Course Catalogue

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This course investigates alternative ways of thinking and reading and writing back through queer poetic mother(text)s (which are key influential works of avant-garde poetry of modern sexualities three of which will be set reading on the course: they are understood to 'mother' new work in numerous ways). Seminars will closely examine mother works by three influential poets, inviting creative-critical responses to each.

Ten x 2-hour weekly classes which will take the form of five 2-hour seminars and five 2-hour workshops over ten weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.

This is one of the Honours options in English Literature and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Successful completion of Junior Honours English Literature, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

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The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Portfolio (4000 words): 90%  

■ Seminar and workshop contribution: 10% 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are no alternatives to the Portfolio (4000 words), but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

■ Written self-evaluation reflecting on seminar contribution or written response to seminar material in advance or after seminar as an alternative to seminar contribution.

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

This course aims to:

■ foster understanding and evaluation of contemporary queer poetics in relation to influential queer mother texts 



■ enable the production of original creative-critical texts informed by and engaging with a poetics of queer mothering 


■ provide students with the analytical and linguistic tools to be involved collaboratively and individually in assessment and criticism of their own work.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ articulate a sophisticated knowledge of queer mother poetics and the work of key practitioners and theorists

■ evaluate the cultural significance of queer mother poetics in relation to, creative and critical literary forms

■ produce a portfolio of their own queer mother writing

■ assess their own creative-critical processes while putting them in a larger and relevant context of creative practice 


■ reflect constructively on the work of self and others in a collaborative workshop and seminar context. 
 

■ communicate responses to the material studied on the course both orally and in written form through coherent and sustained argument