This lecture explores literary history in a global perspective. We will discuss the emergence of "World Literature" as a literary-historical and political concept. While nationhood, nationalism, and cultural exceptionalism provided important analytic frames for the emergence of American Studies as a discipline, recent developments have instead focused on relationships amongst nations, as well as their intersection with the United States. How did migration and multilingualism shape the core of the literary canon? What is the place of regional or national literature in an increasingly globalized literary market? How did ancient cultures think about regional specificities? How do books circulate around the globe?

This lecture is meant as a general introduction to both American literature and World Literature. We will read text from all over the globe and discuss important theoretical statements.