This class concerns the origins and implications of authenticity, as both a concept and a practice. Over the course of the semester we will cover a range of topics: we’ll read Buddhist discourses, discuss art from the French Revolution, map local histories through San Francisco and Berkeley, and shape an understanding of AI's role in the future of writing. This course is predicated on the idea that, as scholars, we will work to investigate, understand, and form opinions on difficult problems. Working in and with a variety of genres, modes, and styles, students will practice reading and thinking deeply and carefully by asking questions and developing answers, while practicing both formal and informal writing through sustained engagement with the revision process. The class is divided into four sections: 1) Authenticity and the self (authenticity and writing) 2) Authenticity and objects 3) Authenticity and place 4) Authenticity and experience.
Booklist:
Hua Hsu, Stay True
Rebecca Solnit, Infinite City
Additional readings available on bCourses
Booklist:
Hua Hsu, Stay True
Rebecca Solnit, Infinite City
Additional readings available on bCourses