Two Islands, One People: Puerto Rican Literature and Culture (W) (D)
Prerequisite: None
Wintersession 2008: Trip to Puerto Rico January 2-12, 2008
This is a pilot course in English (Writing Intensive) that is part of the “Expanding Your Horizons: Winter Intersession” program at Wagner College. It meets the American Diversity (D) requirement. Students will explore Puerto Rican literature and culture both in New York and in Puerto Rico to discover the island of origin and relate the Nuyorican experience in the United States to Borinquen. Authors such as René Marquéz, Esmeralda Santiago, Piri Thomas, and Mayra Santos Febres, as well as others, show the connections between the two islands, both as physical reality and imaginary spaces. There will be an experiential learning component while in San Juan, as well as tours of the colonial section of the capital and the Spanish fortress, a tour of the Island itself, including the rain forest, the beach at Luquillo, the observatory at Arecibo, the southern city of Ponce and the controversial Vieques. Because of the heavy reading load, students will also be expected to meet weekly during the spring semester to finish and discuss readings, do oral presentations, and hand in final research projects.
Students must be available for class activities and field trips in Manhattan before the trip to Puerto Rico and during the spring semester. All work for the course will be done in English. Students must have successfully completed the freshman RFT before taking this course. First consideration will be given to freshmen and sophomore applicants.
The total cost of the trip to Puerto Rico will be approximately $2100; this includes airfare, accommodations, daily breakfast and lunch and most dinners, transportation, the tour of the Island, scheduled cultural events and travel insurance.
For more information contact:
Dr. Marilyn Kiss, Department of Modern Languages, mkiss@wagner.edu, (718) 390-3369
Accompanying staff: Tania Rossini, trossini@wagner.edu, (718) 390-3280
