Faculty

Kenneth S. Calhoon, professor (18th- and 19th-century German and European literature and thought, psychoanalysis, cinema). B.A., 1979, Louisville; M.A., 1981, Ph.D., 1984, California, Irvine. (1987)

Suzanne Clark, professor. See English.

Lisa Freinkel, associate professor. See English.

Katya E. Hokanson, assistant professor (Russian literature, travel literature, cultural studies). B.A., 1984, Williams; M.A., 1988, Ph.D., 1994, Stanford. (1995)

Jeffrey S. Librett, professor. See German and Scandinavian.

John T. Lysaker, associate professor. See Philosophy.

Dawn Marlan, adjunct assistant professor (history of the novel, gender studies, cinema). B.A., 1989, Bennington; M.A., 1992, Ph.D., 2000, Chicago. (2004)

Leah Middlebrook, assistant professor (16th-century Spanish and French lyric, court culture, theories of the subject). B.A., 1989, Columbia; M.A., 1991, Ph.D., 1998, California, Berkeley. (2002)

George Moore, adjunct assistant professor (Continental philosophy, aesthetics, European literature). See Romance Languages.

Jenifer Presto, associate professor (Russian literature, poetry, modernism). A.B., 1985, Smith; M.A., 1988, Middlebury; M.A., 1989, Ph.D., 1996, Wisconsin, Madison. (2003)

Emeritus

Thomas R. Hart, professor emeritus. B.A., 1948, Ph.D., 1952, Yale. (1964)

The date in parentheses at the end of each entry is the first year on the University of Oregon faculty.

Participating

Barbara K. Altmann, Romance languages

Susan C. Anderson, German and Scandinavian

Michael G. Aronson, English

Monique Balbuena, honors college

Judith R. Baskin, Judaic studies

Elizabeth A. Bohls, English

P. Lowell Bowditch, classics

Steven T. Brown, East Asian languages and literatures

Carl R. Bybee, journalism and communication

Dianne M. Dugaw, English

Maram Epstein, East Asian languages and literatures

Laura Fair, history

Joseph G. Fracchia, honors college

Leonardo García-Pabón, Romance languages

Warren Ginsberg, English

Evlyn Gould, Romance languages

Michael Hames-García, English

Shari M. Huhndorf, English

Kathleen Rowe Karlyn, English

Linda Kintz, English

Wendy Larson, East Asian languages and literatures

David Leiwei Li, English

Massimo Lollini, Romance languages

John McCole, history

Randall E. McGowen, history

Karen McPherson, Romance languages

Fabienne Moore, Romance languages

Julianne H. Newton, journalism and communication

Dorothee Ostmeier, German and Scandinavian

Paul W. Peppis, English

F. Regina Psaki, Romance languages

Amanda W. Powell, Romance languages

Forest Pyle, English

Judith Raiskin, women’s and gender studies

Daniel Rosenberg, honors college

George Rowe, English

Cheyney C. Ryan, philosophy

Tze-Lan Sang, East Asian languages and literatures

Gordon M. Sayre, English

John Schmor, theater arts

Steven Shankman, English

George J. Sheridan Jr., history

Carol T. Silverman, anthropology

Michael Stern, German and Scandinavian

Analisa Taylor, Romance languages

Cynthia H. Tolentino, English

David J. Vázquez, English

Elizabeth A. Wheeler, English

Daniel N. Wojcik, English

Henry B. Wonham, English

About the Program

The University of Oregon offers major programs in comparative literature leading to the bachelor of arts (B.A.), master of arts (M.A.), and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. In addition, a minor program has been recently established.

Inherently interdisciplinary, comparative literature begins with the insistence that any artifact of culture—be it a canvas, a poem, a film, or a novel—requires active attention and engagement. At the same time, where the national literatures designate their subjects by language or nation, comparative literature allows a pluralistic approach that bridges linguistic and cultural boundaries. Closely allied with literary and critical theory as well as with contemporary trends in globalization studies and cultural studies, comparative literature nonetheless can be defined neither in terms of a specific methodology nor a specific canon of texts. What defines comparative literature is its open-ended spirit of inquiry. Students of comparative literature create their subject matter by determining the meaning and method of their comparative approach.

Oregon’s graduate program, established in 1962, has an international reputation. It is the home of the principal journal in the field, Comparative Literature, and is closely involved with the leading national organization, the American Comparative Literature Association.

The program maintains an active schedule of lecture series, seminars, and workshops. Recent visitors include Ken Aptekar, Nancy Armstrong, Charles Bernstein, Christopher Braider, Judith Butler, Eduardo Cadava, Beatrice Hanssen, David Harvey, Michael Henry Heim, Heather James, Mary Layoun, Karma Lochrie, Scott McCloud, Franco Moretti, Andrew Parker, Thomas Pfau, Mary Louise Pratt, Andrew Ross, Henry Sayre, Ella Shohat, Art Spiegelman, Peter Stallybrass, John Whittier Treat, Haiping Yan, Gang Yue, and Zhang Xudong.

Library holdings, which are strong in all areas of research in literature, include an outstanding collection of journals, many of which come to the library in exchange for Comparative Literature.

Undergraduate Studies [back to top]

The undergraduate program offers a unique major that cuts across disciplines, teaches critical skills, and provides an intellectually challenging curriculum while preparing students for possible careers in the media, law, government, business, or teaching. Students with a good background in one or more languages other than English find that the program gives them the opportunity to study literature and related cultural productions, including canonical and emerging writings, in a variety of historical and theoretical perspectives.

The program provides maximum flexibility for developing the major. Working with the chair of undergraduate studies or an adviser, the student plans a course of study suited to her or his interests. Two honors options are described later in this section.

Major Requirements

At the time of declaring the major, a student designates two national-linguistic traditions in which to concentrate (e.g., French and Italian, German and Russian, Japanese and English).

Major Focus. Within one year of declaring the major, but no later than the beginning of the junior year, the student designates a focus. The focus defines the major for the student. It does not represent additional course work; rather, the focus is a way to coherently organize it. The focus may be defined as a genre (the novel, tragedy, autobiography), a period or movement (Romanticism, the baroque), a theoretical or methodological problem (literature and psychoanalysis, art and politics), or an issue (literature and resistance, nationalism).

Upper-Division Requirements. Upper-division requirements are divided into three core areas, which ensures that the student (1) achieves linguistic and literary depth and comparative breadth, (2) acquires methodological tools appropriate to the core areas, and (3) develops a focus that is personal and consistent. To satisfy these requirements, the student chooses from courses in the Comparative Literature Program and in other departments. Given the number of choices, the student should confer regularly with the undergraduate adviser, who can help identify courses that meet the criteria of each core area.

Core Areas

Comparative Literature. Four upper-division courses, three of which have the COLT subject code. A fourth course, taken in another department or program and subject to the approval of the undergraduate adviser, is chosen in accordance with the student’s focus and should contribute to the definition of that focus.

Primary National Literature. Four upper-division courses in the student’s primary national-linguistic tradition. In three of these courses, the literature is read in the original language, and the courses will likely be offered by the department that teaches the language. The fourth course has the COLT subject code and intersects with the primary national literature.

Secondary National Literature. Four upper-division courses in the student’s secondary national-linguistic tradition. In at least two of these courses the literature is read in the original language and the courses will likely be offered by the department that teaches the language. The other two may have the COLT subject code and should intersect with the secondary national literature.

Foreign Language Proficiency

Completion of three years of a foreign language or the equivalent is required. Entry-level advising ascertains what each student needs to become linguistically proficient.

Honors in Comparative Literature

Majors may request approval to pursue one of the two honors options.

Second Foreign Literature Honors. Completion of three upper-division courses in a second foreign literature, read in the original language.

Senior Thesis Honors. Successful completion and presentation (by the end of the second term of the senior year) of an essay written under the direction of a comparative literature faculty member and a second faculty reader. Students who choose this option enroll for two terms of Thesis (COLT 403).

Minor Requirements

The comparative literature minor offers an opportunity for students to pursue an interest in world literature and film without advanced language study. Seven courses are required: Approaches to Comparative Literature (COLT 301); four additional courses with the COLT subject code, of which no more than two may be lower division; and two upper-division literature or film courses, both in the same subject area. These two additional courses may be taught within the Comparative Literature Program or in other departments, and may be taken abroad or away from the University of Oregon.

Graduate Studies [back to top]

Students are admitted to the graduate program with the expectation that they will work toward the Ph.D. degree. At present the Comparative Literature Program does not offer a terminal master’s degree. Instead, students become eligible for the M.A. on passing their Ph.D. qualifying exams.

The graduate program is founded on the conviction that literary traditions are best understood when contextualized across national and cultural boundaries. Such contextualization requires a sound appreciation of both philology and bibliography; linguistic training thus remains the sine qua non of comparative literature. In order to thrive professionally, every scholar in the discipline must be closely trained in a primary national literature. At the same time, a commitment to comparative study requires a firm grasp of the emergent field of translation studies as well as preparation in the pedagogy of literature in translation. In addition, comparative literature demands of its scholars an acute and self-conscious focus on methodology. How and why we compare is often no less important than what we are comparing.

Admission

A complete application for admission includes the university’s application form, a transcript of college- and graduate-level work, three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, a ten- to twenty-page sample in English of critical writing about literature, and, if appropriate, the application for a graduate teaching fellowship (GTF). Graduate Record Examinations are not required, but are highly recommended. The application deadline is January 15 for entrance the following fall term. Application information and forms can be obtained at the program website.

Candidates for admission typically have an undergraduate major in one literature and competence in two of the following languages: Chinese, Danish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Norwegian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish. Under special circumstances arrangements may be made with the program director to study other literatures.

Overview of Requirements

Within their first three years of graduate study, students must pass the relevant language examinations, complete at least five courses in the primary field, at least four courses in the secondary field, and at least three courses in the methodology field. In addition, students select at least three elective courses in consultation with their faculty advisers. These courses may be tangential to their main research interests or distributed according to those interests. It may be advantageous for students to organize their elective courses into a fourth research field. Additional required course work includes Translation Pedagogy (COLT 613) and Graduate Studies in Comparative Literature (COLT 614, 615). In order to remain in good standing in the program, students must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.50 in all graduate level courses.

After completing all course work and language requirements, students are eligible to take their written and oral Ph.D. qualifying examinations. After successful completion of the exams, students submit a prospectus and meet with their committees for the prospectus conversation. A satisfactory prospectus conversation is required for advancement to candidacy. The approximate time from completion of course work to advancement is one year. After advancing to candidacy, students are encouraged to enroll in at least one term of Comparative Literature in the Academy (COLT 612). Typically, the dissertation is completed within two years of advancing to candidacy.

Primary Field. The majority of comparative literature graduates are hired to teach in national literature departments and not in interdisciplinary programs. For this reason it is crucial that students develop a primary research field that is based either in a single national literature (e.g., Japanese literature) or in a single linguistic-cultural tradition that crosses national boundaries (e.g., Latin American literature). Depending on the relative breadth of a student’s prior training, the primary field may be further delimited according to a period (e.g., Meiji Japan) or a genre (e.g., the Latin American novel) or even an artistic movement (e.g., postmodern American literature).

Secondary Field. This field should contextualize and complement the work of the primary field, and will most commonly represent a second national literature or linguistic-cultural tradition. However, it can also represent an alternative disciplinary focus (e.g., religious studies).

Methodology Field. Graduate work in any academic subject requires a sound grasp of methodology; one joins a community of scholars and becomes capable of substantive, independent research only insofar as one masters the research methods relevant to one’s discipline. In contrast, comparative literature students work across disciplines; they encounter multiple and often competing research methods, starting assumptions, and terminologies, and must determine the relevance of any, all, or none of these for the work at hand. Thus, the interdisciplinary nature of comparative literature requires a vigilance and self-consciousness regarding matters of method.

Electives. Three of the program’s required eighteen graduate-level courses are electives and should be chosen in consultation with an adviser. The electives may cover a wide range of interests or may be carefully distributed among the three research fields to fill gaps or achieve greater depth. Some students may wish to devote their electives to a fourth field of research (e.g., a third national literature). Students hoping to pursue this option are urged to meet with the director of graduate studies as soon as possible.

Timetable from Entrance to Examinations

The program is designed so that students may complete all necessary course work, all exams, and have their dissertation prospectus approved by the end of their fourth year of study.

Advisers. For their first two terms of study (fall and winter), students are advised by the director of graduate studies. By the beginning of the third term, each student formally identifies an interim adviser—a faculty member who agrees to mentor the student through the completion of the second-year review.

By the time a student completes the second-year review, he or she should have identified an adviser of record who shares the student’s primary research interests. This adviser mentors the student through the qualifying exam process and typically becomes the chair of the dissertation committee. In consultation with this adviser, the student selects the remaining two members of the qualifying examination committee.

Language Requirement. Work in at least three languages is expected at all phases of the program, from course work to the dissertation. The language requirement addresses this expectation by ensuring both linguistic proficiency and a minimum level of graduate course work in all three languages. As early as possible in the first year, students must demonstrate proficiency in at least one of the languages of which they are not native speakers. At the discretion of the director of graduate studies, proficiency may be demonstrated in one of the following ways: (1) by holding a graduate teaching fellowship in the language; (2) through examination (see below); (3) by receiving a grade of at least A– in a graduate-level course in the language; (4) by holding a recent (within five years) master’s degree in the language. Proficiency in a second nonnative language should be demonstrated by the end of the second year. In addition to demonstrating proficiency in nonnative languages, students are required to complete some graduate-level work in all three of their languages. For students who choose to satisfy their language requirement through written examination, translation exams may be organized through the program office.

Students wishing to take a language exam during a given academic term should inform the director of graduate studies during the first two weeks of that term. Arrangements for the exam will be made by the program office. Normally the examination entails translating passages of primary or secondary literature of approximately 500 words into grammatically competent English. The exams last two hours and must be taken in a proctored environment. A bilingual dictionary may be used. Examining faculty members may decide to meet with students prior to the exam to ascertain research interests. It is appropriate for the choice of passage to reflect those interests—a student working on 20th-century narrative might be given a passage from a contemporary novel. However, it is crucial that the chosen text be unfamiliar to the student; this is not an exam for which students should prepare by reviewing certain texts or authors. The language requirement (both linguistic proficiency and graduate course work) must be satisfied by the end of the third year.

First-Year Statement. By week four of spring term, first-year students in consultation with their interim advisers submit a two- to three-page statement of purpose to the director of graduate studies. It should identify and justify the primary, secondary, and methodology fields the student intends to pursue—the general fields of study that form the backbone of a scholar’s research profile. It should also clarify the relationship between the students’ research languages and research fields, and indicate what linguistic study is necessary to complete the proposed course of study.

First-Year Conversation. In the second half of spring term, the first-year student, his or her interim adviser, the director of graduate studies, and one other comparative literature faculty member meet for a conversation about the first-year statement. They evaluate the student’s progress to date including course work and language examinations, discuss the intended fields, and offer guidance for the remaining two years leading to the qualifying examination. With their approval of the statement and the student’s general plan as well as the completion of all first-year course work with a GPA of 3.50, the student may proceed to the second year.

Second-Year Review. By the beginning of spring term of the second year, students will have chosen their advisers of record. In consultation with that adviser, the student must write a careful self-review of his or her progress to date. The review should revisit both the first-year statement and the report of the first-year conversation. In particular, any recommendations made by the first-year conversation committee should be assessed: how were these recommendations pursued, and with what result? The designation of the three research fields should also be addressed, along with any shifts in focus that have proved necessary or desirable. The review should explain what course work remains to be completed, and, where appropriate, should outline a plan for the completion of that work. Any problems in performance or concerns about timely progress should also be addressed. The second-year review is due by the fifth week of spring term. It must be signed and approved by the adviser of record.

From Examination to Dissertation

Typically, students take their qualifying exams in either fall or early winter of their fourth year. Students are eligible to sit for their exams upon completion of all course work and approval of their exam statement and reading list. The examination has two parts, written and oral.

Committee. By the beginning of spring term of the third year, each student selects an exam committee consisting of the adviser of record and two additional participating faculty members. Of these three, one represents the student’s primary field of research (commonly the adviser of record), another represents the secondary field, and a third member is designated the committee chair. All must sign an agreement form to participate in the exam committee, and all must approve the exam statement and reading list. The examination committee must be approved by the director of graduate studies no later than the fourth week of spring term of the third year. Students who have chosen an additional fourth field of research may choose to be tested in that field as well. The logistics of this option should be pursued with the director of graduate studies as soon as possible.

Exam Statement and Reading List. In consultation with the exam committee members, each student determines his or her examination fields. These fields correspond to the primary, secondary, and methodology research fields, but are usually narrower and more specialized in scope. Students then devise a reading list covering each field, totaling no less than fifty items; in addition, students compose a three- to five-page statement defining the student’s core interests, defending the examination fields, clarifying the scope of the reading list, and offering some indication of the future dissertation project. A finalized version of the statement and list must be approved by the director of graduate studies and the examination committee at least six weeks before the first written exam.

Written Examination. In this phase, students compose three essays over three twenty-four-hour periods. At the student’s option, the minimum extent of the entire written examination process is three days; the maximum, three weeks. The first essay covers the primary field, with questions submitted by the examiner representing that field; the second covers the secondary field in the same manner; the third essay is comparative, addressing texts from both primary and secondary fields, with questions (submitted by all three examiners) designed to ascertain the student’s methodological sophistication and expertise. For the primary and secondary field exams, students choose between two questions; for the comparative exam, they choose one of three questions.

The examiners read the essays; all of them grade and comment on the comparative essay. The two field exams are graded separately by the responsible examiners, except in the case of a failing grade. In this circumstance, the student’s essay is graded by the other two examiners as well. If two out of three examiners fail the essay, the student is entitled to retake the exam in that area in the following term. The exam may be retaken no more than once. If more than one of the student’s essays fails, or if the student fails a retake exam, he or she does not proceed, but may be eligible for a terminal master’s degree. Grades for these exams are high pass, pass, or no pass. Students learn their exam results two weeks after completion of their final essay.

Oral Examination. If the student passes all three written exams, the oral examination takes place approximately three weeks after completion of the last exam. In preparation, students review their statements, reading lists, and exam essays. In the oral, which is proctored by the committee chair, the committee and the student revisit the written examination, discussing areas of strength and weakness. The oral examination is neither passed nor failed, but is intended to contribute to the student’s plans for the dissertation. On completion of successful written and oral examinations, the student may begin writing the dissertation prospectus.

Prospectus and Doctoral Candidacy. After successful completion of the qualifying exams, the student should formally identify a dissertation committee and embark on the dissertation prospectus. The prospectus should be submitted to the dissertation committee during the term following the written and oral examinations. A prospectus is not a first dissertation chapter; it is a snapshot of the dissertation project as envisioned by one who has yet to complete the bulk of his or her research. The prospectus is typically ten to fifteen pages in length. It should include a clear, concise examination of the problem to be studied, along with a compelling sense of the larger issues at stake in the project, both for the immediate topic and for the field at large. The prospectus also should provide a clear vision of the project’s trajectory: a narrative account of the dissertation’s structure, an outline of chapters, and a justification for the particular authors and texts to be examined. A substantial research bibliography should be appended.

Prospectus Conversation. The prospectus, once approved by each member of the committee, is forwarded to the director of graduate studies for final approval. After the final approval, a prospectus conversation is scheduled. This conversation includes the members of the dissertation committee, is facilitated by the committee chair, and helps to develop the student’s plans for the dissertation. Areas of strength and weakness in the project are discussed, and specific recommendations about structure, bibliography, and method are presented. After successful completion of this conversation, the student advances to candidacy.

Dissertation. Typically, the dissertation is completed within two years of advancement to candidacy, and is defended in a final oral presentation. Dissertations in a discipline such as comparative literature can hardly be said to follow exact specifications, but as a general principle any such project should involve at least two authors, works, and national literatures, and an explicit methodological orientation.

Comparative Literature Courses
(COLT) [back to top]

101, 102, 103 Introduction to Comparative Literature (4,4,4) Introduction to the comparative study of literature. 101: world literature, emphasis on literary genre, historical period. 102: world literature in its social and political contexts. 103: visual culture from around the world. Calhoon, Middlebrook.

198 Workshop: [Topic] (1–2R)

199 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–5R)

201 The World of Epic (4) Explores narratives of nation- or culture-building, classical to modern.

202 The World of Drama (4) Studies drama as a genre, a critical paradigm, and a social and cultural phenomenon.

203 The World of Poetry (4) Surveys poetries of different languages, periods, and cultures.

204 The World of Fiction (4) Explores novels and short stories. Examines narrative features—point of view, authority, voice, style, structure—in cultural and international contexts.

206 The World of Autobiography (4) Examines the nature and problems of writing about the self. Explores autobiography and its subgenres in cultural and international contexts.

208 Genre: [Topic] (4R) Identifies emerging, hybrid, or minor genres in cultural and international contexts. R twice when topic changes for maximum of 12 credits.

301 Approaches to Comparative Literature (4) Introduction to theory and methods in comparative literature, with some attention to the history and problems of the discipline. Calhoon, Hokanson.

350 Comparative Literature: [Topic] (4R) Recent topics include Art of Translation, Madness and Creativity, Cultural Critique.

360 Gender and Identity in Literature (4) Introduction to the study of gender in literature, from Asia to Europe to the Americas, and from the classics to the late 20th century.

399 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–5R)

401 Research: [Topic] (1–21R)

403 Thesis (1–12R)

405 Reading and Conference: [Topic] (1–21R)

407/507 Seminar: [Topic] (1–5R)

408/508 Workshop: [Topic] (1–21R)

410/510 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–5R)

418/518 Modernisms: [Topic] (4R) Comparative study of modernism as a force for aesthetic and social renovation. R twice when topic changes for maximum of 15 credits.

450/550 Cinematic Representations: [Topic] (4R) Film treated in broad aesthetic (including literary) and cultural contexts. Calhoon. R twice when topic changes for maximum of 15 credits.

461/561 Studies in Contemporary Theory: [Topic] (4R) Identifies issues in literary or cultural theory for close examination. R twice when topic changes for maximum of 15 credits.

462/562 Cultural Intersections: [Topic] (4R) Studies designated issues between literatures and societies remote from one another, e.g., “minor” and “major” cultures, Asia and the West. R twice when topic changes for maximum of 15 credits.

464/564 Cross-Cultural Investigations of Gender: [Topic] (4R) Advanced study of gender in settings of historical and/or cultural difference with explicit attention to the theoretical premises underlying comparison. R twice when topic changes for maximum of 15 credits.

490/590 Philosophical Problems and Literary Contexts: [Topic] (4R) Establishes a dialogue between philosophy and literature—as disciplines, as historical constructions, as value systems. R twice when topic changes for maximum of 15 credits.

503 Thesis (1–16R)

601 Research: [Topic] (1–16R)

603 Dissertation (1–16R)

605 Reading and Conference: [Topic] (1–16R)

607 Seminar: [Topic] (1–5R)

608 Colloquium: [Topic] (1–16R)

610 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–5R)

612 Comparative Literature in the Academy (1) Explores professional issues for graduate students who plan careers in college and university teaching and scholarship.

613 Translation Pedagogy (4) Pedagogy and theoretical training for teaching world literature and literature in translation.

614, 615 Graduate Studies in Comparative Literature (5,5) 614: overview of the state of the discipline. Treats historical and theoretical developments in literary studies including philology and cultural studies; reconsiders the place of comparative literature in a global, pluralistic curriculum. 615: survey of contemporary literary theory.