Welcome to the Course!

Welcome to the course! Non-Western Literature is an exploration of the tradition of literature, culture, and thought that developed apart (though not that far apart) from the Western tradition as exemplified by the Greek, Hebraic, and Roman civilizations. Though we can't touch on every culture or school of thought, we will explore several different texts, past and present, that inform our understanding of the so-called "Eastern" world, and how these traditions have come to inform 21st century life in America. From the fragmented texts of Ancient Egypt to a graphic novel about life in Iran, we'll explore many languages and cultures that might be foreign to mainstream American life, but which we can easily relate to thanks to the universal medium of literature, which requires no translation. 

The books required for the course are listed below:

• Writing from Ancient Egypt (Penguin)
• Lao Tzu, Tao te Ching (Penguin or other edition)
• The Bhagavad Gita (Penguin)
• Narayan, The Guide (Penguin)
• Soseki, Korkoro (Penguin or other edition)
• Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis (only one edition) 

Please e-mail me with any questions at jgrasso@ecok.edu