Re-Writing the Nation:

Towards a History of Basque Literature as a Means of Reinterpreting Spanish, French, and Basque National Cultures (BASQ 460/660)

Joseba Gabilondo

Class schedule: Wednesday: 4:00-6:45 PM, SLH 2 (Schulich Lecture Hall)

Office hours: Wednesday 2:00 to 4:00 PM (Getchell 281)

Contact info: joseba@unr.edu, Phone: 784-4854, ext. 347

Syllabus/class info: http://basque.unr.edu/gabilondo/rewriting.html

Description: This course will explore the ways in which Basques have used different languages (Basque, Spanish, French, English) to imagine themselves and imagine others (Spain, North America, France). The course will also incorporate texts written by others about Basques (Merimée, Loti, and Hemingway). This course is designed for students that fundamentally enjoy reading.

The course will explore among others the following issues: the way in which minorities represent themselves, the way in which hegemonic national identities (Spanish, French, North American) are articulated by minority writers, the function and place of minority literatures in globalization, literature before and after nationalism, gender/sexuality as foundational differences of representation.

Requirements/grade: 2 midterm papers (65% grade), weekly discussions (35% grade).

Class Dynamics: 1^st part: 3/5 min. student presentation / questions / presentation by the professor. 2^nd part: group discussion (if enough students), open discussion.

Readings: All the books used in the course are on reserve at the Library of the Center for Basque Studies (Getchell 274). The extra-readings will be on electronic reserve at Getchell Library: http://www.library.unr.edu/reserves.html.

Readings available at the bookstore:

Anderson, Imagined Communities

Atxaga, Obabakoak

Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

Kurlansky, A World History of the Basques

Lasagabaster, Contemporary Basque Fiction

Laxalt, Sweet Promised Land

Loyola, Personal Writings

Loti, A Tale of the Pyrenees

Merimée, Carmen and Other Stories

Martin Santos, Time of Silence

Saizarbitoria, 100 Meters

Unamuno, Abel Sánchez and Other Stories

Urza, The Deep Blue Memory

Language: The course will be taught in English and all written work must be done in English. Students seeking credit in other languages must write their papers in the respective language and proof that they can read the literature in their language.

Office hours: Wed. 2:00-4:00 and by appointment. Getchell 281. If you cannot come to office hours but want to talk, you can call and we can talk over the phone. Communication in any form is encouraged; miscommunication is the source of many problems.

Weekly Schedule

1	8-25	Introduction
		Presentation of the course and the syllabus
2	9-1	Re-Writing the Nation: Theory
		Anderson, “Introduction,” “Old Languages, New Models” (in Imagined Communities)
		Kurlansky “The Basque Myth” “The Nation” (in The World History)
3	9-8	Loyola
		Loyola. “Spiritual Exercises” (in Personal Writings)
		Gabilondo, Basque literature. Ch. 1-3. (online reserve)
4	9-15	Carmen
		Merimee Carmen (disregard the other stories in the book)
		Mickelsen, David. "Travel, Transgression, and Possession in Merimee's Carmen."
5	9-22	Loti
		Loti, A Tale of the Pyrenees (Ramuntcho)
		Gabilondo, Basque literature. Ch. 6. (online reserve)
6	9-29	Unamuno and Lizardi
		Unamuno “San Manuel Bueno, Martyr” (in Abel Sánchez)
		Lizardi “The Garden of My Ancestors”
		Jo Labanyi, "Nation, Narration, and Naturalization"
7	10-6	Hemingway
		Hemingway The Sun Also Rises
		Urry “The Tourist Gaze”
8	10-13	Laxalt
		Laxalt, Sweet Promised Land
		David Río, “Robert Laxalt: A Basque Pioneer in the American Literary West.”
9	10-20	Martín Santos
		Martín Santos Time of Silence
		Barry Jordan “The Emergence of a Dissident Intelligentsia”
10	10-27	Martín Santos and Aresti
		Martín Santos Time of Silence
		Dale Knickerbocker, “TDS and the Narration of the Abject”
		Aresti “The House of My Father”
		1^st midterm paper, due on Friday, 10-29, 5 PM, Center for Basque Studies office, my mailbox, Getchell 281 (another copy by email)
11	11-3	Saizarbitoria
		Saizarbitoria 100 Meter
		Gabilondo, Basque Literature, Ch. 11 (online reserve)
12	11-10	Atxaga
		Atxaga, Obabakoak
		Gabilondo “Atxaga’s Seduction”
13	11-17	Atxaga
		Atxaga, Obabakoak
		Johnson “The Rise of G. García Márquez and T. Morrison”
14	11-24	Other Basque Writers
		Lasagabaster, Contemporary Basque Fiction
		Thanksgivings (11-25)
15	12-1	Urza
		Urza, The Blue Deep Memory
		David Río “Basque Literature in the Contemporary Literature of the American West”
		2^ND midterm paper, due on Friday (12-3), 5 PM, Center for Basque Studies office, my mailbox, Getchell 281 (another copy by email)

E-mail:

- - The professor will reply to emails within 3 work-days (with the exception of medical emergencies, etc.). In case of emergency do not use email, please come to office hours or call.

Midterm Papers:

Topics

- - Choose one text/topic/nation/writer/character/topic and compare it with another one from the same or a different national tradition.

- - A different topic. In this case the student must consult with the professor first.

Directives:

- - Cite one way or another, all the bibliographical references of the first week of the course. This will ensure that the paper is well situated within the parameters of the class and you will correctly focus the topic of the paper.

- - The paper must have a system of bibliographical references; it does not matter which one as long as it is coherent and consistent throughout the paper (footnotes, endnotes, bibliographical references in parenthesis…)

- - The paper must have at least three new bibliographical/critical references/sources; they have to be original (not used in class). The novel does not count as a bibliographical source. The sources must be academic (journals, books…). Newspaper articles or information from the web can be used as additional/complementary sources but do not count as original sources.

- - You have to cite and use the sources in the paper, not only list them as a bibliographical entry. Do not translate quotes from the sources, leave them in their original language.

- - The paper must contain a single, original thesis that must be explained in the introductory paragraph of the paper.

- - Factors in consideration for grading the paper: originality of the topic, good presentation and structure of the paper, the use of references to works and articles in the construction of the argument, grammar.

- - The longest source of bibliographical/critical source for literature is a database called MLA bibliography. It's at Getchell Library. The reference librarians can help you locate and use it.

- - Length of the paper must be 2000-2400 words of text, without including the bibliography and the title. Count the word total and write it down at the end of the paper so that the professor can see it clearly.

- - The paper must not have any spelling errors; it must be spell-checked. In case the paper has spelling-problems that can be detected by a computer program (other errors are OK), the paper will be automatically penalized a 15% and you will have to spell-check the paper and turn it in again.

- - The paper must have the name of the student, the number of the class, and the title of the paper clearly stated on the front page. The pages must be numbered and stapled.

- - The paper must be turned in before the deadline (5 PM). Two copies 1- digital copy by email (joseba@unr.edu). Plain text. Do not attach a file. Do not worry about the way the text displays 2- hard copy (paper) in my mailbox (Gabilondo) at the Center for Basque Studies, Getchell 281. Do not slip the paper under the door of the office.