This course is a hybrid cultural studies seminar and creative composition course that explores jazz theory as a philosophical artistic practice rooted in American democracy. It investigates jazz aesthetics as a literary, visual, and musical art form, and it examines theories of jazz composition as philosophical statements in direct conversation with the principles of U.S. democracy. The course also explores the philosophical and aesthetic connections of jazz literature to surrealist and existentialist artistic movements in modern and postmodern cultural contexts. Artists to be discussed include James Baldwin, Harryette Mullen, and others. The theoretical aspects of this course will demonstrate how jazz has been a source of inspiration for a variety of twentieth-century literatures and theoretical practices. The readings include selections of fiction, poetry, drama, and essays with emphasis on jazz literary modes, creative trends, and political connotations specific to African American literature and culture.