Hi everyone! My name is Melissa, and I’m an English Lit major entering my fifth year at UBC. This summer, I’m filling my time working a co-op job at UBC Learning Exchange, trying not to freak out about my upcoming grad, riding my bike around the city, and, of course, learning more about Canadian history through literature!
I’m in love with Canada. No, seriously. Growing up in BC felt like such a treat to me. You hear it all the time, but it really is incredible to be able to see the mountains, the ocean, and the city all in one day. I won’t ever get over that luxury. I recently took a trip to Montreal and Toronto and I fell even more in love with the country. Canada is such a beautiful place to be!
Found on Of Two Lands (click for link)
Despite all this, I know there’s a lot more to Canada than beautiful landscapes and friendly strangers. That’s why I’m taking this course.
I’m thrilled to be a part of this class because it approaches Canadian Lit, a genre that is often underrated, in a completely unconventional way (read as: no Margaret Atwood). What really drew me to this course is the focus on learning more about Indigenous narratives, storytelling, and orature. These narratives are overlooked, and more often than not, completely forgotten, and I’m so glad to be a part of a class that not only looks at these stories but also critically looks at what is being told, what’s not being told, and why. We’ll also be examining colonizing narratives, something that will allow us to become more critical and aware readers. It’s so important to learn more about the way Canadian history is represented in literature and to learn more about alternative narratives. I’m looking forward to learning more about what “intersections and departures between European and Indigenous traditions of literature and orature,” really entails.
It’s not only the course readings that excite me, but also the way this course is being approached. Being a class that looks at alternate ways of storytelling, it’s fascinating to also be using unique techniques to learn. Not only this, but being a class that looks at intersections in two very different cultures, using modern mediums to teach literary history also offers its own innovative intersection. Blogging, creating “collaborative online working spaces,” vlogs, and even online group work — I’m thrilled to be a part of this!
If you can’t already tell… I’m looking forward to learning and exploring with all of you! Enjoy May long, and please, don’t be shy… Introduce yourself! 🙂
96% of Canadians are putting away the winter plaid and bringing out the spring plaid
— Stats Canada (@stats_canada) March 30, 2015
Works Cited:
49°20’34.1″N 123°06’53.5″W. 2014. British Columbia, BC. RSS. By Florent and Amberly. Web. 15 May 2015.
Stats Canada (Satire). Stats_canada. N.p., 30 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 May 2015. <https://twitter.com/stats_canada>.
“The UBC Learning Exchange.” UBC Learning Exchange. Web. 16 May 2015. <http://learningexchange.ubc.ca/>.
I love how anyone that has taken or read CanLit in the past subtly picks on Margaret Atwood in their intro. Like, she’s great, but we’re all rabid dogs looking for Canadian stories that haven’t been jammed down our throats from quotes on Chapters’ wallpaper. 😉
I’m pretty stoked to be working through an online medium in this class as well, it feels like a perfect split between more work and embracing work on our own schedule.
Excited to read more!
-J
Hello Melissa, it is so nice to hear your enthusiasm for the course – GREAT way to begin. I too am always excited with each new semester I teach this course, this is the third time since I wrote the course. I am looking foreword to working together this summer – thanks. Erika
Hello Melissa!
I love how enthusiastic you are about Canada I feel the same way and most of the times I get eye rolling and scoffs, so I’m pretty excited to a have a fellow Canadian daily admirer.
I was also really intrigued by the phrase “intersections and departures between European and Indigenous traditions of literature and orature” I think this course is going to be really great for examining all the subsections of Canadian literature, that are like you said, not Margaret Atwood.
I would love to keep a discussion going about these intersections and departures with you and all of the class.
Don’t be a stranger!
Erica
Hi Melissa!
I’m so glad to read about your enthusiasm as it would seem regarding all things Canadian! This Spring I took my first trip up to the Rockies and boy I was really stunned at the amazing views it had to offer!
I did a class previously on South African literature and realize that the method of story telling in both Canadian literature and the aforementioned are pretty similar in this sense. I believe that this method has the ability to ground these stories as well as add an interesting perspective to discerning readers! It definitely serves to expose preconceived notions which can sometimes be attributed to cultures as well in my opinion!
Looking forward to more that you have to share!
🙂