The Queerness of Love
GERM 285; CHID 270A; GLITS 253A; ENGL 242B.
Professor Richard Block
Meets in LOW 201,
MWF 12:30-1:20
Credit Hours: 5
Office: Denny Hall 345
Office Hours: M: 9:30-10:20F: 1:30-2:20 or by appt.
Email: blockr@u.washington
- SSC. A&H
We recognize that the University of Washington stands on the lands and waters of the Coast Salish Peoples; the Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, and Tulalip.
The words "I love you" may come from the heart, but they are nonetheless a citation, even a cliché. What the heart would speak is no more than a commonplace. Utterances of love, it might be said, are always already somebody's else's. What is dearest and most heartfelt is thus rendered wholly unoriginal and certainly not one's own. Does that mean that love is self-estrangement, that the lover, if they are truly in love, can be nothing other than queer?
“Queer,” however. is not an easy term to define. While the term is embedded in the politics of gender and sexuality, it also describes a relationship in which lover and loved do not relate. They remain inexplicably "other" to each other and to themselves. Yet paradoxically, without such “otherness” love might be impossible. Is queerness then love’s most significant prerequisite?
In this course, we will attempt to answer that question by tracing the limits and possibilities of queer love. Is it platonic as Socrates describes it The Symposium? Or, is it merely mimetic and impossibly narcissistic as ?
After Plato, we will move to read three texts that mark themselves as queer, “Death in Venice” (Thomas Mann), Passing (Nella Larsen), and two short stories from Willa Cather, to explore early 20th century imaginings of same sex love. The second half of the course is dedicated to cinema and examines how contemporary cinema imagines queerness. Films include Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee), Moonlight (Barry Jenkins), Watermelon Woman (Cheryl Dunye), I Saw the TV Glow (Jane Schoenbrun). We will conclude the course with a discussion of the AIDS quilt? How do the panels commemorating the dead evince promise of a coming community, open to and embracing diversity?
Students can expect to learn the following from the course:
an understanding of the historical contingencies that shape any expression of love;
an understanding of the relationship between “queer” and love;
skills for close, analytical reading of a text or film.
Requirements: Active class participation (25 percent); bi-weekly quizzes (best 3 of 4): 40 percent; final video project: 35 percent.
Class Schedule (the schedule IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE; PLEASE READ relevant messages sent from the instructor during the quarter.
Sept. 25: Class Introduction. “Hello.”
Sept. 27, 30: Watch Queer Planet, dir. Ed Watkins (Currently Screening on Peacock.) SEPT 27 NO CLASS
Oct. 2,4,7: The Symposium, Plato
Oct. 9, 11, 14: “Death in Venice,” Thomas Mann .
Oct. 16,18, 21: Passing, Nella Larsen. Oct. 18: First set of worksheets due.
Oct. 23, 25: “Tommy The Unsentimental,” “Paul’s Case,” Willa Cather.
Oct. 28, 30, Nov. 1: Brokeback Mountain, dir. Ang Lee.
Nov. 4, 6, 8: The Watermelon Woman, dir. Cheryl Dunye. Nov. 6: Second set of worksheets due.
Nov. 11: Veterans Day, no class.
Nov. 13, 15, 18: I Saw the TV Glow, dir. Jane Schoenbrun. (Third Quiz distributed Nov. 15, dues Nov. 18.
Nov. 20, 22, 25, Moonlight, dir. Barry Jenkins.
Nov.27: Form groups for the final project; meet in class and begin to discuss approach and logistics.
Nov. 28,29 Thanksgiving and Native American Day (no class on the 29).
Dec: 2,4 AIDS Quilt
Dec. 6: Work on final project. (Third set of worksheets due.)
Quiz Schedule: Oct. 4. Oct. 18. Nov. 1. Nov. 15. Nov. 27 (take home). THERE ARE NO MAKE-UP QUIZZES. If you miss a quiz, then that will be the grade that is dropped; the other four will count.
“Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/) (Links to an external site.). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/) (Links to an external site.).
This applies as well to those with a disability who require a special accommodadtion.
The N-word won’t be used in this class by a person of any race, even if it consistently appears in our texts. This class will also be free of hate speech regarding sexual orientation, gender expression, race, ability, and socio-economic status or background. Each member of this class is responsible for fostering an environment in which people and their ideas are respected. For the same reasons, students will strive to make remarks that are informed by our material and the history that surrounds it.
Note on Content. Our class includes materials that might be considered controversial to some readers. These works are part of the academic materials for the course, and students should be aware that these materials are to be analyzed in an academic way; students who do not wish to read or view these texts should consider finding an alternative course that aligns better with the academic work they are willing to do. For example, some course materials may contain graphic violence, problematic ideas or language, or explicit sexual activity. This course will also discuss significant and sometimes controversial debates about a wide variety of topics related to identities, including conversations about race, gender, immigration, sexuality, disability, class, oppression, history, and other topics. Students who choose to take this course should understand that they will be expected to read, understand, and respectfully discuss course materials in academic conversations; the course does not ask students to agree with any particular text or material, but students will be expected to understand, explain, and thoughtfully comment on course materials with different perspectives. A foundation of a well-rounded education is to engage with ideas and artworks that provoke and challenge, and it would not be possible to study the world and its events and cultural products without ever encountering material that is potentially challenging or provocative to at least someone.
In addition, some texts make reference to or depict child abuse, death and mourning, torture, sexual assault, racial/homophobic slurs, racist violence. While simply finding a topic or course material controversial or upsetting is not the same as being psychologically harmed or triggered, individuals with concerns about their own well-being in relation to any course topics should reach out so that we can talk about what accommodations would be appropriate. Students with these concerns are recommended to review course materials at the start of the semester and to contact the instructor well in advance to discuss them.