This course will examine contemporary American fiction in social, historical, and aesthetic contexts, and we will pay particular attention to the ways in which previously marginalized identities have altered the American canon since the 1960s.  We will focus on six novels throughout the semester, but we will also supplement this list by reading a number of important short stories.  Among the questions we will be asking: What are some of the cultural and literary trends altering contemporary American fiction?  What is postmodernism?  How do American narratives negotiate between “fact” and “fiction”?  How is the production and reception of literature affected by issues of race, class, and gender?