College Lit Course

[Coolallosaurus]

If you want to hit 'literary' King, Lisey's Story is a must. It is his most intricately constructed novel, and delves into some deep water concerning the nature of long term relationships, loss, and the effect childhood has on an adult. The Colorado Kid is another interesting and different King novel.

It really depends on what your course focus is intended to be. It would be interesting to read non-trad King, since so many people think they 'know' all about his work.

Alternately, you could do the literary influences/homages of King, in which case 'Salem's Lot (Dracula, and the "The town knew darkness chapter sounds just like Faulkner), Revival (Frankenstein), and Blaze (Of Mice And Men) would be good choices (he has others--these were the first that came to mind).

If you can give an idea of what you hope to accomplish with the course, it would help in making suggestions.

Welcome to the board!

Thank you for your recommendations! I will post a course description separately to give you a sense of what I am trying to accomplish with the course. I love the idea of going for non-traditional King (maybe with some "greatest hits" sprinkled in). I am leaning towards organizing my class around genre to show how multifaceted and expansive his work is. I will also definitely be pairing King readings with other more traditionally canonical authors. I was thinking of doing something with Faulkner's Map of Yoknapatawpha County and King's Maine, but hadn't considered the stylistic influence in 'Salem's Lot. Thank You!

 

[Coolallosaurus]

Welcome welcome welcome.

King is very easy read. Great story teller. Since this is an upper lit course I would go for more of is novels that r more in line with a higher lit course.

Books like salems lot and it r fantastic but i would not recommend for this class . At the same time u want to pick books that r good reads and grab ur students. 3 that come to mind are Duma Key, 11/22/63 and Under the dome. The latter 2 are awesome reads and include intellectual topics. Utd brings society into the mix and how people interact in a captured universe. Much like lord of the flies. But these 2 are also bricks. I remember in my lit course we read 7 books in a semester. Page wise that would b equal to these 3 as far as time needed. But anyway thats my 2 cents. Also if they havnt read king before might want to give an intro to his writings bc they most likely have a pre disclosed view of his work on " oh the horror guy". He is so much more than that and u might want to shatter that pre disclosed notion. Good luck and have fun with it

Thank you for the recommendations! 11.22.63 is a good recommendation. I am not sure I will have time to assign the whole novel, but may be able to excerpt it. If I include it, I would like to pair it with excerpts from Octavia Butler's Kindred (or maybe the graphic novel adaptation). I also agree an overview of King's writing is a must! Thank you!

 

[Coolallosaurus]

Here's a work in progress version of my course description. It's bound to change as I finalize the syllabus. Thank you all again for your really wonderful feedback. I will keep you posted as I finalize my course reading. Your suggestions have been incredibly helpful! I will also check back in as I am thinking through assignments to get your thoughts. Again, this is the first time a King class has been taught at my institution, so I want to make sure it is a success.

"Although he is known as the “Master of Horror” King’s body of work is often genre-bending, combining mystery, suspense, science-fiction, fantasy, coming-of-age, and historical fiction. Despite (or, perhaps because of) his popular success, King’s place in the academy has been hotly contested. Some have dismissed any potential literary significance of King’s work by calling it page-turning pulp and gimmicky trash that is dumbing-down readers. Others see King as a misunderstood writer who has been marginalized from academic discourse due to his popular appeal and primary work in the maligned genre of horror.

In this class we will engage this debate about the canon, popular culture, and literary main stream appeal by studying texts from throughout King’s 40+ year writing career. Students will develop critical frameworks to analyze and write about King’s literary work as well as its reach in film, music, and television. We will historically situate his texts, discuss the genre conventions of horror and popular fiction, and put King in conversation with traditionally “canonical” authors like Shirley Jackson, Flannery O’Connor, Edgar Allan Poe, Toni Morrison, and Bram Stoker. As we explore all things Stephen King, we will think through the following questions: In what ways can academia engage with popularly successful fiction as a subject of serious literary analysis? What is the difference between capital L Literature and fiction? How can we critically unpack “page turners” and “entertaining” books?"

 

[do1you9love?]

I'm a minimalist.

Put some clothes on, Ethel!

 

[Doc Creed]

Put some clothes on, Ethel!

 

[swiftdog2.0]

Congratulations on finishing your degree! I can definitely empathize with the experience of meeting English professors who don't consider King "serious." I actually ran in to that mentality when I was designing this course. We have to designate our classes along with our course description. I wanted to teach my course under the label of "Major Authors," but had to change it to the heading of "Literature and Popular Culture" because, I was told, I would have to make a "case" for King being a major author . . . the designation doesn't change my approach to the course (I would incorporate popular culture anyway), but does show how there is definitely still a bias in academia. However, on the other end of the spectrum, I have also met people (mostly outside of academia), who hear about my class and think it's the coolest thing.
Thank you for your recommendations! I 'Salem's Lot is on my list of potential novels. I was thinking of pairing it with excerpts from Stoker's Dracula and Polidori's The Vampyre. I also do like Pet Sematary (maybe excerpts?). Ah, such a tough decision! And yes, short stories are a fabulous idea! Thank you!

Thanks!

Would love to see the syllabus if you are willing to share.

Hope your course goes well!

 

[swiftdog2.0]

Congratulations on finishing your degree! I can definitely empathize with the experience of meeting English professors who don't consider King "serious." I actually ran in to that mentality when I was designing this course. We have to designate our classes along with our course description. I wanted to teach my course under the label of "Major Authors," but had to change it to the heading of "Literature and Popular Culture" because, I was told, I would have to make a "case" for King being a major author . . . the designation doesn't change my approach to the course (I would incorporate popular culture anyway), but does show how there is definitely still a bias in academia. However, on the other end of the spectrum, I have also met people (mostly outside of academia), who hear about my class and think it's the coolest thing.
Thank you for your recommendations! I 'Salem's Lot is on my list of potential novels. I was thinking of pairing it with excerpts from Stoker's Dracula and Polidori's The Vampyre. I also do like Pet Sematary (maybe excerpts?). Ah, such a tough decision! And yes, short stories are a fabulous idea! Thank you!

Also, The Dead Zone could make a nice tie-in to the current political environment. That novel seems to be scarily prophetic.

 

[ServantThirteen]

Welcome! That is a whole lotta readin' for one year. Good luck!

 

[Neesy]

because, I was told, I would have to make a "case" for King being a major author .

Wow - he's come a long way since the 70s - I think it's just a case of blatant snobbery - but that's just my personal opinion

Welcome!

 

[Coolallosaurus]

Hey! Taking a short break from dissertation stuff [sidenote: I really miss the boards! Can't wait to get back on with more regularity in a few weeks] to return to this thread with an update about my SK course. Students got to sign up late last month. My class reached capacity during senior registration, and I currently have 41 students (and counting) on the waitlist!!! I am going to take a stab in the dark here and say students are ready for a King class.

Mod: can I use this space to post my syllabus/assignment descriptions to get feedback from SKMB folks or should I start a new thread?

 

[Dana Jean]

Hey! Taking a short break from dissertation stuff [sidenote: I really miss the boards! Can't wait to get back on with more regularity in a few weeks] to return to this thread with an update about my SK course. Students got to sign up late last month. My class reached capacity during senior registration, and I currently have 41 students (and counting) on the waitlist!!! I am going to take a stab in the dark here and say students are ready for a King class.

Mod: can I use this space to post my syllabus/assignment descriptions to get feedback from SKMB folks or should I start a new thread? View attachment 28316

Moderator ?

 

[Coolallosaurus]

Finalizing my course readings, and I really need some Constant Readers to weigh in on two things in particular. 1) I am torn between The Dead Zone and Salem's Lot. The course is designed to introduce students to the study of King's work, so I'm going with his greatest hits/works that had a significant impact on literature and/or pop culture. I initially started with The Dead Zone, but am now leaning towards Salem's Lot since it came right after Carrie. Thoughts (even just general preferences)? and 2) General thoughts about the readings? One thing I noticed is I don't have anything from the early-mid 2000's. Are there any books you would swap out or in? In other words, is there a book missing here, for you as a Constant Reader, that really defines King's work/influence as a writer? We're at a book per week, so I can't add any additional texts which makes this sooooo difficult! Below are the books we'll be reading:

On writing (2000)

Carrie (1974)

The short stories (selections)

The Shining (1977)

The Long Walk (1979)

The Dead Zone or Salem's Lot (1979)

Misery (1987)

Pet Sematary (1983)

The Green Mile (1996)

The Gunslinger (1982)

The Stand or It (1978 or 1986) [class vote]

Different Seasons (1982)

Elevation (2018)

 

[Doc Creed]

Finalizing my course readings, and I really need some Constant Readers to weigh in on two things in particular. 1) I am torn between The Dead Zone and Salem's Lot. The course is designed to introduce students to the study of King's work, so I'm going with his greatest hits/works that had a significant impact on literature and/or pop culture. I initially started with The Dead Zone, but am now leaning towards Salem's Lot since it came right after Carrie. Thoughts (even just general preferences)? and 2) General thoughts about the readings? One thing I noticed is I don't have anything from the early-mid 2000's. Are there any books you would swap out or in? In other words, is there a book missing here, for you as a Constant Reader, that really defines King's work/influence as a writer? We're at a book per week, so I can't add any additional texts which makes this sooooo difficult! Below are the books we'll be reading:

On writing (2000)

Carrie (1974)

The short stories (selections)

The Shining (1977)

The Long Walk (1979)

The Dead Zone or Salem's Lot (1979)

Misery (1987)

Pet Sematary (1983)

The Green Mile (1996)

The Gunslinger (1982)

The Stand or It (1978 or 1986) [class vote]

Different Seasons (1982)

Elevation (2018)

I like your compilation, and, as much as I prefer The Dead Zone, I think 'Salem's Lot is better suited for your purposes.

 

[Coolallosaurus]

I like your compilation, and, as much as I prefer The Dead Zone, I think 'Salem's Lot is better suited for your purposes.

Thanks for weighing in!

 

[Doc Creed]

I'd add Lisey's Story, if you are searching for a book that displays his greatest powers as a novelist. The Gunslinger, The Shining, and Misery would all get my vote, too. I see you have included those. All of the books I mentioned have interesting structures, complicated themes, higher quantity of quotable content, and something more to offer than just exciting plots.

 

[Neesy]

Finalizing my course readings, and I really need some Constant Readers to weigh in on two things in particular. 1) I am torn between The Dead Zone and Salem's Lot. The course is designed to introduce students to the study of King's work, so I'm going with his greatest hits/works that had a significant impact on literature and/or pop culture. I initially started with The Dead Zone, but am now leaning towards Salem's Lot since it came right after Carrie. Thoughts (even just general preferences)? and 2) General thoughts about the readings? One thing I noticed is I don't have anything from the early-mid 2000's. Are there any books you would swap out or in? In other words, is there a book missing here, for you as a Constant Reader, that really defines King's work/influence as a writer? We're at a book per week, so I can't add any additional texts which makes this sooooo difficult! Below are the books we'll be reading:

On writing (2000)

Carrie (1974)

The short stories (selections)

The Shining (1977)

The Long Walk (1979)

The Dead Zone or Salem's Lot (1979)

Misery (1987)

Pet Sematary (1983)

The Green Mile (1996)

The Gunslinger (1982)

The Stand or It (1978 or 1986) [class vote]

Different Seasons (1982)

Elevation (2018)

One of my favourite books is 11/22/63 (forgive the British spelling but I am Canadian)

It is from 2011 so not early 2000s but still it's a great book and very enjoyable. It was also made into a mini-series but of course the book was so much better.

 

[Coolallosaurus]

I'd add Lisey's Story, if you are searching for a book that displays his greatest powers as a novelist. The Gunslinger, The Shining, and Misery would all get my vote, too. I see you have included those. All of the books I mentioned have interesting structures, complicated themes, higher quantity of quotable content, and something more to offer than just exciting plots.

I was struggling with Lisey's Story. I've added it and cut it about 20 times. It's definitely his most traditionally "literary" work (and would also solve my issue of not having a text from the early-mid 2000s). The issue is, what to cut. I'd do Pet Sematary, but with the movie coming out, I'm planning to take my students to see it. I had one week dedicated to nothing but SK adaptations. Maybe cut the adaptations week in exchange for Lisey's Story?

 

[Coolallosaurus]

One of my favourite books is 11/22/63 (forgive the British spelling but I am Canadian)

It is from 2011 so not early 2000s but still it's a great book and very enjoyable. It was also made into a mini-series but of course the book was so much better.

Thanks, Neesy! I loved 11/22/63! Unfortunately it's too long to assign in full, but I have excerpts during my adaptations week.

 

[Neesy]

Thanks, Neesy! I loved 11/22/63! Unfortunately it's too long to assign in full, but I have excerpts during my adaptations week.

You must be kidding, right? I note you have The Stand or It in your list

 

[Doc Creed]

I was struggling with Lisey's Story. I've added it and cut it about 20 times. It's definitely his most traditionally "literary" work (and would also solve my issue of not having a text from the early-mid 2000s). The issue is, what to cut. I'd do Pet Sematary, but with the movie coming out, I'm planning to take my students to see it. I had one week dedicated to nothing but SK adaptations. Maybe cut the adaptations week in exchange for Lisey's Story?

Yes, that is a quandary. Pet Sematary would probably be an easier book to dissect and correlate to other gothic novelists (Hawthorne, Ambrose, Lovecraft). I think it's a fierce book and, except for a minor hiccup in the narrative/timeline, it's near perfect. It's my favorite for a reason. Your students would probably appreciate it more than Lisey's Story and, yes, the adaptation is coming soon.