The Novel in the U.S. Since 1945: Nonfiction and the Novel

The Novel in the U.S. Since 1945: Nonfiction and the Novel is a Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies class taught by Michele Hardesty.

Course Description
In this course, we will read and discuss novels published in the U.S. since 1945 that make deliberate use of nonfictional and documentary material. We will consider how these novels both experiment with literary form and test the stability of memory and history. Authors may include Truman Capote, Joan Didion, Norman Mailer, Mary McCarthy, Ishmael Reed, Tim O'Brien, and Dave Eggers, among others. This course is a continuation of HACU 141, The Novel in the United States, 1900-1945, but that course is not a prerequisite. This course will continue to offer an introduction both to modern U.S. literature and to literary studies more broadly.

Learning Goals

 * Reading
 * Writing