On September 12, you will present on the work of a practitioner (this may be a writer, artist, scholar, editor, etc) who uses speculative fiction to engage with social justice. We are doing this at the beginning of the semester so that you will have a chance to pursue your own interests in the field, giving you a head start on areas or individuals you might want to research for your world-building project or even your capstone.
You may choose any practitioner, including those whose work we are reading in class, except for the authors/editors of the books we are discussing in full. I encourage you to explore beyond the syllabus to find creators whose interests align with your own!
Your presentation should incorporate visual material and must include:
- a brief outline of who the practitioner is (based on whatever public information they make available about themselves)
- an explanation of the major themes they are exploring
- a more detailed engagement with ONE of this practitioner’s works – individual or collaborative. You should describe its method, scope, and significance. You may base this description on your own experience of the work or on reviews if, for example, you wish to discuss a novel you have not had a chance to read.
The presentation should be 5-10 minutes in length. If you screen video as part of your presentation, it should be no longer than one minute.
Only one person may present on each practitioner. On Tuesday September 10, I will ask you to share the name of the person you are researching. Have a backup in mind in case you choose somebody who proves very popular!
Jenna: Janelle Monae
Carolina: Jordan Peele
Mags: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Peter: Anton Chekhov
Jason: Ridley Scott
Logan: Samuel Ross
Maddy: Toni Morrison
