Explore the complex interplay between invisibility, visibility, and the fantastic in African American literature. By examining 20th century neo-slave narratives through the lenses of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Fred Moten, Sylvia Wynter, and Tzvetan Todorov and with literary artists such as Octavia Butler and Toni Morrison, this course investigates the double-bind of visibility in African American culture, the subversive power of the fantastic, critical theories on blackness, nothingness, and the "overrepresentation of man" to understand how African American authors navigate the tensions between the seen and unseen, real and unreal, in their explorations of black identity and experience.

Prerequisites: Writing 2 or upper-division standing.

4

Units

Optional

Grading

1, 2, 3

Passtime

None

Level Limit

Letters and science

College
GEs AHI Area G Ethnicity Writing
WARE R T
Rudolph Ware
3.1
23 reviews
ENGL 134IB Evans-Ware K Winter 2025 Total: 35
ENGL 134IB Yanoula A Summer 2011 Total: 15
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25
3.1
HIST149IA . Ware R T 3 Months Ago

Unorganized, no lecture slides, inaccessible outside classroom. Told us we didn't need to cite for essays but TA's docked points for not citing. Graded on 3 exams and still haven't gotten grades despite deadline passing (a common trend with other reviews). First time I've seen a professor be consistently disrespectful of their students' time.

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HIST149IA . Ware R T 3 Months Ago

This rating is for his HIST 149H: Africana Hip Hop class. Professor Ware is an excellent speaker and lecturer, and the material is interesting. However, Ware and his TA were nearly completely inaccessible outside of class, so it meant that if you wanted help for the 2 in-class essays, you're on your own if you can't go to his office hours.

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HIST49B . Ware R T 3 Months Ago

I do not recommend ever taking a class with Ware. Lectures are all over the place, he rarely uses lecture slides, and when he does, they don't correlate with the material he is teaching. My biggest problem was the lack of communication between him, the students, and the TAs. The way the class was organized made it extremely difficult to learn.

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HIST149IA . Ware R T 7 Months Ago

Does not care about students. Is homophobic

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HIST49A . Ware R T 1 Year, 19 Days Ago

Solid lecturer and made the material interesting to a STEM major. Definitely attend lectures, since he bases the paper+exams heavily around lecture material **that I couldn't reliably find online**. Readings can be long but just get the general ideas of them and you'll be fine. TA's grade most of work, but he'll curve if they grade differently

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HIST49B . Ware R T 1 Year, 3 Months Ago

I think that this has been the most interesting GE I've taken so far. I don't disagree that Ware is disorganized and goes off on tangents, but they're always correlated with class and help contextualize the information we are learning. He is evidently passionate about his work and his teaching. But, the readings can be crazy long, so be prepared.

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See all 25 reviews
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