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College of DuPage

English 1165: Lit, Gender, and

Sexualities: “Crafting Identities”

Fall 2021

Meeting Times: Tues/Thurs,

9:30-10:45am

Room: BIC 3H03

Course Description:
Surveys literature focusing on narratives, experiences, and theories of gender and sexualities.
Students develop the important skills of critical thinking and effective communication. Students
study literature from diverse historical, cultural, and literary contexts to build cultural awareness and
capacity for ethical and socially responsible reasoning. Through close reading, students practice
literary analysis and argumentation. Students examine limitations of the discipline and literary
canonization from interdisciplinary and culturally inclusive perspectives. Students examine works
with reference to how publication and reception influence literary works at the time of publication
and beyond. Students explore how individual works of literature can reflect, but also challenge,
cultural, social, and literary norms.

Basic Info: Student Hours:

Instructor: Dr. Jacinta Yanders (aka Dr. J Mondays and Wednesdays: 9am-12pm; Fridays:
or Professor Yanders) 1-3pm; also other times as needed.
Pronouns: She/Her (what’s this about?)
Email: yandersj@cod.edu Student Hours are a good opportunity to ask

COD Mask Policy:

As noted on COD’s website, the college has a mask mandate in place for the fall semester.
This means masks have to be worn in all campus spaces. If you forgot to bring a mask, you
can pick one up at Campus Central or in the Student Services Center. If you need a
medical accommodation in relation to masking, please submit a request to the Center for
Access and Accommodations. Heads up: as mentioned in President Caputo’s message on
the website, proof of vaccination will be required for all faculty, students, and staff on
campus beginning on January 1, 2022.
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Hello! “Writing about texts is
perhaps the single, most
Welcome to English 1165 aka Lit, Gender, and common trademark for the
Sexualities. You’ll notice above that our course’s kind of writing and thinking
theme is “Crafting Identities.” Lest you think this is a that is expected of you in
class that is perhaps more artistically-inclined than the academy. However, this
you anticipated, let me explain.
does NOT mean: that you
In this class, we obviously study literature, gender,
write about things you don’t
and sexuality. But more specifically, we consider how care about, that you write
literary works are influenced by our conceptions of as if you sound like an
gender and sexuality as well as how literature itself encyclopedia/wikipedia,
impacts how we understand gender and sexuality. In that you omit your own
doing so, we ideally leave this class with a more voice and perspective, that
developed understanding of our identities and how you cannot be creative and
they’re shaped – or crafted.
energetic, that you must
To achieve this goal, we’ll read four books by four
sound like the type of
different authors telling four very different stories. person who might wear
Our first book will take us to Harlem and entice us wool/plaid jackets with
with the inner workings of a young girl who is on the suede patches on the
precipice of becoming much more than perhaps she elbows in order to be taken
even initially believes she can be. Our second book seriously, that you cannot
will have us travel to Louisiana where we’ll encounter be everything that makes
a set of twin brothers – newly minted adults – whose
up your multiple selves, that
divergent life paths threaten the most important
bond in their world. Our third book has us swing
you cannot be Hip Hop/
back up north, but this time we’re in Maine. We’re Soul/ Bomba y Plena/ Soca/
also in the real world as this is a work of nonfiction. Bachata/ Metal/ Reggae/
We’ll meet a family that, for all intents and purposes, EDM/ or Rock-N-Roll, that
embodies the prototypical American Dream. Until, you cannot have some fun
they don’t. We’ll finish with a work of science fiction/ with it. You do not give up
fantasy that takes us to a faraway land and that asks who you are to be an
us to see the trope of star-crossed love through a
academic writer. On the
new lens.
contrary, you take who you
I hope you’re ready to dive in! are even MORE
SERIOUSLY.”
— Dr. J - Carmen Kynard, Lillian Radford
Chair in Rhetoric and Composition
Studies and Professor of English at
Texas Christian University
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Course Objectives:
……………………………………………………………
Examine gender and sexualities in literary works that are
diverse in terms of genre, culture, time period, place and
conditions of publication, and/or authorship

Practice close reading in order to formulate interpretations

of literature related to gender and sexualities that are
grounded in evidence from primary texts

Apply terminology and practices (i.e., feminist philosophy

and scholarship) associated with literary analysis

Interpret literature related to gender and sexualities in

relation to social, cultural, and historical contexts

Communicate how the material conditions of publication,

reception, and dissemination affect literary works related to
gender and sexualities

Examine how literary works related to gender and

sexualities reflect and challenge the literary conventions
within which they are produced

Analyze literary works related to gender and sexualities for

artistic complexity, depth and nuance
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Required Materials
……………………………….
• The following books (all should be
available at the COD bookstore):
• The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
• Where the Line Bleeds by Jesmyn
Ward
• Becoming Nicole: The Extraordinary
Transformation of an Ordinary Family
by Amy Ellis Nutt
• Crier’s War by Nina Varela
• You should have a dedicated notebook
(or notebook section) for this class.
Doesn’t matter whether it's digital or
analog. Use whatever suits you as long as
it allows you to keep track of notes and
ideas.
• Blackboard (bb.cod.edu) is the central
hub for this class. Course materials and
assignment boxes live there. Make sure
you regularly log in.
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Accessibility
……………………………………………
We all have different learning needs, which
I’ve tried to account for in designing this
class. We’ll utilize many modalities, such as
audio, video, and text. If there's some way
in which your access and ability in
this course could additionally be
supported, please let me know. To receive
accommodations from COD’s Center for
Access and Accommodations, email them
at access@cod.edu or complete the online
form at cod.edu/access. If you’re already
registered with the Center for Access and
Accommodations, don’t forget to email me
your Letter of Accommodation.
Communication
………………………………………………………………
My email address is on the first page of this
syllabus. You can also use the email
function in Blackboard. Check your COD
email regularly (trust me). I tend to respond
to emails pretty quickly, but if you don't
hear back, give me at least 24 hours before
trying again. Our class has a Discord server,
which we’ll talk more about during the first
week of class. This provides another means
of contact and sharing info.
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Assessment:

Let's say two students come into a writing-based class. One typically gets good grades in
writing while the other tends to struggle. After a semester, the first student maintains the same quality
of work they always had. Meanwhile, the second student still struggles, but has put in significant labor
and shown growth. Should the second student receive a lower final grade than the first student
simply because they started the semester on a different level? Should final grades reflect what you do
in a class or what you already knew and were able to do before the class? What if I told you research
has consistently shown that letter grades actually do much more to hinder learning than to support it?

To ungrade means to remove mechanisms of traditional grades. Professors who implement ungrading
use an array of approaches, including contract grading, specifications grading, labor-based grading,
and more. For our class, you will see assignments listed as having 0 points in Blackboard (because
Blackboard requires some type of point value to be inserted). Assignments will get marked complete
if they have fulfilled the expectations provided. Submissions that don’t fulfill expectations – for
example, if I asked you to write an analysis and you wrote a summary instead – will not be marked
complete. However, you will be allowed to redo the assignment. Assuming the revision meets the
expectations, it will be marked complete. The only ways to not get completes in this class are to
simply not do assignments or to not do revisions when necessary.

I will give feedback on much – though not all – of the work you submit in the class. The goal is to use
that feedback to inform future work. I’m not interested in ranking you. Rather than focusing on a
letter, we’re focusing on growth and development. The college does require me to enter a letter
grade at the end of the semester. This grade will be determined by way of ongoing observation of
your labor from me as well as input by you in the form of conferencing and self-assessment. Now you
might be thinking, “That sounds super subjective!” Fair. However, all grading is subjective. Consider
the varying grading scales, assignments, and penalties that exist from class to class. Furthermore,
writing in particular does not lend itself easily to objective analysis. Writing is messy and complicated,
especially when it comes to trying out new ideas or approaches. The last thing I want to do is hinder
you from exploring your writing by imposing a letter grade on a draft. I don’t want you to write for a
grade. We’re not looking for paint-by-numbers work here. Make the things you create for this class
interesting. Make them matter to you, so that they also matter to your audiences.

I suspect this approach is new to many of you. At the beginning of the class, we’ll talk more about
why ungrading is valuable. I know that sometimes you might really want to know what your current
grade is, and this model does not allow for that since the grade is holistically determined at the end.
However, we can always chat to discuss your progress in the course material. You will be able to
review all of your assignments and feedback you’ve received in Blackboard. The learning objectives
provide guidance on the desired outcomes of the class as well. While none of these components may
be as concrete as saying you have a C+ or a 75%, they can still give you a sense of where you are.

My advice?

Do the work with a consistent desire to demonstrate what you’ve learned. Ask for help if/when you
need it, and don’t forget to use any resources provided. Trust yourself, and trust me. Do these things,
and I have little doubt that you’ll leave this class with the grade you desire.
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Ok, but what kind(s) of work will we do?:

This class will require you to read a lot, think a lot, reflect a lot, and write a lot. We’ll
watch things, read things, listen to things, etc. Some of the material we work with
might be more complex and theoretical than what you’re familiar with, but don’t
worry! This isn’t a high stakes, high pressure situation. We’ll take our time and think all
of this through together.

Wise Words for English 1165 Basic Needs

……………………………………….. …………………………………………………….
It's hard to focus on school work when you're
facing difficulties with having your basic
needs (such as food) met. I do not expect you
to leave your humanity at the metaphorical
door for the sake of this class. I've created a
Resources page on Blackboard that includes
information that can assist with such issues. I
also want to note here that COD does require
me (as well as the rest of your professors) to
report disclosures of sexual violence to our
Title IX office. I want to be upfront about that
because while I absolutely do want to provide
support in such instances, I also know that a
student may not wish to trigger an automatic
report for various reasons, and I believe it's
important for you all to have that information
before making the decision to disclose.

Timeliness
………………………………………………….
Our assignments have due dates, and you
should aim to submit your work in
accordance with those due dates. The later
Literature is integrated. And I’m
not just talking about color,
an assignment is submitted, the less likely it
race. I’m talking about the is to receive feedback. That being said,
power of literature to make there are no late penalties in this class. If
us recognize again and
again the wholeness of you find yourself in a situation where you’re
the human experience.
–R A L P H E L L I S O N
really far behind, let’s chat and come up
with a plan so that you can catch up.
Ralph Ralph Ellison (1913-1994) is best known for his groundbreaking novel, Invisible Man, which won the
1953 National Book Award for Fiction. He also wrote essays and literary criticism. A second novel,

Ellison
Juneteenth, was published posthumously. Invisible Man explores the search for racial identity in the
years between WWI and II. Ellison attended Tuskegee University, where he discovered a love for
both jazz and literature; he claimed that T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land
After Tuskegee, Ellison moved to New York and became friends with Richard Wright, author of Native
Son. He and Ellison became advocates of Communism, but abandoned their beliefs after WWII. Ellison
later taught at Rutgers and Yale. Ellison died of pancreatic cancer in 1994.

authorspeak
thoughts behind the printed page
©2017 Prestwick House, Inc.
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Community:
• We may discuss topics like race, sexuality,
socioeconomic status, gender, etc. You may
have an emotional response to something
you see, read, or hear, which is normal (and
often, intended by creators). Some concepts
may challenge your views or be contrary to
your experiences. Approach the work of this
class with respect and generosity. Doing so
enables our class to be the learning space it
needs to be for people to share and for us all
to grow. Listen. Try not to jump to
conclusions. Ask clarifying questions. Make
sure you understand what's actually being
said before you formulate a response. We
don't have to agree about everything, but we
do need to be able to listen to one another.  College Composition and
• I strive to give a heads up when content
we're engaging with includes topics that can
be traumatic, such as sexual violence, child
abuse, and suicide. If there's a type of
content beyond the more commonly known
that you'd like a heads up on, let me know.
• My classes operate on a fundamental
agreement that we do not make space for
racism, ableism, transphobia, sexism,
xenophobia, etc. None of that is productive,
and it's disruptive to classroom communities
(and humanity in general). We’ll work
together to ensure our class is one in which
compassion and care are at the forefront.
• Relatedly, how we address one another
conveys respect. For example, referring to
me as Dr. Yanders or Dr. J or Professor
Yanders (my preferred names) rather than Ms.
Yanders or Mrs. Yanders is a matter of respect
as is me using the name you tell me you wish
to use. I expect you to refer to one another
by the correct names, with the correct
pronunciations, and with the correct
pronouns.
• Last, but certainly not least, the devil
does not need an advocate.
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In this class…
• We Engage: The work of this class is
designed to demonstrate your
understanding and to foster community.
To make this happen, we all have to
regularly engage with each other and
the material. There will be ample
opportunities to actively engage with
the material, and I encourage you to
make good use of those opportunities.
That’s why we’re here 😁
• We Value Linguistic Diversity: Despite
common perceptions, there’s no such
thing as “correct” or “proper”
English. Many scholars – myself
included – believe the Conference on
Communication had it right in 1972
when they declared that students have a
right to their own language. As the
statement explains,"The claim that any
one dialect is unacceptable amounts to
an attempt of one social group to exert
its dominance over another…A nation
proud of its diverse heritage and its
cultural and racial variety will preserve
its heritage of dialects.” In this class,
I welcome the deliberate usage of
language variation. You don't need to
give up your identity, your voice, or your
persona to be in this class. We all have
something to bring to the class. Like all
of you, I'm teeming with life
experiences, values, and beliefs. This
means you should not expect me to be
neutral or objective, just like I don't
expect you to be neutral or objective. I
do, however, expect you to support
what you say with details and
explantation. And I challenge you to
always strive to make your writing
interesting and alive. You have stories in
you that only you can tell. So tell them.
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Course Overview

Week 1 Intro, Syllabus, & More

Homework

• Syllabus Reflection

• Discord

• Literature, My Gender, and Me

Week 2 The Fundamentals of Gender

Homework

• Read “Female Focalizers and Masculine Ideals:

Gender as Performance in Twilight and The
Hunger Games”
Week 3 The Poet X

Homework

• Read Part 1 of The Poet X (from “Stoop-Sitting”

to “Feeling Myself”)

• Musical Reflection
Week 4 The Poet X, cont.

Homework

• Read Part 2 of The Poet X (from “Smoke Parks”

to “In Front of My Locker”)

• Self-Assessment #1
Week 5 The Poet X, cont.

Homework

• Read the rest of The Poet X

• Read "Black Latina Girlhood Poetics of the

Body: Church, Sexuality, and Dispossession"
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Week 6 Where the Line Bleeds

Homework

• Read chapters (Prologue-4) in Where the Line

Bleeds
Week 7 Where the Line Bleeds, cont.

Homework

• Read chapters (5-9) in Where the Line Bleeds

• Read "Real Men (Don’t)…Progressive Black

Masculinity at The Pennsylvania State
University"
Week 8 Where the Line Bleeds, cont.

Homework

• Read the rest of Where the Line Bleeds

• Next Chapter
Week 9 Becoming Nicole

Homework

• Self-Assessment #2

• Read Prologue-Chapter 13 in Becoming Nicole

Week 10 Becoming Nicole, cont.

Homework

• Read chapters 14-28 in Becoming Nicole

• Watch Growing Up Trans

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Week 11 Becoming Nicole, cont.

Homework

• Read the rest of Becoming Nicole

• Read “‘These Laws Will Be Devastating’:

Provider Perspectives on Legislation Banning
Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender
Adolescents”

• American Dream
Week 12 Crier's War

Homework

• Read chapters 1-5 in Crier’s War

Week 13 Crier's War, cont.

Homework

• Read chapters 6-12 in Crier’s War

• Examining Impact
Week 14 Crier's War, cont.

Homework

• Read chapters 13-17 in Crier’s War

Week 15 Crier's War, cont.

Homework

• Read the rest of Crier’s War

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Week 16 The End

Homework

• Conferences

• Final Project

• Self-Assessment #3