2020-2021

Fulfills translation requirement for EALC graduate students. Must be arranged with individual faculty member. Register by section with EALC faculty.

Independent reading course.

For course description contact East Asian Languages.

This seminar will consider exemplary texts from the Madhyamaka school(s) of Buddhist philosophy, particularly focusing on notable points of divergence and/or concord between the Indian schools with which the tradition originated, and the various Chinese schools that reflect China's distinctive appropriation of the tradition. Brook Ziporyn and Dan Arnold

The Chinese 1980s are now remembered as a highly creative period in literature and arts, and as a time of diverse political aspirations that culminated in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Many debates and experiments throughout the decade revolved around the notion of “culture.” What did this term mean in 1980s China, why was it considered important, and how to situate its meanings historically, both in relation to the Mao Era and to the changes that came after 1989? These are some of the questions we will address in this course, which will examine a variety of texts including poetry, fiction, interviews, diaries, and documentaries from and about the cultures of an exciting time. Texts will be in Chinese and in English.

This course engages with the various uses of sound in Japanese literary texts, ranging from the late Edo period through the contemporary era. We will also read recent sound-oriented approaches to literary and cultural studies in both Japan and Anglo-American criticism. Readings will be in both English and Japanese.

This course examines changes in the working lives of East Asian women from the late nineteenth to the 21st century. Most of the readings will be on China but we will also discuss Korea and Japan. All readings are in English. 

An exploration of the writings of Lu Xun (1881-1936), widely considered as the greatest Chinese writer of the past century. We will read short stories, essays, prose poetry and personal letters against the backdrop of the political and cultural upheavals of early 20th century China and in dialogue with important English-language scholarly works.