LIT 2000-0001-Summer 2026-Truett

In this course, we will be examining a variety of readings, representative of a broad range of literary genres and cultures, through a lens of invention, asking how literature works to create wonder and other sensations in the reader. The readings will be drawn from an array of literary movements and historical eras, including selections from the Western canon. As we read and discuss, we will be looking for examples of the sort of literary inventions written about in Angus Fletcher’s book, Wonderworks. Examples of these inventions include: the Empathy Generator, the Tale Told from our Future, The Vigilance Trigger, The Fairy Tale Twist, the Stress Transformer, and the Double Alien. Together, we will ask why certain stories make us feel comforted and why we are drawn to read a sad story even though we know we are going to cry. Literature is a technology often used with a purpose. Let’s take it apart and put it back together again like a race car engine.