Z Online Class: A Zoom invitation link will be sent one day before class begins.
Women of the 1920s led a revolt against the old standards of womanhood that were dominating U.S. culture. Flappers and feminists, they spoke and acted out, inspiring other women to follow. In this class Matt will analyze the work of several important 1920s female authors who chronicled this revolt, including Mae West, Nella Larsen, Gertrude Stein, and Dorothy Parker. These trailblazers wrote counter-narratives to the sexism, racism, classism, and homophobia women faced during the Jazz Age. Matt will bring their novels, poems, plays, and film scenarios into conversation with each other. He will explore examples of how these women worked individually and collectively to attain the political power, social status, economic independence, sexual freedom, and artistic recognition they deserved. Class interaction is highly encouraged.
Matthew Niven Teorey is currently Associate Professor of English at Peninsula College in Port Angeles, WA. His research has focused on issues of gender, race, and sexual orientation in literature. His teaching specializes on multidisciplinary connections such as literature and mathematics. Matt is the author of Self-Made Women in the 1920s United States (Lexington Books 2022).