[NOTE: This review is for ENGL/LGBTQS M101C (or GENDER M105C): Queer Cultures: Narratives, Theories, Aesthetics]
***
~Grade Breakdown~
- 10% Attendance
- 10% Participation
- 10% Annotation Exercise (discontinued before halfway through the quarter, so I believe we got free points for that)
- 35% Response Papers (2)
- 35% Final Project
***
~The Review~
This class was one of my highlights winter quarter. Most of the material resonated with me as a Gender Studies major and an LGBTQ Studies minor (especially Zami, Fun Home, and Nature Poem). We especially covered Black and indigenous literature, which made for a thorough class that addressed issues of race and class in addition to gender and sexuality. Though the workload is quite heavy compared to most gender/LGBTQ studies classes, especially since you read a book a week (and watch a few films on Kanopy), I learned a lot in Professor Kim Lee’s class.

Kim Lee is one of my favorite professors at UCLA. She is very thorough in her explanations and has a lot of passion for queer literature and theory. Though her lectures can get a little stale from time to time, she would say oftentimes say witty and honest stuff that would make the whole class laugh. What’s great about this class is how she encourages students to chime in on the readings and anything interesting that stood out (even though there were moments where she would spend more time on her analysis and close readings LOL).

Kim Lee is also a very kind soul who made her classes hybrid (starting from Week 6), offering an in-person and a Zoom component, as a way to make this class accessible to everyone. Plus, she is willing to give extensions when needed and definitely understands what’s it’s like to have to keep up with deadlines. Though she holds her class at a high standard, she nonetheless remains flexible as needed.

However, this class isn’t an easy A. Like I mentioned, you read a book a week. If you have a heavy workload, then you might get overwhelmed. Plus, you also have two response papers, which take a bit of time to write, and a final project, which can either be done individually or with more than one person. Though I ended up with an A (along with most of the class), it definitely took work to get there. But in the end, it was worth it.

The one thing about her class (and many others) is that she likes to give very thorough feedback. Nonetheless, I found her comments very helpful. Though it seems like she might be a hard grader based on her comments, she definitely grades fairly and leniently. I got an A- on one of my response papers, so not too bad (even though my response was rushed and wasn’t as thorough LOL). Tip: Definitely take advantage of her office hours! She provided me some helpful readings that proved helpful for my second response paper.

The final project definitely was a lot of fun to do since you have many choices for what you want to do (like a podcast, a letter, a paper, artwork). I had a great time working on mine with a partner and so did my classmates. It’s definitely nice to have a professor who encourages multiple ways to express one’s creativity.

Overall, this is a great class that widened my understanding of queer literature. I loved how the course material didn’t feel whitewashed, so I strongly resonated with the books we read. This class is a doable A if you put in the time.