English 305: Forms of Non-fiction – Travel Writing
Travel writing has always been part of the traditions of exploration and imperialism. Writing to monarchs, fellow explorers, family members, etc travel writers began writing their ideas about other worlds in order to communicate the wonder, the fear, and the market possibilities of other lands. In this class, we will consider the travel narrative as a genre in its own right. As a hybrid genre, it has always been flexible and changeable depending on the century and purpose for which it was intended. We’ll begin with early letters describing the wonders of the “New World,” and then move through the centuries reading examples of popular and significant narratives in this constantly developing genre. Questions we may consider: who writes a travel narrative and why? How has the genre transformed across centuries and why? What are the gender and racial implications of writing in this genre? How do contemporary narratives differ from those that came before them?
Writers may include Christopher Columbus, James Boswell, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Mary Wollstonecraft, Frances Kemble, VS Naipal, Ariel Dorfman, Gary Younge, and Jamaica Kincaid.