Classes

Chinese Literature 201a. History of Chinese Literature through the 13th Century

Semester: 

Fall

Offered: 

2020

This course offers an in-depth scholarly background in the history of Chinese literature and literary culture, examines issues particular to each period in classical literature and of the current state of the field, and engages critical reflection on the question of “literary history.” The readings consist of lecture notes, supplementary materials, and a series of texts, all made available on course website. 

Meeting Times (Tentative): MW 9:45–11:15

Tang Dynasty Tales

Semester: 

Spring

Offered: 

2018
This semester’s focus is Tang dynasty’s tales, balancing canonical tales with less well-known ones. Central themes include: 1) the relationship between humans and things; 2) sexuality and romance—especially with the alien kinds; violence; metamorphosis; 3) representations of trauma, nostalgia, and historical memory.

The Splendors of the Medieval Court

Semester: 

Fall

Offered: 

2016

This course explores medieval Chinese court culture from the fifth through early eighth century (the late Northern and Southern dynasties through the early Tang). This was a period when the court occupied a central position in the cultural life of society and played a role in the empire far beyond political administration.  We will discuss court literature as well as examine multiple facets of aulic life including rituals, behavioral norms,...

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Topics in Early Medieval Literature

Semester: 

Spring

Offered: 

2016

This semester the topic is a review of the canonical poets of the Six Dynasties from Tao Yuanming to Yu Xin.

East Asian Studies 129. The Worlds of the Three Kingdoms

Semester: 

Spring

Offered: 

2013

The period of the “Three Kingdoms” at the turn of the third century was a dangerous and violent time; it is also one of the historical periods that have most inspired the Chinese cultural imagination. For more than a millennium, numerous works, from written to visual, have been produced about the Three Kingdoms, and the trend is only growing stronger in the twenty-first century.  The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a masterpiece of classic Chinese novel, has been widely read and reworked in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, making the fascination with the Three Kingdoms not...

Read more about East Asian Studies 129. The Worlds of the Three Kingdoms