Incarceration as Inspiration: Russian and American Prison Narratives

This course will employ a multitude of prison-related texts (letters, memoirs, short stories, historical accounts, films, and theoretical criticism) to explore the connection between incarceration and inspiration. Together we will examine the following questions: what is the link between creativity and the penitentiary? What is the allure of crime and the function of prison? What effect does the restriction of space have on the mind? How does life-writing versus fictional writing capture the prison experience? The quarter will culminate with a visit to an area correctional facility.