MIMI OKABE

Literature from  Around the World 

C LIT 101 A1 | World Literature I 

2017 Fall Syllabus |Class and Reading Schedule

2016 Fall Syllabus |Class and Reading Schedule

C LIT 102 B1 | World Literature II

2016 Winter Syllabus |Class and Reading Schedule

These courses aim to introduce students to a selection of classic literary works across various cultural, national and linguistic boundaries. In a close reading of myths, epics, poems, novels and plays (in translation) and graphic novels, we discuss these works in relation to their socio-cultural and political context and  also in relation to the question of what constitutes “world literature?” 

Anonymous Student Testimonials (Selected)

Administered by the University of Alberta Universal Student Rating of Instruction USRI:

C LIT 101 (2017 Fall)

"Mimi was my first instructor and thus she was my first experience with university. I was worried and nervous, but after the first class I felt excited and ready to take on post-secondary. She was great as she made it clear that she cares about students and is passionate about the class. C-Lit is one of my favorite classes and it's Mimi that makes it great. For someone that hates reading, the class has encouraged me to start reading historic texts. Mimi really needs to teach more at this university."

"loved Mimi's lectures. She makes the course material very interesting and includes a range of study materials such as presentations, video clips, in class discussions and debates to make the course content easy to understand. She is very helpful and caring and assisted me with the difficulties I faced in the course."

C LIT 101 (2016 Fall)

"I've learnt much about early literature and it's importance in influencing today's writing culture. I have also learnt about different cultures around the world, and the significance of reading other worldly literature in order to understand those other cultures. I've learnt that connections can be made between main characters in different parts of the world regardless of the distance between the origins."

"I really enjoyed being in Mimi's class and would definitely recommend her to a friend. My one complaint would be leaving the last epic to the end of the course because I have so much else to do at the end of the semester, but I thought Mimi was an incredible prof!! She is passionate about what she teaches and I enjoy the group discussion that is brought forward by being in her class!"

C LIT 102 (2016 Winter)

"I loved this course! Mimi was fantastic and the lectures were very well thought out, with group discussion added in to help further understanding. Mimi inspired me to change my major to Comparative Literature, and I would love to take her course again. I loved how she examined the content and how she examined texts through a social justice and feminist perspective. She was open to suggestions and encouraged people to participate and learn"

"Mimi is a great instructor; she cares for her students, showing interest in our intellectual development. She taught the course material in a way that opened up and invited critical thinking and assigned a beautifully diverse range of texts. My only suggestion, and this is mostly curricular, is that this course assign material from Indigenous people in North America"