Syllabus - Genetics in Literature
English 273, Fall 2001 - Jay Clayton, Vanderbilt University
(Aug 29-31)
(Sep. 3-7)
(Sep. 10-14)
(Sep. 17-21)
(Sep. 24-28)
(Oct. 1-5)
(Oct. 8-12)
(Oct. 15-19)
(Fall Break, Oct. 22-23; class 24-26)
(Oct 29-Nov 2)
(Nov. 5-9)
Week 12
(Nov. 12-16)
holidays
(Nov 26-30)
(Dec. 3-7)
(Dec. 10-12)
Procedures, Requirements, and Grading Policy
Student Projects
(samples from last year)
Wednesday - Introduction
Friday - Cultural Representations of the Gene
Alas--the National Geographic website devoted to "Secrets of the Gene" (October 1999) has been taken down. Please write your paper on one of the four Agilent commercials archived at Agilent Technologies' website
Write a 2-page paper on one of Agilent Technologies' ads, analyzing the way in which these images present the relationship between technology and society.
Sunday - 6:30-9:00 p.m. - Calhoun 109
View Gattaca (1997), Andrew Niccol, dir.
Monday -
Discuss GattacaWednesday - The Basics of Genetics
Read "Assembling Your Genes," from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Decoding Your Genes (Reserve)
Read Matt Ridley, "Preface" and Ch. 1, Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters (New York: HarperCollins, 1999), pp. 3-22 (Reserve - Central Library).
Recommended: Eric S. Lander and Robert Weinberg, "Genomics: Journey to the Center of Biology," Science 287 (10 March 2000): 1777-82 (Reserve)Friday - Old Visions of the Future
Read Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
Monday - Old Visions of the Future
Wednesday - Old Visions of the Future
Friday - Archeology, Race, and DNA evidence
Greg Bear, Darwin's Radio
Monday - Speciation
Related controversies:
Tyrolean Iceman - 5,000-year-old skeleton found in 1991 in the Italian Alps
Ancient DNA, American Scientist web page
Two page papers on the Tyrolean Iceman by Gina and Meagan C. due on Monday; by Elijah and Allison due on Wednesday.
Kennewick Man - 9600 year-old skeleton found in 1996 on a bank of the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington
Symposium at Burke Museum, University of Washington
National Park Service reports
Repatriation and Reburial Issues, by Larry Zimmerman, University of Iowa.
Tri-City Herald, Kennewick Man Virtual Interpretive Center
Two page papers on the Kennewick Man from the scientific perspective by Leah, Meagan W. and Jarred due on Monday.
Two page papers on the Kennewick Man from the native American perspective by Jennifer, Kevin, Lux, and Ben due on Monday.
Eliava Institute, Georgian Republic
Lawrence Osborne, "A Stalinist Antibiotic Alternative," New York Times Magazine (6 February 2000): 50-55. Available on ProQuest to Vanderbilt students (search "stalinist antibiotic" for full text with photographs).
Two page papers on the Eliava Institute and Soviet Antibiotics by Julie, Heather, Erin, Dan, and Ellen due on Wednesday.
Wednesday - New Age Evolution
Friday -
Genetics in the News: "Do Races Differ? Not Really, DNA Shows," New York Times (August 22, 2000). You will have to sign on to the New York Times website by choosing a username and password. This service, however, is free.
Monday - Fictions of Evolution
Roger McDonald, Mr. Darwin's Shooter. Read pp. 1-124.
Lecture: Steven E. Hyman, M.D., Director of the National Institute of Mental Health at the NIH - "Genes and the Brain: The Future of Brain Research" (New location: 208 Light Hall in the Medical Center - 8:00 pm. Refreshments following lecture.)
Wednesday - Fictions of Evolution (cont.)
Project Dialogue Lecture: "Is There a Gay Gene?" (lecture and discussion). 7:00 p.m. - 5212H Stevenson Center (next to lecture hall in old Chemistry Building).
Brief discussion of Darwin's discoveries on the voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle by Ralph E. Taggart, Professor of Plant Biology, Michigan State University
Photograph of Darwin's Finch skins from London's Natural History Museum.
A good collection of online secondary sources.
Maps of Darwin's voyage:
Friday - Fictions of Evolution (cont.)
Class canceled so that students can attend Wednesday night (Sept. 26th) Project Dialogue lecture.
Sunday - 6:30-9:00 p.m. - Calhoun 109
View Inherit the Wind (1960), Stanley Kramer, dir.
For more information about the Scopes trial, visit Douglas Linder's valuable site chronicling "Famous Trials in American History."
Monday -
Wednesday -
Read Andrea Barrett, Ship Fever (1996), pp. 11-33, 103-22.
Map of Wallace's voyages from London's Natural History MuseumFriday -
Read Charles Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle, Ch. 10 (Ch. 15 recommended but not required) (online text). Use any edition that reprints Darwin's final revisions (1860 or later), if you can find one. Otherwise use the 2nd edition (1845), which is the one I have put on reserve in Central Library.
Monday - Autobiography of a Geneticist
Read the first half of James D. Watson, The Double Helix
Wednesday -
Friday -
No class.
Monday -
Read Richard Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker (1986), Ch. 3 (Ch. 5 is optional) - (Reserve - Central Library).
Wednesday -
Read Richard Powers, The Gold Bug Variations, Chs. I-IV.
Friday -
Read Edgar Allen Poe, "The Gold-Bug" (Reserve)
Monday -
No class. Fall break.Wednesday -
Friday -
Write a 1-2 page paper on one of the following aspects of Powers's novel and be prepared to present your findings to the class:
Autumn equinox
Bach's Goldberg Variations
Vannevar Bush
Herri met de Bles, a 16th century Flemish/Dutch painter
Emergent or self-organizing systems
The Enigma Machine
Fractals
Glenn Gould
Godel's Incompleteness Theorem
Gerard Manley Hopkins's "Spring and Fall: To a Young Child" (cf. Powers pp. 176, 182)
Jacques Monod
Marshall Warren Nirenberg
The Perpetual Calendar
Paul Robeson
Summer Solstice
Monday -
Wednesday -
Friday -
Sunday - 6:30-9:00 p.m. - Calhoun 109
Jurassic Park (1993), Steven Spielberg, dir.
Monday - The Social Implications of Cloning
Wednesday -From Nussbaum and Sunstein, Clones and Clones, read:
Stephen Jay Gould, "Dolly's Fashion and Louis's Passion"Cass R. Sunstein, "The Constitution and the Clone"Friday -
Laurence Tribe, "On Not Banning Cloning for the Wrong Reasons"Martha Nussbaum, "Little C"
Monday -
Read Simon Mawer, Mendel's Dwarf (1998)
Wednesday -
Friday - Cyborgs
Sunday - 6:30-9:00 p.m. - Calhoun 109 - Clones in the Future
The 6th Day (2000), Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
Monday - Forensic Genetics
Philip Kerr, A Philosophical Investigation
Wednesday - Forensic Genetics
Conferences - 10:00-11:45, 1:30-3:00
Thursday -
Conferences by appointmentFriday - Forensic Genetics
Conferences - 10:00-11:45, 2:00-4:00
Monday - Group Projects
Wednesday - Group Projects
Friday - Group Projects
Monday - Group Projects and Conclusion
Friday (Dec. 14) - Final paper or project due, 4:00 p.m., Benson Hall mailbox.
Ancient Acupuncture