Syllabi
American Jewish Writers
Esther Schor
Princeton University
Spring 2009
Chametzky, et al. Jewish American Literature: A Norton Anthology, Norton (N)
Lazarus, Emma. Selected Poems and Other Writings ed. Eiselein, Broadview
Cahan, Abraham. Yekl and the Imported Bridegroom, Dover
Yezierska, Anzia. The Bread Givers, Persea
Roth, Henry. Call it Sleep, Picador
Malamud, Bernard. The Assistant, FSG
Bellow, Saul. The Adventures of Augie March, Penguin
Roth, Philip. Goodbye Columbus, Vintage
Singer, I. B. Enemies, A Love Story, FSG
Spiegelman, Maus I, Pantheon
Roth, Philip. American Pastoral, Vintage
Sarna, Jonathan. American Judaism, Yale (optional)
I READINGS:
Week 1 Introduction (B): “The Golden Land”
Halpern, “In the Golden Land” (1919)
Leyeles “New York” (1918)
Schwartz, “Blue Grass,” from Kentucky (1925)
Leyvik “To America” (1955)
Levine, “Sources” (1981)
Rich, from “Eastern War Time” (1991)
Koestenbaum, “Best-selling Jewish Porn Films” (2006)
Paley, “Untitled [Thank God there is no god]” (2008)
Week 2 Jewish Founders
Leeser, “Dangers and Defenses of Judaism” (N) 75-82
Wise, “The Fourth of July” (N) 84-86
Lazarus, 43-106, 175-288
Week 3 The Great Wave: Jewish Immigrants, 1882-1939
Cahan, Yekl (1896)
Yezierska, The Bread Givers (1925)
Week 4
H. Roth, Call it Sleep (1934) Books I-III
D. Schwartz, “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities” (N) 540-545 (1937)
Week 5
H. Roth, Call it Sleep, Book IV
Halpern (N) 246-253
Glatstein (N) 370-378
Dropkin (N) 259-262
Week 6 Post-War Fictions: Ethnicity and Assimilation
Malamud, The Assistant (1957)
Week 7
Bellow, The Adventures of Augie March (1953)
Week 8
Olson, Tell me a Riddle (1961) (N) 689-715
Roth, Goodbye Columbus (1962)
Week 9 I. B. Singer: “Noble” Laureate
Singer, “Gimpel the Fool” (1953) (N) 614-623
“Taibele and her Demon” (1978) (B)
“Shiddah and Kuziba” (1961) (B)
Singer, Enemies, A Love Story (1966/1972)
Week 10 “Second-Hand Smoke”: Writing the Holocaust
Spiegelman, Maus I, A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History (1986)
Maus II (excerpt) (1991) (N) 1095-1104
Leyvik “Song of the Yellow Patch (1940) (N) 285-287
Glatstein “Good Night, World” (1946), “Without Jews” (1946) (N) 373-5
Ozick, “The Shawl” (1980) (N) 896-89
Week 11 Women, God and Other Challenges
Paley, “The Loudest Voice” (1959) (N) 795-804
“An Interest in Life” (1959) (B)
“Wants” (1974) (B)
“Living” (1974) (B)
“A Midrash on Happiness” (B)
Poems from Fidelity (B)
Rich, “Yom Kippur 1984” (N) 996-998
Ostriker, “Kol Nidre” (2008) (B)
Osherow, poems (1994-6) (N) 1129-1133
Goodman, “The Four Questions” (1996) (N) 1134-1148
Week 12 Roth’s Doubles
P. Roth, American Pastoral (1998)
II WEBSITES
We will keep up with a few websites that report on current developments in American Jewish culture. Please read one article from among the following websites each week before class.
1) Nextbook: http://www.nextbook.org/
2) Forward (Arts & Culture): http://www.forward.com/sections/jewish-arts-culture/
3) Zeek@Jewcy: http://www.jewcy.com/zeek
III FILMS
The following optional films have been put on reserve. I recommend that you view at least two.
Crosland, The Jazz Singer (1927)
Goldin, “Cantor on Trial” (1931) (short film)
Silver, Hester Street (1975)
Mazursky, Enemies, A Love Story (1989)
Dorman, Arguing the World (1998)
Allen, Radio Days (1987)
IV WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
1) Two “starter” papers max. 1-2 pp. to be read aloud in class.
2) Paper #1 6-8 pp.
3) Paper #2 6-8 pp.