Rebel with a Cause: Teenage Lives in Literature New

Ah, the teenage mind: with its many passions, attitudes, and opinions that have the power to shape culture, change tastes, and build the future. What can teenagers teach us about the way our world works? And in what ways have fictional characters helped foster identity in real-life teenagers, who have gone on to change the world for the better?

In this dual seminar-workshop course, students will study literary works that center on teenage lives, learn the mechanics of YA literature, and try their hands at building their own memorable characters that just might someday inspire adolescents a century from now. Teenagers have stories worth telling, and, in the space of this course, students will empathize with and learn from great works, both classic and contemporary, as well as their peers in regular weekly workshops. The course will culminate in a final project of revised creative pieces generated over the term accompanied by an artist’s statement.