The Spanish Professor has wanted to give the introduction to literary studies as a course in narrative theory, but if I cut down the number of genres covered I would do poetry and the essay. My colleagues say this would never work since these are the least interesting genres to students, the ones that will ahuyentar them from us and from the major.
I skipped the introduction to literary studies, which was taken in the sixth quarter, because I felt I had learned enough in the fifth quarter. We read a great deal of poetry, from the Romancero to Machado and Lorca; several short stories by Cortázar; a novela ejemplar by Cervantes; and El burlador de Sevilla. I wrote a five page explicación de texto on “Amor constante más allá de la muerte,” a sonnet by Francisco de Quevedo, and decided that poetry ruled.
I find that narrative is not easier for the students to handle than poetry. I could focus on narrative and theatre some years, and poetry and the essay others. Qu’est-ce que vous en pensez, avez-vous lu Char (I always liked that as a book title), and have you noticed that I changed my name? No name is definitive and this one may be transitory, but I have changed completely and nobody has said a thing.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
I can leave genres out. In fact, my colleague is doing a full blown theory course, Mignolo and Cornejo Polar readings included, but I think he got lucky the first time around with the students, and is having a lot of problems this time.
If I had to choose for my pleasure, I’d do narrative and the essay. I just love teaching essay. I will probably do narrative and poetry, so nobody complains in the long run (and I suck teaching poetry, which will get me excommunicated from all the Hispanist bloggers).
I’d love to do the course as he is but am afraid the students would freak out. But here is the thing: all of these questions of narrative voice and versification can actually be done in the survey. Introduction to literary studies, should be an introduction to what literary scholars actually do. I am tempted to ask him for his syllabus and try it, just once.
I’ll get you a copy of the syllabus. If you want to use it, I’ll get you two in touch so you can ask him about it. And I completely agree with you re what should be covered. In fact, that was the way he and I were opposed (and won) to giving AP credit for that class. But I still don’t know how to make it to make it cohesive, and that the students don’t freak out.
I would absolutely love that! And could maybe contribute by working on some ways to make it more cohesive. I find that the students freak out with anything I do, my courses are always considered challenging intellectually although I am an easy grader, and I think I can get them through this by having them read short excerpts of the texts while I give them the broader contorno. And one can give examples, and tell them one is NOT suggesting they “apply” theory to text. And I have more ideas — refer sometimes to theory and so on from English, things they might be learning in those courses. That book Bardiac suggested on your site, The Theory Toolbox, looks really good.