Great Books of India: The art of the book in South Asia (South Asian Reading and Composition)

Thinking in and beyond a time of rapidly digitizing production, consumption, and circulation of texts, what does it mean, and has it meant, to make a book by hand or using analog or hybrid technologies? How can the verbal, visual, and material aspects of a book express or embody change, memory, narrative, and thought? How can the making of a book reveal the connections and disconnects between craftspeople (including writers), local communities, and “global” consumers?

In this course, we will try to answer these questions by engaging two regional literary traditions, Bengali and Tamil, and exploring bookmaking practices and forms. We will read works in a variety of formats that draw diversely on traditional narratives, as well as historical and critical works. In addition to practicing and developing basic college-level academic writing skills, we will do simple hands-on bookmaking activities to experiment with writing on a material level. If possible, we may make a field trip to a local letterpress printer and/or have guest speakers who are practitioners of the book arts.