(All courses listed here have been taught as head instructor. Please inquire here for other classes taught as a graduate teaching assistant at UCLA.)
Classical Japanese
In this introductory course, students learn and practice reading the fundamental grammatical patterns of classical, or literary, Japanese (bungo). As they learn new grammar and read various literary genres, students not only gain the ability to read premodern vernacular texts with the aid of a dictionary, but also develop a deeper appreciation for Japanese language and culture across the ages.
Introduction to Kanbun
In this course, students learn how to read Japanese texts written entirely in Chinese characters, or kanbun. Specifically, they practice the art of rendering both classical and quasi-classical Chinese script into Japanese syntax, a reading method known as kundoku or yomikudashi. After learning the basics via textbook, primary sources are used for practice. By taking this course, students develop the necessary skills for reading primary texts for research projects with the aid of a dictionary.
Later Classical Japanese
This advanced-level course allows students to further practice reading and translating texts written in classical Japanese. Texts covered in this class are written in the vernacular, or kana. Such texts include poetry, monogatari tales, war stories, and folk tales. In addition, lectures cover historical and social contexts surrounding each work. Students submit a working English-language translation and preface as a final project.
Kana and Kanbun Texts in Early and Classical Japan
Just like the educated classes in premodern Japan, students read texts written in both kana and kanbun from Japan’s early and classical periods (710-1185) in this advanced-level course. As students translate, they explore differences in form and content between the two writing styles along with linguistic quirks featured in the readings. They also consider the conception of gendered writing and cross-cultural comparisons with other East Asian literatures, including poetic treatises and histories.
Advanced Readings in East Asian Art and Literature (co-taught with Prof. Melissa McCormick)
A seminar focusing on primary sources in classical languages, as well as recent scholarship and theoretical texts. The course centers on medieval Japanese manuscripts in the collections of the Harvard Art Museums and Harvard University libraries. Students will decipher calligraphic writing (kuzushiji), translate classical Japanese literary texts, and analyze accompanying images in illustrated manuscripts.
Anime
This general education course focuses on Japanese animated films from roughly the 1980s to the 2010s. Students explore the relationship between anime, popular culture, and historical events in Japan and globally, considering not only the specific conditions under which they were produced, but also how audiences responded to these works across time. Students also read scholarship produced by scholars working in a variety of approaches, from history and philosophy to gender and film criticism.
Teaching evaluations available upon request.
Danica Truscott 