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ENGL 240, An Introduction to Canadian Literature

Introduction

The guide accompanies ENGL 240: An Introduction to Canadian Literature. 'The Truth About Stories:" Literature, Community and the Canadian Imagination.

This course is being taught in Fall 2018 by Dr. Ceilidh Hart.

Introduction and Contexts

September 6: What is Canadian Literature, exactly?

M.G. Vassanji, “Am I a Canadian Writer?” Canadian Literature 190 (2006): 7-13.
Nick Mount, “What Makes Canadian Literature Canadian?” Research and Innovation University of Toronto. 11 Nov. 2009.
Thomas Hodd, “The Scandal that is Canadian Literature.” The Toronto Star 14 Nov. 2013.
Russell Brown, “Why Do We Struggle with What Makes Canadian Literature?”The Globe and Mail 21 Nov. 2013.

Course Texts

Moss, Laura and Cynthia Sugars, eds. Canadian Literature in English: Texts and Contexts, Volume 2, Pearson, 2009.
Referred to in this guide as "CLIE text"

Overview Works

Samuel Hearne

Biography of Samuel Hearne from Dictionary of Literary Biography, vol. 99.

Susanna Moodie

Roughing It in the Bush : authoritative text, backgrounds, criticism 1st ed. by Susanna Moodie; Michael Peterman

Biography of Susanna Moodie from Dictionary of Literary Biography, vol. 99

Duncan Campbell Scott

Monture, Rick. ""Beneath the British Flag": Iroquois and Canadian Nationalism in the Work of Pauline Johnson and Duncan Campbell Scott." Essays on Canadian Writing. 75 (2002): 118-41.

Pauline Johnson

Paddling Her Own Canoe : the times and texts of E. Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake) by Carole Gerson; Veronica Strong-Boag

Archibald Lampman

Archibald Lampman : memory, nature, progress by Eric Ball

Earle Birney

Brean, Joseph. "The Changing Meaning of Citizenship in Canada" National Post, March 16, 2012.
In satirizing the national character in his 1962 poem “Can. Lit.,” the great Canadian poet Earle Birney made the cutting observation that, unlike our ancient imperial homelands or even our closest neighbour, Canada is mostly unbothered by history.

Stories of Discovery and Arrival

September 11

excerpt from Samuel Hearne, A Journey from Prince of Wales’s Fort in Hudson’s Bay to the Northern Ocean
The full text may be downloaded from this archive site.

September 13

excerpt from Susanna Moodie, From Roughing It in the Bush, “A Visit to Grosse Isle”

Stories of Settlement

September 18, 20

September 27

"Modern Stories"; Making it New

October 2

Earle Birney, “Can. Lit.”
See CLIE text.
FR Scott, "The Canadian Authors Meet"
See CLIE text.

October 4

AJM Smith, “The Lonely Land”
See CLIE text.

October 11, 16

AM Klein, “Portrait of the Poet as Landscape”
See CLIE text.

Stories of Celebration: Stories of Disillusionment

October 18

Northrop Frye, excerpt from Conclusion to A Literary History of Canada
See CLIE text. The Literary History of Canada by Carl Klinck is also available in the library.

Chief Dan George, “A Lament for Confederation”

October 23

Gordon Lightfoot, “Canadian Railroad Trilogy”
See CLIE text.

November 6

Margaret Atwood, “Disembarking at Quebec”
See CLIE text.
Margaret Atwood, "Death of a Young Son by Drowning"

November 8, 13

Austin Clarke, “Canadian Experience”
See CLIE text.

Border Stories

November 15

Thomas King, “Borders”
See CLIE text.

November 20

Marilyn Dumont, “Letter to Sir John A Macdonald”
See CLIE text.

November 27, 29

Madeleine Thien, “Simple Recipes”
Call Number: PS 8589 H54 S56 2001
See CLIE text. The full story collection is also available in the library.

F.R. Scott

F. R. Scott and His Works by Sandra Djwa

Biography of F.R. Scott from Dictionary of Literary Biography, vol. 88

A.J.M. Smith

Issue of Canadian Poetry devoted to A.J.M. Smith

A.M. Klein

A. M. Klein : the story of the poet by Zailig Pollock

Northrop Frye

Biography of Northrop Frye from Contemporary Authors

Margaret Atwood

Groening, Laura. "The Journals of Susanna Moodie: A Twentieth-Century Look at a Nineteenth-Century Life."
Studies in Canadian Literature, vol. 8, no. 2, July 1983, pp. 166-180.

Austin Clarke

Biography of Austin Clarke from Contemporary Authors

Thomas King

Thomas King: Works and Impact by Eva Gruber

Marilyn Dumont

Andrews, Jennifer. ""Among the Word Animals: A Conversation with Marilyn Dumont." Studies in Canadian Literature, vol. 29, no. 1, 2004, pp. 146-160.

Madeleine Thien

Biography of Madeleine Thien from Contemporary Authors

The University of the Fraser Valley is situated on the traditional territory of the Stó:lō peoples. The Stó:lō have an intrinsic relationship with what they refer to as S’olh Temexw (Our Sacred Land), therefore we express our gratitude and respect for the honour of living and working in this territory.

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