Course Syllabus: GLITS 250A
Introduction to Global Literatures: The Sounds of Silence
(subject to revision)
Winter 2026 Professor Gary Handwerk
Tu/Thur 1:30-3:20; MEB 248 Office: A-402 Padelford
E-mail: handwerk@uw.edu Office Hours: by appointment
Canvas Site: https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1862563 (generally available after classes)
About the course:
This is a course for students who love to read, to linger with the joys and pleasures of complex literary texts. It is a course for students who love to learn, to learn about diverse cultures and varied people, about the profound depths of historical traditions, about the intricate pathways of human thoughts and behaviors. It is a course where the primary learning objective is to work toward using better the most powerful tool ever devised by human beings—language. We won’t read a huge number of pages, but we will practice how to read them with steadily increasing analytical precision. We won’t be writing an enormous number of pages, but we will practice writing them with the fluency that increases rhetorical impact.
Course content includes one short story, a pair of novels and various non-fiction texts, centered on the themes of identity, diversity and our human relationship with the “natural” world. Together, these texts comprise an historical sweep extending from the 1700’s (Octavia Butler) to the 21st century (Greta Thunberg), reaching back into Asian, Indigenous and North American history. They represent a geographical scope from the equator (Amitav Ghosh) to the Arctic (Barry Lopez), the global South to the global North, and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The core theme for the course is the sounds of silence. Our writers all seek to give voice to components of global ecosystems (psychological, social, ecological and economic) that are essential, but often unheard or ignored. How do we make the silences resound? A simple question, but quite sufficient for a quarter of reflection. This is a fully in-person course, where regular attendance and participation in class activities constitute a significant portion of the grades.
Course Texts (be cautious with e-books, which may not contain all the material in the printed text):
Thunberg, Our House Is on Fire Pierre Bayard, How to Talk about Books You Haven’t Read
Octavia Butler, Wild Seed Barry Lopez, Arctic Dreams
Amitav Ghosh, The Hungry Tide
Primary texts available at the University Bookstore. Additional Course Readings available on Canvas Web site (in the Files section, organized by folders according to author name): Munro, Leopold, Kimmerer, Teuton and others.
Graded Work:
Attendance, participation, group discussion leadership 20% of final grade
Munro completion exercises 5% of final grade
Analytical essays (4): single-spaced, minimal margins 15% each; 60% of final grade
Reading journal 15% of final grade
Group discussion leadership: Groups will be set up at the start of week 2, with each group responsible for contributing starting points for discussion once a week for the remaining weeks of the quarter.
Reading journals: The reading journals will be a continuing project of responses, some directed, others not, over the course of the quarter. This will be a handwritten journal, with entries often composed in class. Journals will be submitted and graded for completeness periodically during the quarter.
Analytical essays: These essays will be graded on a 10-point scale, with 9 = 4.0, 8 = 3.5, 7 = 3.0, etc. Late papers will have 1 point deducted per day that they are late. You will be writing three of these, each a one-page, single-spaced, no-margin paper (1200-1500 words), on topics circulated a week before the papers are due. You will have a chance to revise one of them before the end of the quarter.
Course Learning Objectives:
- Practice of and metacognitive reflection upon active reading processes, with special attention to rhetorical strategies, purposiveness and textual structures.
- Responsive, interrogative analytical writing, based on careful reading of texts and assignments
- Awareness of the role played by stories and by narrative structures in shaping belief systems and values
- Heightened sensitivity to cultural differences and to the historical bases for such differences
- Comprehension of the Principles of Narrative Analysis and ability to apply them effectively
Other Essential Information:
- The amount and the different kinds of writing you will be doing may make this a challenging course for you. In addition, the active close reading that I expect may be something that you have not had much occasion to practice. Please contact me in office hours if you want further help. It is your responsibility to come to me with issues you feel are getting in the way of your effective learning.
- The median grade for the course is likely to be close to the norm for classes in the humanities at UW, somewhere around 3.3. That isn’t the bottom grade; it’s the median. This means that it is possible to get a grade below 3.3 even though you have been doing all of the assigned work and submitting everything on time.
- Attendance and participation (in groups and in-class writing) are required. Moreover, they presuppose engaged and timely completion of writing assignments. I will take attendance periodically and keep track of participation, as well as using your reading journal to help me assess your performance
Academic Integrity:
I assume that students will complete all assignments and other course components in good faith and by doing original work. The Student Conduct Code outlines various forms of academic misconduct, including (but not limited to):
- Plagiarism
- Submission of someone else’s work or electronically generated (AI) work as your own
- Multiple submissions of the same work in different courses without instructor permission
- Engaging in behavior prohibited by an instructor
- Unauthorized recording, and/or subsequent dissemination of instructional content
Failure to adhere to this code of ethics will result in referral for possible disciplinary action as described in the Student Conduct Code. You are ALWAYS expected to properly credit the ideas and words of others in your papers. Remember that plagiarism can include using someone else’s words without proper citation, using someone else’s words with citation but without quotation marks, and paraphrasing
Artificial Intelligence
In this class, the use of AI applications such as ChatGPT or Dolly to produce any draft of an assignment will be considered plagiarism. Using an AI tool to produce needed text and then altering that text with slightly different wording (paraphrasing without attribution) is still plagiarism. We will discuss this issue in an ongoing way throughout the quarter, as part of our investigation of contemporary reading and writing habits.
Disability Accommodations:
It is my goal to insure that our learning environment is accessible to everyone. If you have a disability and need special accommodations for note-taking, deadlines or any other aspect of coursework, you should contact Disability Resources for Students, (206) 543-8924 (V/TTY), wdss@u.washington.edu. If you have a documented disability, I will receive an e-mail from DRS that outlines necessary accommodations. I am happy to work with you in any appropriate way to facilitate your learning in this class!
Religious Accommodations:
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/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of the quarter using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
The University of Washington supports an inclusive learning environment where diverse perspectives are recognized, respected, and seen as a source of strength. In this course, we will strive to create welcoming spaces where everyone feels included and engaged regardless of their backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
Mental Health Care:
UW Seattle students have access to a range of mental health and counseling support, including individual counseling, group therapy, workshops and crisis services. Need urgent help? Call 1.866.775.0608 to connect with UW’s partner, My SSP (more details in the link below). In an emergency, always call 911. For a list of services, visit the URL below:
https://wellbeing.uw.edu/topic/mental-health/
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Course Calendar: GLITS 250 (subject to revision)
Introduction to Global Literatures: The Sounds of Silence
January 6 -- Course Introduction
January 8 -- Alice Munro, “Boys and Girls”; Pierre Bayard, How to Talk about Books
January 13 -- Pierre Bayard, How to Talk about Books, selections
January 15 -- Pierre Bayard, How to Talk about Books, selections
January 20 -- Greta Thunberg, Our House Is on Fire
January 22 -- Greta Thunberg, Our House Is on Fire
JANUARY 27 -- ANALYTICAL ESSAY #1 DUE (by midnight, on Canvas)
January 27 -- Octavia Butler, Wild Seed
January 29 -- Octavia Butler, Wild Seed
February 3 -- Octavia Butler, Wild Seed
February 5 -- Octavia Butler, Wild Seed
FEBRUARY 10 -- ANALYTICAL ESSAY #2 DUE (by midnight, on Canvas)
February 10 -- Barry Lopez, Arctic Dreams, selections
February 12 -- Barry Lopez, Arctic Dreams, selections
February 17 -- Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass, selections
February 19 -- Kimmerer cont.; Chris Teuton, Cherokee Earth Dwellers, selections
February 24 -- Chris Teuton cont.
February 26 -- Amitav Ghosh, The Hungry Tide
MARCH 2 -- ANALYTICAL ESSAY #3 DUE (by midnight, on Canvas)
March 3 -- Amitav Ghosh, The Hungry Tide
March 5 -- Amitav Ghosh, The Hungry Tide
March 10 -- Amitav Ghosh, The Hungry Tide
March 12 -- Amitav Ghosh, The Hungry Tide
MARCH 13 -- JOURNALS DUE (by midnight, via e-mail)
MARCH 20 -- ANALYTICAL ESSAY #4 DUE (by midnight, on Canvas)