Literary Journalism as a Hybrid Discourse

• Explain the internal and external form/construction of a genre that links literature and journalism
  -Provide insight into the historical development of literary journalism
• Highlight representative examples of the genre from different parts of the world
  -Explain non-uniform terminology
  -Point out the parallels and differences between literary journalism in different cultural contexts
• A critical-analytical approach to reading selected texts of literary journalism
• Writing a text that conforms to the precepts of the genre
• Interview with literary journalists and insight into the practice of writing such articles and the environment in which such journalists operate

/

The course will focus on the literary-journalistic phenomenon called literary journalism (LJ), which has a long tradition in the US, but also around the globe, including in Slovenia.
The course will explain the composition of LJ, i.e. its internal and external form/ structure as well as the genre’s historical development. We will look at various examples of this discourse – not only ‘conventional’ (written) texts in the form of articles and books, but also in the form of graphic novels and digital content (podcasts).
The course will highlight the specifics of this genre and how these are tied to particular national/ cultural environments.
We will use theory for the practical analysis of various cases of literary journalism. We will use theories of literary journalism, literary studies and the methodology of intercultural studies, as LJ is a genre that was formed through interconnections between various cultures and literary as well as journalistic environments.
The students will write a research paper/ article that uses the principles of LJ and also have an opportunity to discuss the work of the literary journalist with actual journalists.

Knowledge and understanding:

(Students...)

-Acquire the principles of the structure, impact and importance of literary journalism within individual national contexts and in a transnational context (the interconnectedness of different writers and their response to similar socio-political themes)
-Learn about the historical development of this hybrid discourse
-Become familiar with the main representatives of the genre and the characteristics of their work.

Skills:

(Students...)

-Understand and know how to analyse texts that are characterised as LJ.
-Learn how to compose (and do preliminary research on the material of) a text that corresponds to the main traits of literary journalism
-Develop the knowledge of how literary journalists work (through interviews with selected journalists)
-Develop the ability to identify the crucial principles of literary journalism in texts
-Gain a critical appreciation of the work of domestic and international literary journalists

Literary Journalism (excerpts):

• Adamič, Louis. Vrnitev v rodni kraj. Ljubljana, Cankarjeva založba, 1962.
• Aleksievič, Svetlana. Vojna nima ženskega obraza. Novo mesto : Goga, 2021 Catalogue
• Capote, Truman. Hladnokrvno: zvesto po resnici povzeto poročilo o četvernem umoru in njegovih posledicah. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, 2007
• Didion, Joan. Slouching Towards Bethlehem. New York: Washington Square Press: Pocket Books, 1968.
• Drakulić, Slavenka. Kako smo preživeli komunizem in se celo smejali. Maribor: Rotis, 1992. Catalogue
• Café Europa Revisited: How to Survive Post-Communism.Penguin Books, 2021. Catalogue
• Foster Wallace, David. “Consider the Lobster”, Gourmet, avgust 2004.Catalogue E-version
• Hladnik Milharčič, Ervin. Pot na Orient. Ljubljana: Študentska založba, 2009.
• Kapusciński, Ryszard. Cesar. Ljubljana: Cankarjeva založba, 1999.
• Orwell, George. Na robu in na dnu v Parizu in Londonu. Ljubljana: Beletrina, 2010.
• Sacco, Joe. Varovano območje Goražde: Vojna v vzhodni Bosni 1992–95. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, SAZU, 2006. Catalogue
• NPR (National Public Radio) (podcast – On The Media) E-version
• Videmšek, Boštjan. Na begu : moderni eksodus (2005-2016) : z begunci in migranti na poti proti obljubljenim deželam. Ljubljana : UMco, 2016

Theory:

• Flis, Leonora. Factual Fictions: Narrative Truth and the Contemporary American Documentary Novel. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars, 2010. Catalogue
• Foley, Barbara. Telling the Truth: The Theory and Practice of Documentary Fiction. New York: Cornell University Press, 1986. Katalog E-version
• Hartsock, John C. A History of American Literary Journalism. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2000.
• Literary Journalism Across the Globe: Journalistic Traditions and Transnational Influences. Ur.. John S. Bak and Bill Reynolds. University of Massachusetts Press, 2011. Catalogue
• Merljak Zdovc, Sonja. Literarno novinarstvo: Pojav in raba nove novinarske vrste v ZDA in Sloveniji. Ljubljana: Modrijan, 2008. Catalogue
• Sims, Norman. True Stories: A Century of Literary Journalism. Northwestern University Press, 2008. Catalogue E-version

Oral exam 50 %
Project work (writing an article that falls into the domain of LJ and doing preliminary research) – precondition to take the exam 50 %

Pridr. prof. dr. Leonora Flis se pri svojem delu osredotoča na literarno teorijo, sodobno angleško in ameriško književnost, film (zlasti v odnosu do literature), grafične romane ter na literarno novinarstvo. Ukvarja se tudi s pisanjem knjižnih in filmskih recenzij in s prevajanjem tako strokovne literature kot leposlovja. Piše tudi kratke zgodbe. Izdala je zbirko Upogib časa (2015), 2022 pa je izšla njena druga knjiga kratkih zgodb z naslovom Enakozvočja. Leta 2011 je prejela Fulbrightovo štipendijo za raziskovalno delo na univerzi Columbia v New Yorku. Je tudi prevajalka, pisateljica, ustvarjalka radijskih oddaj in voditeljica pogovorov o literaturi, filmu in kulturi v širšem pomenu besede. Objavila je znanstveno monografijo Factual Fictions: Narrative Truth and the Contemporary American Novel (2010) in dve zbirki kratkih zgodb: Upogib časa (2015) in Enakozvočja (2022). Redno objavlja znanstvene in strokovne članke v slovenskih in tujih revijah in zbornikih.

Izbor del:

FLIS, Leonora. Nan Shepherdʹs holistic world - an intimate triangle : nature, body and mind in the living mountain. V: DUŢU, Carmen (ur.). Representations, scenes and scenarios of intimacy in women’s writing. Bucureşti: Pro Universitaria, 2023. Str. 81-95. ISBN 978-606-26-1415-7. https://repozitorij.ung.si/IzpisGradiva.php?id=8312. [COBISS.SI-ID 159100419]

FLIS, Leonora. The narrative of social (in)justice, feminism, and migration in Slavenka Drakulić's selected works. Dve domovini : razprave o izseljenstvu. [Tiskana izd.]. 2023, [št.] 58, str. 127-144. ISSN 0353-6777. https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/twohomelands/article/view/13203/11576, http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:doc-VFRV4BE6, DOI: 10.3986/2023.2.07. [COBISS.SI-ID 160461571], [SNIP, Scopus]

FLIS, Leonora. Factual fictions: narrative truth and the contemporary American documentary novel. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars, 2010. XII, 254 str. ISBN 9781-4438-24130-2. ISBN 1-4438-2413-5. [COBISS.SI-ID 44359522].

FLIS, Leonora. Med leposlovjem in poročanjem. Sodobnost. okt. 2021, letn. 85, št. 10, str. 1279-1292. ISSN 0038-0482. [COBISS.SI-ID 84567555]

FLIS, Leonora. Social engagement and multiculturalism in Louis Adamic's literary journalism and documentary prose. Dve domovini : razprave o izseljenstvu. [Tiskana izd.]. 2020, št. 51, str. 59-75. ISSN 0353-6777. DOI: 10.3986/dd.2020.1.04. [COBISS.SI-ID 45984557].

FLIS, Leonora. Grafične pripovedi in pripovednost. Primerjalna književnost. [Tiskana izd.]. maj 2020, letn. 43, št. 1, str. 51-74, ilustr. ISSN 0351-1189. DOI: 10.3986/pkn.v43.i1.03. [COBISS.SI-ID 18156803].

FLIS, Leonora. Družbeni angažma v literarnem novinarstvu Louisa Adamiča. V: DAUGUL, Larisa (ur.). Strpnost ni dovolj: prispevki s konference Iz mnogih dežel: ob 120. obletnici rojstva Louisa Adamiča, (Borec, ISSN 0006-7725, letn. 70 (2018), št. 751-753). Ljubljana: Sophia. 2018, [Letn.] 70, št. 751/753, str. [140]-149, 217-218. [COBISS.SI-ID 36010333].

FLIS, Leonora. Joe Sacco in literarno novinarstvo v podobi stripa - žanrski preplet literature, stripa, novinarstva in zgodovine. V: ZORMAN, Barbara (ur.), et al. Literatura in gibljive slike : tematski sklop = Literature and moving images : thematic section. Ljubljana: Slovensko društvo za primerjalno književnost, 2014. Letn. 37, št. 2, str. 195-225, [245], ilustr. Primerjalna književnost, letn. 37, št. 2. ISSN 0351-1189. [COBISS.SI-ID 55123042].

FLIS, Leonora. Profiling war : managing trauma in reporting horror : the case of Boštjan Videmšek. V: JOSEPH, Sue (ur.). Profile pieces : journalism and the "human interest" bias. New York; London: Routledge, cop. 2016. Str. 226-239. Routledge research in journalism, 13. ISBN 978-1-138-93805-2. [COBISS.SI-ID 4114171]