This course deals with representations of the self in (mostly) contemporary poetry, and some of the ways in which authors and their audiences negotiate accountability, identity, honesty, politics, embellishment, polyvocality, gender, experimentation, love, gossip, influence, accuracy, drugs, the lyric, authority, depression, race, innuendo, labeling, irreverence, independence, fakery, obsession, sexuality, objectivity, ellipticism, trust, daring, etc. While this is not explicitly a cross-genre class, we will be reading a variety of texts in both verse and prose. Book List Anne Carson, Autobiography of Red Lyn Hejinian, My Life (2013 edition) Tyehimba Jess: Olio Ben Lerner, Leaving the Atocha Station Layli Long Soldier, Whereas Harryette Mullen, Sleeping with the Dictionary Maggie Nelson, Jane: A Murder Claudia Rankine, Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Diane Seuss, Modern Poetry Gertrude Stein (handouts will be provided) Monica Youn, Blackacre