ENGL3815 · English

Normalcy and Deviancy in American Sexualities

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

Over the last century, an explosion of new sexual orientations has emerged that moves beyond the binary of heterosexual versus homosexual. In this class, well use American literature and visual media as a cultural grounding to explore how sexual practices become transformed into socially significant identities in American society, and how these identities engage and are shaped by concepts of normalcy and deviancy. Potential novels to be considered include classics of queer literature like Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt (the basis for the 2015 movie Carol), James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room, and David Wojnarowicz's memoir Close to the Knives, while also more contemporary texts like Jackie Ess's Darryl. Films to be considered include the documentary The Celluloid Closet (1996) and Jamie Babbit's But I'm a Cheerleader (1999).