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Bestsellers by Decade:

1900-1909	1910-1919	1920-1929	1930-1939	1940-1949
1950-1959	1960-1969	1970-1979	1980-1989	1990-1994

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Course Description:

In this course, we will use 20th-century American literature as a means of understanding 20th-century America.  We will do so by reading best-selling novels--at least one from each decade--and analyzing the causes and components of their popularity.  Non-fiction best-sellers will also be considered, we will watch film versions of the assigned readings, and supplementary reading will focus on American history, the publishing industry, and the profession of authorship in America.

Assignments:

Students will be required to complete a series of assignments during the semester, focused on a single best-seller (chosen from the lists of bestsellers by decade, below, but not one of the required readings for the course). These assignments will comprise a bibliographical description of a first edition, a publication history (including performances in other media, if any), a biographical sketch of the author, a reception history, and a critical analysis of the work in its cultural and literary contexts. All of these assignments will be submitted online, using Web-based submission forms: they will become part of an ongoing project to compile a Web-accessible database of information about bestselling 20th-century American literature, which will ultimately become part of Alderman Library's electronic collections. For each assignment, students will also submit a printed list of the sources used in completing the online submission, listed by assignment subsection. More information about grading is available here.

Required Reading:

• Thomas Dixon, Jr., The Clansman
• Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna
• Sinclair Lewis, Elmer Gantry
• Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind
• Lillian Smith, Strange Fruit
• Lloyd C. Douglas, The Robe
• Grace Metalious, Peyton Place
• John Le Carré, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
• Alex Haley, Roots
• Stephen King, It
• John Grisham, The Firm

Reading Schedule:

January

February

March

April

May

Due Dates and Submission Forms:

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Class Email Archive	Online Resources
Electronic Reserve Reading
Library Resources	Recommended Reading