What kinds of borders arise between people in romantic or political relationships, between countries or communities, and amid nostalgia or memories?  In this course, we’ll work creatively to interpret borders in 20th- and 21st-century Latin American and US Latinx literature: short stories, poetry, and cultural journalism (all in English translation) by writers who address ethnicity, religion, gender, social class, family life, citizenship status, community values, and other identities.  

You will develop reading, writing, discussion, and debate skills that you can use in college and beyond, and will have ample opportunity to connect class readings and discussions to your other personal and academic interests.  Students in the course are artists who rethink and redesign course material in an esoteric fashion. You will complete a project — creative writing, original art, video, interactive website or photographic portfolio — that reimagines characters, relationships, and ideas.  You will teach your project to your classmates at the course “finale,” which is a collaborative experiment at our last meeting.

This is a great course for curious readers who want to ramp up their skills and be prepared for reading-intensive and small discussion classes in college.  Students who are inspired by recent world news to design a call to arms, a cry for justice, or an act of solidarity. You will be expected to challenge your abilities in argumentation, interpretation, and critical thinking, and to be responsible members of an intellectual community.  All readings, class activities, and assignments will be in English; no knowledge of Spanish is necessary.

Learn more about the instructor of this course: https://spanport.washington.edu/people/samuel-jaffee