Modernist writers broke with literary convention to experiment with form, voice, and narrative perception. In this advanced course, we’ll read two modernist novels—one by Djuna Barnes and one by James Baldwin—that probe the limits of subjectivity and the articulability of desire. Through close reading and discussion, students will explore how Modernism itself mirrors the instability of selfhood—especially when that "self" refuses to be neatly contained by dominant narratives.

Departmental approval is required for this course.