birth
Shinjin Lee The Anatomy of Being

Patricia Lockwood from Motherland Fatherland Homelandsexuals
The Rape Joke

December 9 Final class meeting and sharing of experimental writing (regular class time)