Week 2: Whitman and Faulkner

As we discussed last week, Whitman is writing during the era identified as the American Renaissance. Leaves of Grass, from which comes "Song of Myself," was first published in 1855 (only a few years before the civil war). Faulkner, on the other hand, is considered a writer of the Southern Renaissance, a movement which occurred during the modern period (between WWI and WWII, almost a century later). What do you make of the work of these two American artists? Some questions to consider in developing your reflection: What American themes and issues do they address in their work and how? What similarities and differences do you observe in their narrative and style? What differences? What cultural and historical circumstances seem important in contextualizing these authors and their work?

Week One: pomo conversations

Prompt: what struck you as interesting and/or significant in Berube's essay?