American Hauntings: From Poe to Pop Culture

Although America has often projected the image of a shimmering New World, there has always been a shadow realm beneath the surface. This course concentrates on various tales of the supernatural (including the occult, mesmerism, mad science, ESP, body invasion, witchcraft) as well as the darkly psychological (suppressed memories, traumatic dreamscapes) that run throughout American literary and cinematic history. Texts include fiction by Edgar Allan Poe ('The Fall of the House of Usher,' 'William Wilson'), Nathaniel Hawthorne ('Young Goodman Brown,' 'The Birthmark'), and Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby); films include The Shining, The Village, and Get Out. Evaluation: 75% writing (weekly response posts, medium-length formal papers), 25% participation. No technology in class.