The 2008 Puterbaugh Class
Featuring the work of Chinese author Bei Dao
Let me tell you,
World, I—do—not—believe!
If a thousand challengers lie beneath your feet,
Count me as number one thousand and one.
—Bei Dao, The August Sleepwalker (1988) |
 The Puterbaugh Class is an excellent opportunity for students to meet and learn from one of the great poets of the twentieth century. The course for spring 2008 will focus on the poetry of Bei Dao, China’s most well-known living poet, and will be taught by Dr. Jonathan Stalling, a professor in OU’s Department of English. The class will explore late-twentieth-century Chinese history, culture, poetics, and politics through the lens of poetry from this period, with a focus on the work of the period’s most famous poet, Bei Dao. Bei Dao, or “Northern Island,” is the pen name of Zhao Zhenkai, one of the main voices of China’s “pro-democracy movement” who is known as one of the founders of the literary journal Jintian (Today), and for founding a new “obscure” or “misty” style of writing.
The class will meet on:
Monday, March 10, 5:30 - 8:00pm
Monday, March 24, 5:30 - 8:00pm
Tuesday, April 1, 5:30 - 8:00pm
Monday, April 7, 5:30 - 8:00pm
Monday, April 14, 5:30 - 8:00pm
Reading List:
Bei Dao, August Sleepwalker (New Directions, 1990), ISBN 0-8112-1132-0
Bei Dao, Waves (New Directions, 1990), ISBN 0-8112-1134-7
Bei Dao, At the Sky’s Edge: Poems, 1991-1996 (New Directions, 2001), ISBN 0-8112-1495-8
Bei Dao, Midnight’s Gate (New Directions, 2005), ISBN 0-8112-1584-9
Out of the Howling Storm: The New Chinese Poetry, ed. Tony Barnstone (Wesleyan University Press, 1993), ISBN 0-8195-1210-9
The class will meet in the Traditions Room (230) of the Oklahoma Memorial Union. Students are expected to attend the Puterbaugh Conference on World Literature, which will be held on Thursday and Friday, April 3-4. Students must also attend the WLT Book Club reading on Thursday afternoon, a reception on Thursday evening, and the Puterbaugh banquet on Friday night. Attendance at all these events is mandatory and required to complete the course successfully. Other requirements for the course will include (1) reading Bei Dao’s poetry and relevant literary criticism and (2) writing a critical essay due by May 1.
To enroll in ENG 4970 or ENG 5960, contact Grettie Bondy (325-2004, gbondy@ou.edu). To enroll in MLLL 4970, contact Kathy Peters (325-6181, kathypeters@ou.edu). A reading list for the course will be posted on the WLT website (www.worldliteraturetoday.com) in early spring and can also be obtained from Dr. Stalling (stalling@ou.edu).
Puterbaugh Student Fellowship Program 2008
In conjunction with the 2008 Puterbaugh Class featuring the work of Bei Dao, World Literature Today will award a number of Puterbaugh Student Fellowships to deserving OU undergraduate and graduate students. Students receiving fellowships will earn three hours of credit in English 4970, MLLL 4970, or English 5960.
Puterbaugh Fellows will receive the following:
- A scholarship for three hours of credit for ENG 4970, MLLL 4970, or ENG 5960.
- Invitation (for two) to the Puterbaugh banquet on 4 April 2008 on the OU campus.
- Invitations to other events related to the Puterbaugh Conference.
- Interaction with the Puterbaugh Fellow and other writers and scholars at a symposium on the OU campus on 3-4 April 2008. Attendance at the symposium is a requirement for the course.
- A book allowance, reimbursing the cost of texts for the course up to $70 for each student.
Applications
Students who wish to apply for a Puterbaugh Student Fellowship should mail in or hand-deliver an application by the January 22 deadline. A completed application consists of the following:
- The application form itself, which can be downloaded from the WLT website (www.worldliteraturetoday.com)
- A letter of recommendation from a faculty member
Applications must include reliable contact information—including a phone number, e-mail, and mailing address—and should be e-mailed to Terri Stubblefield (tdstubb@ou.edu) or sent to:
Puterbaugh Student Fellowships
World Literature Today
630 Parrington Oval, Suite 110
Norman, OK 73019-4033
For more information, send an e-mail to tdstubb@ou.edu or call WLT at (405) 325-4531.
Application Deadline: 21 January 2008
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