FYS 10 All That Glitters: Life, Literature and Film in Los Angeles
Norman Mailer described Los Angeles as a "constellation of plastic." John Fante called it a "sad flower in the sand." Is Los Angeles really just "72 suburbs in search of a city," as Dorothy Parker claimed, or is there something else brewing beneath the beautiful, sunny skies? We’ll explore (primarily through films and literary texts) 20th and 21st century Los Angeles as both a real and imagined location. Through the completion of three papers (including one with a research component), a self-directed field trip and other activities, you’ll craft your own conceptual “map” of the place. Please note that some of the literary and film texts for this course may be disturbing. Contact the instructor if you have any questions. Open only to first-year frosh.