Lesson 06: What Is Foreign?

If the 20th century was arguably the “American century,” and if the US is currently the world’s remaining super-power, what does that mean for where the US starts and where it ends? Writing for American outlets, how do we define stories as foreign versus domestic? How does this affect how we cover stories?  To what extent does current American foreign correspondence frame these stories that occur abroad as part of the US’s story? In your view, should they? What would change if they did? How does Hansen’s Chapter 4 inform your view?

We will also be joined at the start of class by Director of Career Services, Michelle Higgins, who will give an important presentation on international summer internships. 

Assignments

Reading assignment:

  • Suzy Hansen, Notes on a Foreign Country, “Benevolent Interventions: Greece and Turkey” (Chapter 4, pp.132-160) 
  • Valeria Luiselli, Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions p. 83-87 (on reserve)
  • OPTIONAL: Kamila Shamsie, “The Storytellers of Empire,” in Guernica

Watching assignment:

  • Harvest of Empire (you can stream it through the class online reserve) (based on the book by the same title, it is 1.5 hours long, allot enough time!!)

Written assignment:

  • Add to your beat crash course reading list cultural works produced by people of the communities found in your beats. (For example, if your beat is Caribbean communities in Crown Heights, find work by Caribbean and Caribbean-American playwrights/novelists/film makers etc.)
Agenda
  • REVIEW OF LESSON 5
  • STUDENT LED DISCUSSION OF HANSEN CHAPTER 4
  • DISCUSSION OF OTHER READINGS
  • IN CLASS EXERCISE
Review of Previous Lesson
  • Ask students what their main takeaways were from the previous lesson
  • Ask students what they liked, didn’t like, and what surprised them as they looked for artistic works to add to their crash course list
Student Led Discussion of Hansen Chapter 4

Turn over discussion to the two students who have signed up to lead the class through this chapter. They must summarize the main points and then frame the discussion.

Discussion of Other Readings

Valeria Luiselli, Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions p. 83-87 (on reserve)

OPTIONAL: Kamila Shamsie, “The Storytellers of Empire,” in Guernica

Harvest of Empire (you can stream it through the class online reserve) (based on the book by the same title, it is 1.5 hours long, allot enough time!!) 

  • HOW DOES HANSEN’S CHAPTER 4 RELATED TO THE OTHER ASSIGNMENTS?
  • WHO KNEW THE HISTORY RECOUNTED IN HARVEST OF EMPIRE? THOUGHTS? REACTIONS?
  • WHO FOUND THIS HELPFUL BECAUSE IT TOUCHES ON YOUR SPECIFIC BEATS?
  • FOR THOSE OF YOU WHOSE BEATS WEREN’T TOUCHED BY ANY OF THESE READINGS, WERE THERE ANY LESSONS YOU COULD DRAW/ANALOGIZE?
  • AFTER WATCHING HARVEST OF EMPIRE, WHOSE UNDERSTANDING OF THE “MIGRANT CARAVAN” CHANGED?
In Class Exercise

Let’s look at this coverage of the migration across the US’s southern border.

WHAT WOULD YOU FRAME DIFFERENTLY AFTER READING LUISELLI AND WATCHING HARVEST OF EMPIRE?