Asian Diasporic Literatures
Term 1
TTh, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Food, cooking, and eating are biologically necessary and socially powerful: we cook food to survive, but also to reinforce social bonds, to celebrate tradition, to evoke memories of home, to compete with other cooks, to impress the eater, and even to beguile and seduce.
This course will explore food in literature, in cookbook selections, and films across different cultures and nations, including Asian North American and local Vancouver contexts. Readings will include theories of foodways, and books by Maxine Hong-Kingston (The Woman Warrior), Gish Jen (Typical American), Fred Wah (Diamond Grill), and Madeleine Thien (Simple Recipes). Tasteful excerpts from local cookbooks by Janice Wong and the renowned Vikram ViJ and Meeru Dhalwala will be sampled. Films will include Juzo Itami’s Japanese “noodle western” Tampopo, Ang Lee’s Eat Drink Man Woman, and the restaurant documentaries of Cheuk Kwan. See his fabulous website at http://www.chineserestaurants.tv. One special treat will be a class dialogue with visiting film-maker Cheuk Kwan. Students will be able to research local Asian-influenced restaurants or even gardens or farms as final projects.
All students with an interest in the content of this course are welcome: no previous knowledge of Asian North American or transnational food practices or traditions is required.
