University of San Francisco
The Davies Forum for Fall 2011
MAKING AMERICAN BOOK CULTURE
Professor Vamsee Juluri
Class meets Thursdays 6.15-9.15 pm in CO 106
Office & Hours: KA118 Thursdays 4.30-6 and by appt.
Class blog: daviesforum2011.blogspot.com
LOVE YOUR BOOKS
That a country can tolerate even the burning of its flag but not books speaks a lot about what it values. Books continue to be an important part of the American public imagination, notwithstanding the frequent gestures of admiration in public discourse towards non-bookish and even anti-bookish political figures. The writing of a book is considered both a sign of seriousness in leadership (such as President Obama’s memoirs) and of popular aspiration (writing a bestseller is perhaps almost as widespread a dream among Americans as winning at Vegas). The reading of books is seen not only as a goal in itself but specific books also succeed as markers of important cultural moments, whether it is new age spirituality or 21st century environmentalism. American mythology is punctuated by books, from its founding to the present, from the Bible to Catcher in the Rye and An Inconvenient Truth.
Given the significance of books to the stories we tell ourselves about our nation, our world, our humanity, and our own deepest and truest selves, we will aim to understand the nature of the value books represent to us today. What do books mean to those who are invested in them, emotionally, as a representation of identity or values, economically, as a commodity, symbolically, as a mark of distinction, recreationally, as a form of entertainment, or even politically, as a medium of education? More directly, what do books mean to readers, authors, and equally importantly, to the often overlooked institution that produces and distributes books--the publishing industry? We will grapple with these questions in our seminar through study, discussion, and interaction with some well-known figures from the world of books and publishing (writers, editors, artists, experts). The goal of our seminar therefore will be to approach the book not just as a literary object, but more broadly and from an interdisciplinary approach, as an object of cultural value in America, and to recognize and critically evaluate the relevant historical, political, economic, and aesthetic forces shaping it.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
It is expected that the Davies scholars in this seminar will:
a) acquire an understanding of key media and cultural studies concepts
b) acquire a basic knowledge of the history of books and publishing in America
c) acquire a basic knowledge of the structure and dynamics of publishing today
d) engage in-depth with a key question about the value of books in our culture
e) write a seminar-quality paper demonstrating critical thinking, research and application to examples, and competent writing skills
REQUIREMENTS
There are a number of small writing assignments in this course aimed at building your base for a final, seminar-standard project (and while we cherish good writing, don’t let it constrain you—use visuals too, if you like, photos, maps, diagrams, whatever enriches your work, small or big). In addition, a high level of participation in class discussions and activities is also expected. We are not only engaging in a challenging, interdisciplinary topic of study here, but we are also going to be having numerous classes in public contexts. Your presence and initiative will make the seminar rewarding for you and for everyone. So I urge you to be in this class and to celebrate this class in every sense.
a) Three short papers (800-1000 words) on the following topics (30%):
a. Book memoir (aka “books that made me”) due September 8
b. Readers & writers in popular culture (media critique) due Oct 6
c. Book Places (on bookshops, libraries etc.) due Nov 10
b) Facts and Figures Test (10%)
A short (10 questions) in-class, closed book test aimed at cementing your grasp of important publishing industry facts. No blue book or long sentences needed. October 20.
c) Final Project: One of two options (50%)
a. Seminar Paper: you build on ideas or themes touched upon in earlier assignments (or pick something new) in order to write a high quality paper on a topic of your choice that fits with the scope of this class. The expected length would be 4500 words. … OR…
b. Publish a Book! In this scenario, you write a shorter final paper (under 2000 words) but collaborate with fellow Davies scholars to explore self-publishing options, design, and plan and publish your own book.
d) Participation: regular attendance and participation is expected (10%) We will also have a blog set up to facilitate sharing of ideas and links. Please contribute.
Note:
Know and abide by the USF honor code and policy.
And finally, know and live the class motto:
LOVE YOUR BOOKS
BOOKS FOR THIS CLASS
Required:
1) John Thompson, Merchants of Culture
2) Ted Striphas, The Late Age of Print
3) Lewis Buzbee, The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop
4) Vamsee Juluri, The Mythologist
5) Augusten Burroughs, Running with Scissors
6) Gary Shteyngart, Super Sad True Love Story
Suggested:
1) Roxanne Coady & Joy Johannessen, The Book that Changed my Life
2) David Davidar, Ithaca
3) Keenan Malik, From Fatwa to Jihad
1) John Thompson, Merchants of Culture
2) Ted Striphas, The Late Age of Print
3) Lewis Buzbee, The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop
4) Vamsee Juluri, The Mythologist
5) Augusten Burroughs, Running with Scissors
6) Gary Shteyngart, Super Sad True Love Story
Suggested:
1) Roxanne Coady & Joy Johannessen, The Book that Changed my Life
2) David Davidar, Ithaca
3) Keenan Malik, From Fatwa to Jihad
Suggested Readings on Reserve at the Library:
Allen Jacobs, The Pleasures of Reading
Shiv Vaidyanathan, The Googleization of Everything
Robert Danton, The Case for Books
Marilyn Johnson, This Book is Overdue
Ellen Lupton, Indie Publishing * (e-book) (Useful if you do the final book project)
Alison Bartlett, The Man who Loved Books too much
Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose
Sanjay Patel, Ramayana: Divine Loophole
Other short readings will be provided on occasion. Watch the blog for links to resources (Poets & Writers, Publishers Weekly, The BookSeller, New York Review of Books, New York Times Book Review, HuffPost Books, Slate, Salon, Nathan Bransford’s blog will be very useful to you in this class).
SCHEDULE
8/25 Introduction
9/1 Books as Culture
How do we represent ourselves in/as books? The book as commodity, mediation, and friend. The making of The Mythologist.
Reading:
Vamsee Juluri, The Mythologist: A Novel
9/8 Technology and the Future of Books:
What do new digital technologies mean for authors, publishers, and readers?
Reading:
Selections from Nathan Bransford (see blog), Postman, Vaidyanathan, Darnton
SPEAKER: NATHAN BRANSFORD
Nathan Bransford is an author, blogger, former literary agent, and social media manager for CNET. His award-winning blog is one of the most lively, useful, and insightful forums for aspiring authors and publishing industry watchers.
9/15 The Rise of American Book Culture
What are some of the main features of 20th century book culture? How have bookstores changed? What were some of the main technological forces that shaped book culture? What role did advertising and public relations play?
Reading: Striphas, The Late Age of Print, chapters 1-3
9/22 Readers of the Last Ark (Cargo: “bound printed non-streaming media artifacts”)
What is the nature of the reading community? Time and space in books and electronic media. Prophecy and satire in Super Sad True Love Story.
Reading: Striphas, The Late Age of Print, chapter 4
Gary Shteyngart, Super Sad True Love Story
GUESTS: MEMBERS OF THE USF BOOK CLUB
9/29 Running with Augusten: An American Memoir
Why is memoir an important genre? What does family mean today? What is the nature of the public image of a writer, especially a memoirist, in America today?
SPEAKER: AUGUSTEN BURROUGHS
Augusten Burroughs is the best-selling author of Running with Scissors and many
other works. (Note: this event takes place in the Presentation Theater, SOE).
10/6 Writing as Service and Justice
Deconstructing the myth of the lone author. The social distribution of cultural capital. Literacy as social investment. Privilege and accountability. Illiteracy as injustice. Tutoring and mentoring writers.
Reading: see blog for links
SPEAKER: GERALD RICHARDS
Gerald Richards is CEO of 826 National, a non-profit organization that supports writing, tutoring and publishing programs for under-resourced students.
10/13 From Writing to Publishing
What stands between the writer and the published writer? Where does the author stand in relation to the publishing industry? To what extent is publishing like any other business, and to what extent is it about writing? The concept of habitus and practice.
Reading: John Thompson, Merchants of Culture, chapters 1, 2, 3, 4
10/20 Big Books
What has changed in the publishing industry’s expectation of authors and readers in recent years? What role have economic factors like consolidation played? How has globalization affected the world of books? What is the nature of labor and creativity in the industry? Why is it harder than ever to get published?
Reading: John Thompson, Merchants of Culture, chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Ted Striphas, Chapter 5 and Conclusion
10/27 Publishing as Politics
How do progressive, independent presses see themselves? What is the nature of the ‘bottom line’ for books with causes?
Reading: coming soon to the blog
SPEAKER: CARL BROMLEY
Carl Bromley is Editorial Director, Nation Books, and the editor of the anthology Cinema Nation.
11/3 The Academic Press
How do university presses see themselves and their books? What is the nature of the relationship between the university and the academic publisher?
SPEAKER: ROBERT DREESEN
Robert Dreesen is Senior Commissioning Editor at Cambridge University Press.
11/10 The Book Store
What does the book store mean to those who work there? Why are book stores meaningful spaces for readers and authors? What is the future of the bookstore?
Reading: The Yellow-Lighted Bookstore
SPEAKER: LEWIS BUZBEE
Lewis Buzbee is a San Francisco author and USF Writing faculty member.
11/17 Words and Pictures
Why is the book more than just words? How do art and writing construct the book together? The contemporary Americanization of an ancient Hindu tradition.
SPEAKERS: SANJAY PATEL AND EMILY HAYNES
Sanjay Patel is a supervising animator and storyboard artist at Pixar Animation and the author of the acclaimed illustrated books The Little Book of Hindu Gods and Ramayana: Divine Loophole. Emily Haynes is an editor at Chronicle Books.
12/1 The World of Books
Have books passed from a national to a global era? What challenges does globalization pose to writers, publishers, and readers? What opportunities does it offer? Why is the Jaipur Literary Festival called the “Greatest Literary Show on Earth”? Is there a truly Global Book Culture emerging, and what is America’s place in it? Presentation of final projects.
Reading: David Davidar, Ithaca
SPEAKERS:
DAVID DAVIDAR AND NAMITA GOKHALE
David Davidar is an author and an eminent figure in international publishing. Namita Gokhale is an author and the co-director of the Jaipur Literary Festival.
