FYW-1185 Crossing Borders/Rights of Passage

What can texts that explore the US-Mexico border teach us about our own lives? Through a series of readings on young people and their journeys into foreign territory, we will study border crossing as a metaphor for the rites of passage, such as beginning college, that we all experience. These texts will help students to develop their writing skills as critical readers of literature. We will study not only how language is used by these authors, but what this language means to us as readers, and more importantly, as writers. Throughout the semester you will have the opportunity to write, and revise, autobiographical, critical and travel essays. 4 credits.