Week 9: Mountains

Oct. 24 – Oct. 30

This week we look at the mountains, where many strange creatures hide – in particular in the southern mountains of what is now modern China.

On Thursday you’ll work more in your groups

Unless otherwise noted, all assignments and tasks are due by 11:59PM. I strongly suggest you keep a healthy life-work balance and make sure to get enough sleep. Check the “best-before dates” policy in the syllabus.

Monday
  • □ Look ahead at the readings and tasks for this week, and plan in when you will do them.
  • – This prevents last minute panic, and means you can make the most of our time together in class.
  •  
  • □ Feedback on your fellow students’ posts
  • – Read through and use Hypothes.is (Group HST107) to comment on your fellow students’ First Post: everybody likes some encouragement! Here is a random selection of three posts. If two or more posts are the same, or one is your own, just refresh the page for a different set. It’s all random, it’s all good!
  • * Post 1:
  • * Post 2:
  • * Post 3:
Tuesday
  • □ Prepare before class: Textbook, Secondary source, and Primary source
  • * Textbook:
  • – Capozzi, Bianca. “Mount Kunlun, the Jade Mountain, and the Queen Mother of the West”. In China’s Magical Creatures (and Where to Find Them). First edition. Muhlenberg College, 2020. (https://open.muhlenberg.pub/chinasmagicalcreatures/chapter/mount-kunlun-the-jade-mountain-and-the-queen-mother-of-the-west/)
  • – Orofino, Jessica. “Taoist Exorcisms”. In China’s Magical Creatures (and Where to Find Them). First edition. Muhlenberg College, 2020. (https://open.muhlenberg.pub/chinasmagicalcreatures/chapter/taoist-exorcisms/)
      • The section “Depictions in art” talks about the primary source picture scroll.
  • * Secondary source:
      • “Shanxiao: Mountain Goblins”. Chapter from Von Glahn, Richard. The Sinister Way: The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture. Berkeley: Univ. of California Press, 2004.(PDF)
        • Reading questions: What are commonly held beliefs about mountain creatures? Who/what are they? How did this view evolve over time?
  • * Primary source:
    • “Searching the Mountains for Demons“: Metropolitan Museum, NY, scroll painting. (page includes an audioclip)
      • (Link to folder on Gdrive with pictures)
      • This is one long scroll, and you should “read” it from right to left. Some of the pictures overlap.
      •  Reading question: try to find out what the story is: who is fighting/hunting whom, and why?
  •  
  • □ Meeting: Ettinger 204, 3.30PM (Slides)
Wednesday
  • □ Catch up, and/or prepare for Thursday!
Thursday
  • □ Be ready to share with other groups what you are working on and where you need their assistance.
  • – Use the “In the beginning” document to make sure you focus on something concrete for 1 specific chapter. We are looking for a quick win of a final result for your team by the end of this week. (e.g. 3 glossary entries, 2 new or improved images, 1 interactive feature, a chapter with impeccable citations and their Zotero info all sorted, 1 chapter considered as accessible as we currently can get it, the changes for merging info in 1 set of chapters outlined, 1 chapter fully fact-checked for accuracy).
  • – During class: set a small goal and determine an action plan to finish up; find out which aspects can be left for next week(s).
  • You will need to work on this outside of class as well. Use class time to collaborate with other groups, but remember that you need to do “homework” outside of class as well!
  • □ Meeting: Location change: TREXLER B06 (The Hive) 3.30PM
  • (Walk down the stairs to B-level, walk to appr. the middle of the corridor and turn right again: there is a space to the elevators and various offices. The Hive (B06) is there.)
Friday
  • □ Catch up with any missing tasks or help a fellow student! Check in the Discord chat.
Saturday
  • □ Rest day
Sunday

Where to get help:

  • Tea Room on Discord:
    • open anytime for you
    • I will be hosting Tue 2PM-3PM; Wed. 11AM-12PM, or at other times by appointment via Google Calendar. You can also find me in my office during Tea Room times.
    • Private room for confidential chat available on request.
  • Discord Channel #hst107 and the (anonymous) Padlet (both also useful for chatting, sharing fun stuff)
  • DLAs: Digital Learning Assistants: schedule coming soon!
  • Writing Center: Sunday-Wednesday: 3:30 – 5:30 pm and 7-11 pm; Thursday: 3:30 – 5:30 pm and 7-9 pm; drop in or make an appointment
  • Trexler Library Course Subject Guide: our own dedicated subject guide for the course 
  • Safety on/around campus: report an incident