This course is designed to provide an introduction to American literature from the post-Civil War period to the present. Beginning with Walt Whitman, we will read a series of influential American texts-both fiction and poetry. We will situate these works not only within the literary movements of the time (e.g., realism, modernism, and postmodernism), but also within other important historical and cultural occurrences (e.g., immigration and migration, civil rights, commodity culture). Throughout, the emphasis will be on the diverse, sometimes conflicting traditions that make up the American literary canon. Readings may include works by such authors as Twain, Chopin, Chesnutt, Hemingway, Hughes, Hurston, Faulkner, Ellison, Ginsburg, Pynchon, Morrison, and Cisneros. Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: two papers, midterm and final exams. Prerequisite: a 100-level English course, except 150. Enrollment limit: 40 (expected: 40). (Post-1900)