Separate Shelf Literature Discussion
Looking for Black Literature?Web Page 
Read the article and use it as a frame for your participation in the related discussion. The article, published on PEN America, discusses the placement of Black literature in our canon and in our marketplace, and how we find Black literature both individually and collectively.
Link to article: https://pen.org/looking-for-black-literature/
Does African American Literature Exist?Link Kenneth Warren’s essay published in The Chronicle of Higher Education takes on the discussion of African American Literature as its own genre, and whether or not this separation is helpful or hurtful to the discussion and exploration of Black literature within academia.
Link: https://www.chronicle.com/article/Does-African-American/126483
Separate Shelf Discussion Discussion Topic Discussion on African American Literature and its place on the shelf…
- After reading the assigned articles, discuss your impressions on African American literature being separated by a sub-genre of literary writing.
- Think about your own definition of ‘African American literature’ and the connections between mainstream literature, historical contexts, and cultural implications regarding contemporary African American writers.
Share examples of writers, novels, stories, or articles that supplement your comments. Also be sure to reference the writers and their analyses from the assigned readings (CITE the authors in your post).
Remember that active participation is epitomized by our participation in discussion. Be assertive and honest, be constructive and challenging. Above all else, be polite. Even if you disagree, there is a nice way to voice your opposition. 🙂 Your responses should be substantive as defined in the syllabus, and be sure to engage at least TWO classmates with substantive posts as well.
BE SURE TO CITE THE ARTICLES IN YOUR INITIAL POSTS (In-text and with Works Cited). Points will be deducted for discussions that do not cite sources (for this all subsequent discussion post assignments).